New housing plan proposed for site of Whitby landslip

It's going to be considered by North Yorkshire Council

Author: Local Democracy Reporter, Anttoni James NumminenPublished 24th Aug 2023

A new plan for apartments at the site of the 2012 Whitby landslip has been submitted to the council for consideration.

An application has been submitted for five new homes on Aelfleda Terrace, Whitby, which was the site of a landslip in 2012 resulting in the demolition of a 19th-century terrace of fishermen’s cottages.

Aelfleda Terrace is located on the ridge of Whitby’s East Cliff and has views across the harbour and the Abbey.

Kris Blake of Abbeyfield Developments Ltd has proposed the construction of three townhouses as well as two basement apartments.

It follows a previous application by Mr Blake which proposed the construction of eight holiday apartments on Aelfleda Terrace, three more than were originally on the site.

However, in July last year, councillors voted to reject the scheme due to the increased number of apartments as well as over concerns about parking and the increase of holiday accommodation in Whitby.

According to documents submitted by Mr Blake, the new proposal “addresses all of the concerns raised when assessing the previous application” and also state that the five apartments would comply with national space standards.

The design “aims to respect the scale, detail, and materials of the existing context whilst providing contemporary living space for the occupants,” according to the documents.

The revised scheme will provide a “more domestic aesthetic” that is “sympathetic to but does not mimic the existing residential context”.

The application states: “We feel that by carefully considering the proportion of the openings the new development will settle within the context of the conservation area in an appropriate way.”

The proposed homes, which will provide “contemporary internal spaces”, will seek to enhance the area by “filling the street gap following the demolition of the ‘at risk’ houses on the site”.

No date has been set for a decision on the application which is currently pending consideration with the local planning authority.

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