Yorkshire village toilet block to be turned into estate agents
A public toilet block in a Bronte Country village can be converted to an estate agents after new plans were approved.
The public conveniences on Station Road, Cullingworth – near the George pub – have been vacant for years since being shut by Bradford Council as part of a swathe of public toilet closures.
Earlier this year a planning application was submitted by Tiffin Venue Management to convert the building into a small office.
A new glass frontage would be installed, and the plans said the work would “support the vitality of the village centre.”
Cullingworth Village Council had objected, saying the modern frontage would harm the village’s conservation area.
But planning officers at Bradford Council have now approved the works, saying it would help support a small business in the village.
The planning application said: “The proposals seek to bring an underused building back into active use as a small estate agency office, supporting the vitality of the village centre and improving the appearance and day-to-day surveillance of this part of the conservation area.
“The scheme introduces no additional built volume and retains the traditional stone and slate palette, whilst providing an active and well-presented frontage.”
A response to the application from Cullingworth Village Council said: “It is agreed that finding a suitable use for the toilet block is preferable to leaving it to decay and we have no issues with internal changes, however, any external changes must still be carried out to preserve the character and appearance of our conservation areas.
“Curtis Court (formerly Cullingworth Wesleyan Methodist Chapel) is a Grade II-listed building within Cullingworth’s conservation area.
“The toilet block sits between Curtis Court and the George public house, all within the conservation area.
“It is proposed that the shopfront framing to be powder coated aluminium with clear glazing, floor to ceiling.
“We assume the shop front is to be utilised to display properties for sale and we consider a purely glassy front to be detrimental to the character of this conservation area and so close to a Grade II heritage site.”
Despite this objection, Bradford Council’s conservation team raised no concerns about the plans.
Approving the change, planning officers said: “This is a small-scale business; in this respect, local planning authorities should adopt a positive and constructive approach towards planning applications for economic development.
"The change of use from disused toilet block to retail use with new shopfront is acceptable.”
One condition of the approval is that opening times are limited to 8am to 6pm on weekdays, 9pm to 5pm on Saturday, and that there be no Sunday opening.