School House Inn plan passes appeal test (From Gazette & Herald)
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Plan for School House Inn in Low Marishes near Malton passes appeal test
12:12pm Wednesday 24th October 2012 in News By Trevor Hayes
A COUPLE embroiled in a row over their plans to convert their pub and restaurant have been backed by a government planning inspector.
Sarah and Matthew Richardson ran into opposition from local residents and Ryedale District Council over their ideas to change the use of the School House Inn in Low Marishes near Malton.
Residents who objected to their plans staged a demonstration outside Ryedale House and objectors and supporters packed the public gallery each time an application was considered by council planners.
But the couple appealed against the planning committee’s previous decisions and last week Gary Housden, the head of planning, told councillors that the proposal to alter the public house had been allowed on appeal.
The committee heard that the local parish meeting no longer took issue with the application but wanted certain conditions to be applied.
But Mr Housden, who recommended approval of the latest application, said that in light of the “significant” appeal decision, it was not logicial to apply the conditions being sought.
Council solicitor Anthony Winship indicated that a parish meeting was not a corporate body so could not sue or be sued.
In spite of the continuing misgivings of some councillors, the committee agreed by a majority to the change of use and alteration of part of the public house to a three-bed home with the remainder of the building to be retained as a public house with first-floor living accommodation.
The plans would include external and internal alterations, the erection of a garden dining area and the change of use and alteration of adjacent outbuildings for a pub kitchen and five holiday letting bedrooms.
A report from officials to the committee said that if the side conservatory was excluded, then the public house would retain about 54 per cent of the ground floor, and if the proposed garden and dining room area went ahead then this would increase the ground floor area of the pub to about 70 per cent of the current premises.
