Sign-off for Whitby Old Town Hall refresh

Markets, cultural displays and community events will now be allowed at the listed late 18th-century building, with the adjacent marketplace also lined up for a revamp.

North Yorkshire Council’s Scarborough & Whitby area planning committee examined proposals last week for a change of use application at the site.

The grade two-star listed Old Town Hall and associated Market Place are located within the East Cliff area of Whitby on Church Street. The Old Town Hall is a building of two storeys, standing alone in the Market Place, a stone-cobbled area immediately to its west sloping downwards towards the river.

The building features an open arcade at ground floor level which functions as part of the public realm and is put to various uses. Parts of the applicvation focus on making the various levels of the site accessible to all.

North Yorkshire Council itself is the applicant, announcing in June that it had lodged two applicarions, the first covering building repairs, first floor restoration and Market Place improvements.

The second application covered the installation of sliding glazed partitions within the undercroft.

North Yorkshire’s aim is to turn the area into a year-round space that can be used for community events and cultural activities alongside the current market on the site.

The uses listed in the applications are for the sale of goods by the market traders, as well as the display of art, a museum and a community meeting space.

The £1m plan was one of six priority projects from the Whitby Town Investment Plan chosen to proceed to delivery under the Towns Fund programme which saw Whitby secure £17.1m in funding.

Match-funding still needs to be secured for the glazed element of the scheme. With planning permission secured, this will now be taken forward.

The local authority hopes that work will start later this year and be completed by March 2025.