MATALAN has been given the go-ahead to open a cafe inside its Scarborough store.

It applied for permission for the cafe unit at the St Thomas Street entrance side of its store earlier this year, and this has now been granted.

It has also lodged a second, separate application to allow an area of outside seating, also in St Thomas Street, for the cafe. No decision has yet been made on the outside area.

One person had objected to the plans saying there are enough cafes in the area and “the inevitable smells from the cafe could impact on the clothing they sell”.

The council’s planning officers found the change of use of the area inside the shop is lawful.