Conversion of school to flats is recommended

Plans to transform a former Scarborough school into 50 flats have been recommended for approval.

In January, YPG Developments Ltd applied to Scarborough Council to convert the former Westwood building in the town into 28 residential apartments. The school was once the Boys’ High School and later part of Yorkshire Coast College before closing in 2017.

A further three-storey block of 22 residential flats would be created on the site of a former ceramics workshop near the school, along with 50 parking spaces.

The plans are set to go before the council’s planning and development committee on May 4 and have been recommended for approval.

YPG Developments LTD said it would look to retain the character of the listed building.

It stated: “The conversion will be sensitive to the historic and protected nature of the listed building with minimal external alterations.

“Internally the large spaces within the former school building will be sensitively divided to provide modern living spaces whilst retaining historic features and the original layout including the hallways and classrooms.”

Vehicles will still enter and exit the site through the existing entrance onto Valley Bridge Road.

Originally, the plans were for 32 units in the Westwood campus building and 18 in the new build, this was changed during the process.

The new three-storey building has also been moved to take it further away from the nearby North Yorkshire County Council Pupil Referral Unit.

As part of the development the historic Theatre in the Round would become a “coworking space” and will include both an open-plan office area, private meeting rooms, and toilet facilities.