Bakery and gym approved for ex-showroom site
LDRSA bakery and 24-hour gym will be opened on the site of a former kitchen showroom in North Yorkshire after plans were approved.
The derelict Magnet Kitchen showroom on Seamer Road in Scarborough will be partially demolished, with a PureGym and a branch of Greggs set to replace it.
The redevelopment of the site would see three separate units created, councillors were told.
Giving the go-ahead to the proposals, North Yorkshire Council planners said as the site had been vacant for some time and it had been vandalised, this was an opportunity to enhance the appearance of the building.
The site is about 1.8 miles (3km) south west of Scarborough town centre.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the gym required a site with a minimum of 50 parking spaces next to its entrance, and the location of the site would benefit the proposed development.
PureGym, the UK's largest gym operator, said it had "gaps in provision in coastal areas".
LDRSPlanning officers said the main consideration over the proposed redevelopment was whether it would lead to a "significant adverse impact" on the vitality or viability of Scarborough town centre.
Planners concluded there were "no existing opportunities within Scarborough town centre that comprised suitable, available and viable alternatives to the application site".
Concerns were also raised about business competition and the impact on other gyms in the area.
However, officers said complaints about competition with local businesses were not legitimate planning issues.
"The planning system focuses on land use and built form, not private financial interests," they said.
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