The plans look to restore the property to its original appearance
A planning application to turn a popular Beverley restaurant into a residential property has been approved by East Riding Council. Whites, which is located on North Bar Without, has previously been listed in the Good Food Guide.
The green-lit application looks to turn the venue into a residential property, as it was prior to a change of use in 2007 when it became a commercial unit. Plans say the new proposals aim to restore the three-storey building to its original appearance.
The planning applicant and restaurant owner, John Robinson, “wishes to pursue other ventures and therefore will likely to be offering the property onto the open market,” according to submitted documents. The restaurant has an impressive 4.7/5 star rating on Trip Advisor.
Despite the restaurant being highly popular and well regarded within the East Yorkshire town, in 2022 the venue was reported to be struggling in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis. This led to the restaurant upping its prices to combat rising costs.
The property, approved plans say, “lends itself to a large family home with good access into the town centre and near by open pasture.” It is also explained that use of the three-storey period property as a commercial unit is “challenging.”
The change of use from a commercial unit to a residential property will provide a number of small positive impacts to the area, the application argues. These include an expected reduction in the level of noise coming from the property as well as a likely reduction of cooking odours.
Other positive impacts include a likely reduction in the number of vehicles parked on the road. This is because, as documents state: “It is unlikely any future occupiers will have as many vehicles as the restaurant and its customers currently use.”
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As well as the change of use, the application included a number of physical and visual changes to the property. For example it said: “The installation of a roof lantern at the rear of the property in the existing flat roof will add some much needed natural light to the back of the building.”
The main change to the appearance of the building is said to come from a change of the front windows. New sash windows will be installed as a part of the changes set out in the application. Now the application has been approved, the applicant has three years to begin the work, otherwise the planning permission will expire.