Filey building could be converted into flats despite parking objections

Scarborough City Council is recommended to approve the change

Scarborough Council is set to approve the conversion of a large Filey building to residential housing, despite numerous objections to parking.

The Authority’s Planning Committee has been recommended to approve the conversion of The Convent building in Filey into five flats with off street parking and exterior conversions.

The plan, presented by Andrew Gattenby, has received numerous objections from members of the public and will be put to the vote by councilors on Thursday 9 February.

Located on the corner of South Crescent Avenue and The Crescent, with the entrance to Glen Gardens public park to the east, the cloister building and chapel will be transformed to provide the apartments, which will be spread over four floors.

The planning authority has said the proposed changes to the building, which sits on the edge of the Filey Conservation Area, are considered “acceptable in scale, shape, detailed design and use of materials” and would not detract from the overall appearance.

There would be a total of nine car parking spaces, including a visitor parking space and EV charging stations.

However, Filey City Council rejected the plans because the location would be “the closest entrance to the children’s play park.”

Several locals have also objected to the plan, citing parking concerns, with one public petition calling the plan “insane”.

A petition written by Ruth Rowan and co-signed by 10 other people says that despite changes in plans, drivers will “abandon the idea of ​​parking in a specific location and using nearby street parking”.

The petitioners state that the plan would further contribute to “the ever-growing parking problems faced by residents of South Crescent Avenue”.

The petition adds: “It’s insane to think about allowing cars to maneuver at a pedestrian entrance to a very busy public park designed primarily for children.”

According to a report from the Planning Board, “The parking lots along South Crescent Avenue will result in cars having to reverse in and out as there is no designated turning at the site.

“Tandem parking along the existing driveway for the largest apartment, while not an optimal solution, was an existing arrangement when the monastery was in operation.”

However, the Highway Authority did not object to the plans, subject to the implementation of certain conditions, and planning officials concluded that they did not see “reasonable grounds for refusal on points related to the impact of the development on road safety”.

The plan is recommended for approval with conditions including the construction of a highway footpath crossing.

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