Former Scarborough school could be transformed into 50 flats
A former Scarborough school could be transformed into 50 flats under plans submitted to the borough council.
A former Scarborough school could be transformed into 50 flats under plans submitted to the borough council.
YPG Developments Ltd has applied to Scarborough Council to convert the former Westwood building in the town into 32 residential apartments. The school was once part of Yorkshire Coast College before closing in 2017.
A further three-storey block of 18 residential; flats would be created on the site of a former ceramics workshop near the school, along with 50 parking spaces.
The planning document supplied to the council states:
“The conversion will be sensitive to the historic and protected nature of the listed building with minimal external alterations which will ensure the appearance and character of the site will not be altered significantly.
“Internally the large spaces within the former school building will be sensitively divided to provide modern living spaces whilst retaining historic features and the original layout including the hallways and classrooms.
“The large windows ae an important feature and will be refurbished and secondary glazed with slim line internal windows to achieve thermal standards.
“The high floor to ceiling heights allows for the insertion of mezzanine levels within the living spaces which will be read as contemporary additions.
“The new apartment building takes its design cues from the Queen Anne Revival Style of the school building.”
Vehicles will enter and exit the site through the existing entrance onto Valley Bridge Road.
The plans are now out to consultation.
The change from school to flats will see the loss of the historic Theatre in the Round, which housed the world premier of Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black before it transferred to become on the most famous plays in West End history.
The theatre at Westwood opened with a revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s Mr Whatnot on October 26 1976.
The building which housed the former college campus was opened in 1900 and was called the Municipal School, or The Muni’ by the locals. It was designed by notable architect Edwin Cooper and contains intricate relief panels by the sculptor Henry Charles Fehr.
It became the Boys’ Grammar School before it was converted to become the old Stephen Joseph Theatre in 1976.
The three-vomitorium theatre design and shape was created for the move to Westwood, and was then reproduced exactly at the new Stephen Joseph Theatre venue.
Famous alumni of Westwood include novelist Storm Jameson and author Leo Walmsley,