Supported living plan for church hall

A plan has been submitted to transform a church hall in North Yorkshire into housing for people with learning disabilities and autism.

Squirrel Wood Properties (SWP) hopes to convert St Saviour's Church Hall on Gladstone Road in Scarborough into supported housing apartments.

Its plan says the facility would have 11 single-bedroom apartments, as well as staff facilities, while most of the existing green space would be preserved as a communal garden.

North Yorkshire Council's health and adult services department has confirmed that it supports the plan, with a final decision due at a later date.

Plans say the church hall is regarded as a "non-designated heritage asset" and the development would retain "all key design features that distinguish the building", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

According to the planning document, SWP was founded to provide people with "high-quality environments to enable independence and freedom".

There would be parking at the rear of the building with six spaces for the residents to use, alongside a proposed bicycle store.

The planning authority has not set a date for deciding on the application which is currently open to representations from members of the public.

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