Conversion of B&B in Filey rejected due to decline in available holiday accommodation

The plan, which sought to change the use of a B&B into a residential property, has been refused due to a decline in the availability of holiday accommodation in the area.

The applicant, Michael Rudd, wanted to convert a six-bedroom guest house at 25 Rutland Street in Filey into a single residential property.

Scarborough Council’s tourism service objected to the plan because “bed stock in Filey is dwindling and from a bed and breakfast perspective, there is already limited bed stock in Filey, especially during the main summer period”.

While the authority noted the decline in visitor numbers due to Covid-19, the cost of living crisis, and an increase in the popularity of larger chain hotels, it disputed the applicant’s claim that the business had become unprofitable.

The council said: “The business was closed in April of 2022, which was before the main tourist season over the summer months when the business would be most profitable.

“It is therefore considered that this yearly profit shown for 2022 in the financial accounts does not reflect the profits that could have been achieved for the whole year if the business had remained open during the peak tourist period or represent a realistic yearly income from the business.”

The authority’s report added: “Yet despite this restricted season in 2022 the business still recorded a profit, enough to provide a secondary income into a household.”

According to a report by the planning authority, around 50 holiday bed spaces have been lost in Filey over the last few years.

Although the applicant, Mr Rudd, stated that there are still other guest houses on Rutland Street and in the vicinity, the authority concluded that there is “an insufficient supply of this type of visitor accommodation in this locality” and as such the loss of the guest house would be “unacceptable”.

Similar conversions of bed and breakfasts in Scarborough have been recently approved but the authority stated that its policy “needs to be applied on a case by case basis”.

The award-winning Downcliffe House Hotel, on The Beach, closed in April last year after plans were approved to convert it into holiday apartments.