Plans to extend Seahouses holiday let refused over car parking concerns

Plans to add a third bedroom to a Seahouses holiday let have been knocked back by councillors over concerns around car parking in the popular village.

Plans had been submitted to convert a gym in Apartment Four of Farne House on Crew Street into a third bedroom. Farne House is a former hotel on the seafront that was converted to seven holiday lets.

The plans were recommended for approval by council officers. However, North Sunderland and Seahouses Parish Council had raised an objection based around the parking problems regularly seen in the village, and described the move as "overdevelopment".

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The objection read: "There are serious concerns about the lack of parking around this area, and the proposed new parking space is in an area that is a public right of way and any parking of vehicles will block access to other properties and potentially disrupt access for emergency vehicles. This area is also part of the National Coastal Path and further vehicles parking in an already narrow area, would be dangerous for pedestrians."

The plans came before members of the North Northumberland Local Area Planning Committee on Thursday. Speaking at the meeting, Coun Jeff Watson questioned the impact of one more bedroom on parking in the village.

He said: "I'm confused as to why there is so much concern if there's already several three-bedroom properties there. Would another bedroom create any more additional difficulties?

"I just don't see it. I just don't understand what the issues are and I can't see how one extra bedroom will increase the number of cars coming in."

But Coun Guy Renner-Thompson, who represents the village as part of the Bamburgh ward, proposed refusal of the application.

He said: "This is the sort of development creep we deal with in Seahouses all the time. It is a demonstrable increase in the number of bedrooms which will lead to more cars parking.

"The applicant says guests will just park somewhere else - which creates more problems. One extra car can cause gridlock in the entirety of Old Seahouses.

"The applicant is trying to come back and change a previous application - they asked for permission for two bedrooms, now they're asking for three. We shouldn't be allowing them to do that, they can't get away with it.

"It's not affordable housing, some of these flats are on the market for more than £1 million. There's no public benefit whatsoever.

"Why do we bother writing a neighbourhood plan if we're just going to ignore it when it comes to parking? We just say it will be fine, people will park in the big car park - but that's full too, so people just park anywhere.

"If we don't refuse it, it sets a terrible precedent. The village simply can't cope with cars, and this will make it worse."

The plans were refused by six votes to four, with one abstention.