Fears over loss of green space as sale of lodge set to go ahead

Scarborough Council agreed four years ago that its former tourism HQ of Londesborough Lodge was no longer needed.

The site was up for grabs for development last year but was then withdrawn from sale because the market conditions were not thought to be right.

The Council owns the freehold of the lodge, which is currently vacant, both Scarborough Museums Trust and Radio York having moved out to enable the lease to be sold.

Tomorrow councillors will be urged to vote for the sale of the building, and an adjoining area of parkland, despite a battle by residents to keep the wooded area as open space.

Londesborough Lodge, for years the administrative seat of the authority's tourism arm, is a Grade II listed building.

The site is also sensitive because it is in a cultural quarter which also includes the Crescent Art Gallery, the Woodend Creative Industries Centre and the Valley Gardens

A planning brief has suggested a range of possible uses for the lodge such as residential, offices, hotel, health spa/medical services or restaurant. Also on the cards could be a gallery, studios, restaurant or caf, media-cum-creative user offices, workshops, or cultural retail space.

However, a dozen objections have been received from residents complaining about the loss of the half acre of adjoining parkland, and raising fears its development could spoil the views of Valley Gardens, and cut off the bridge from Cliff Bridge Place.

One objector branded the sale an "abuse of currently protected public open space which is already at a premium" adding: "Although the land may be sold now as a garden or parking, planning consent may be sought and granted for something more intrusive at a later date. Not knowing the difference in price the sale of this land makes is also making this sound a poor deal for the Scarborough citizen."

But Nicholas Edwards, the council's head of finance and asset management, argued that the conditions surrounding the sale would prevent any future problems.

Selling the open space with the building would also be a much more attractive package to developers.

He continued: "The sale of the land will contain restrictions which will prohibit any building upon it and will be restricted to car parking in association with a hotel, or as a garden for a private dwelling. Planning permission will need to be sought for any change of use and future development of the land."

He maintained that there were plenty of other areas of open space in that part of town.

He added: "Access to the remainder of the public gardens from the Crescent will continue to be available albeit along a slightly different route, and the bridge to Cliff Bridge Place will remain unaffected."

Unless the site found a buyer there was the continued risk of vandalism – making it a further drain on the public purse, rather than generating a large sum.

Mr Edwards continued: "If the property is retained significant expenditure would be required in order to bring the property to an acceptable standard.

"This site has suffered from several incidents of lead being stolen from the roof, and security would need to be bolstered to reduce the risk of this occurring in the future."

The lodge was built in the late 1830s as a neo-Greek two-storey villa, enlarged and improved by the first Lord of Londesborough in 1853.

He is said to have entertained Edward VII there in 1871 when the existing footbridge over Vernon Road provided him with private access to the Spa Bridge and Scarborough Spa.