Decision to be made on controversial plan to turn former care home into HMO

A controversial plan to turn a former care home in Scarborough into a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) is set to be decided next week.

More than 70 people objected to plans from Artz Ltd to convert Harewood House at 47 West Street into a property to house up to 30 people.

The objectors were concerned about the number of HMOs in the area and also about the increase in parking and traffic it could bring.

In response, the applicant altered the plans to change the maximum occupancy to 21 which would split the building in half, with the other side becoming a residential home.

The plans will now go before Scarborough Council’s planning committee on Thursday next week, with officers saying councillors can approve the plans if they wish, subject to a number of conditions.

The report that will go before the committee states that the council’s own Environmental Health team remains concerned that the application will increase traffic, footfall and cause a disturbance in the residential area.

However, the report concludes: “Whilst Environmental Health continue to have concerns regarding the proposed HMO it is important to take account of the amendments that have been made to the scheme.

“The original proposal was for one large HMO within the former care home with the potential to house up to 30 people with the additional residential occupancy of the caretaker’s flat.

“The amended proposal would result in the number of residents within the in HMO reduced to a maximum of 21 (including the caretakers flat). In assessing the scheme, your officers consider that the revisions as proposed satisfactorily reduce the impact of the scheme upon the local community.”

A number of the objectors, in their letters to the council, bring up the case of the Breece, a former hotel, also in West Street, that later became an HMO.

In 2014 a court ordered the closure of the Breece following more than 50 anti-social behaviour complaints and allegations of stabbings and rape at the premises.

One objector wrote: “The Breece was a sizeable HMO and subsequent amendments were made to the relevant section of the Local Plan to provide powers to restrict the size of HMOs and control their location to avoid ‘clustering’.

“It was deemed appropriate that the maximum number of occupants should be 10. The proposed number of occupants for Harewood House greatly exceeds this number.

“Furthermore, such a development would greatly increase the number of HMO buildings and occupants in this area. The proposed site is close to three existing HMOs , the largest of which has made an application to significantly increase its numbers.”

Scarborough Civic Society has also objected to the plans, saying that, if granted, it would detract from the character of the Conservation Area.

The South Cliff Community Group, made up of local residents, has written to the council urging it to throw the plans out.

It said: “In the proposed HMO the residents will be younger, mobile and will between them undoubtedly have a number of vehicles.

“From other experiences, they will not already be Scarborough residents and there is no evidence-based need for this large HMO in this location.”

The Harewood House care home closed in 2017 and despite two auctions being held no buyer has yet been found to take over the property.