Former butcher’s shop to be turned into launderette after plans given green light
A former North Yorkshire butcher’s shop will be turned into a launderette after plans were given the go-ahead.
Kamal Hussain’s proposal to convert the former G.E Hewison butcher’s shop at 21, Park Terrace in Whitby, into a laundrette has been approved by North Yorkshire Council.
The facility will not be a commercial laundrette where customers and members of the public will have access to and pay for the use of the facilities, according to plans.
Instead, it will focus on serving local businesses and holiday lets, primarily to clean bed linen and other textiles.
The original plans included the removal of the shopfront and the installation of a new frontage, however, the plan was amended after concerns were raised by the local planning authority, and that element of the scheme was removed from the proposal.
The installation of the washing equipment will require the temporary removal of the shopfront glass, which will be retained and re-inserted into the building like-for-like.
Planners said that the proposed use is unlikely to generate significant levels of activity with high levels of ‘comings and goings’ and noted that the former use as a butcher’s shop would have had similar characteristics.
Whitby Town Council supported the application, subject to conditions recommended by environmental health officers.
North Yorkshire Council’s environmental health team said that after conducting a thorough review of the application, it had no objections, subject to “appropriate controls to prevent nuisance to nearby residential occupiers”.
Officers said that “the change of use has the potential to introduce noise, vibration, and amenity impacts, which must be suitably mitigated” and proposed restricted hours for construction works.
As the “operation of commercial washing machines, dryers, extract fans, has the potential to cause noise and vibration disturbance, particularly given the likely proximity of residential premises”, the applicant will be required to submit a comprehensive vibration assessment for approval.
The application was approved by North Yorkshire Council, subject to conditions, on Wednesday, May 13.