Government overturns council's decision on Scarborough café decking

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 4 Nov, 17:27 · Archive

A planning inspector has overturned North Yorkshire Council's refusal to allow decking at The Rooftop Cocktail Bar on Scarborough's seafront.

A Government planning inspector has overturned North Yorkshire Council's decision to refuse retrospective planning permission for decking and seating outside The Rooftop Cocktail Bar at 1 Pier Terrace, Scarborough, overlooking South Bay. The council had refused the scheme earlier this year, arguing it harmed the character of the conservation area and encroached onto a public thoroughfare.

Inspector Chris Watson-Pipe overturned the decision last month, ruling that the council had failed to demonstrate the development caused sufficient harm. She said the decking's 'materials and use are not inherently out of keeping' with the surrounding area and sat comfortably within a part of town dominated by tourism, hospitality and leisure businesses. She found the structure preserved both the surrounding area and the Scarborough conservation area, directly contradicting the council's conclusion that it caused 'significant visual harm'.

The council's highways authority had warned that the decking occupied adopted highway land and interfered with established rights of passage, raising concerns it could create a precedent for similar developments. Following a site visit, the inspector concluded the decking would not significantly alter access arrangements or remove any formal parking provision, finding 'insufficient justification to dismiss the appeal on highway safety grounds'. The ruling was in favour of the café's owners, Mr and Mrs Austin.

How it is being reported

• Government overturns decision on Scarborough café’s seafront deckingA SCARBOROUGH seafront café has won a planning appeal over a controversial decking area that the council said should not have been approved because of harm to the area.York Press · 4 Nov, 16:37
• Government overturns decision on Scarborough café’s seafront deckingA SCARBOROUGH seafront café has won a planning appeal over a controversial decking area that the council said should not have been approved because of harm to the area.Gazette & Herald (Malton) · 4 Nov, 16:37

In this story: The Rooftop Cocktail Bar · North Yorkshire Council · Scarborough · Chris Watson-Pipe · Mr and Mrs Austin

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