Controversial plan to turn public toilet into housing is refused by councillors

Craven District Council submitted plans to demolish Ashfield Car Park toilets, which has built in the 1970s but has been closed since 2010, to redevelop the site. The plan was recommended for approval in a report and included three 1-bedroom shared ownership flats on the first floor, three commercial spaces on the ground-floor and a new tourist information desk.

The council said the scheme would give the site a “new lease of life” and improve the appearance of the town centre. However, the plans received 55 objections with local groups including Settle Town Council lamenting the loss of a public toilet that it said could be well-served by tourists if it reopened instead.

Concerns were also raised about how the new building would look and impact on the nearby grade II* listed Quaker Meeting House as well as Settle Victoria Hall, the oldest surviving music hall in England. At a planning committee meeting this week, Conservative councillor for Settle and Ribblebanks, David Staveley, said reopening the building as a public toilet “is no longer a viable option” due to cost implications.

He said: “[The proposal] offers a unique opportunity for our young people to get onto the housing ladder. There is some appetite for the development to be done.”

But many of the objectors attended the meeting in person and Lynn Northrop, who spoke on behalf of North Craven Heritage Trust, North Craven Building Preservation Trust and Craven Community Land Trust, said this demonstrated to councillors “how strong the opposition in Settle is to this development.”

Coun Brian Shuttleworth, independent councillor for Embsay with Eastby, said the plan “doesn’t make sense” as tourists could benefit from the facility if it reopened.

He added: “I don’t know the reasons for the closure but over the last 12 to 13 years, Craven District Council has been promoting tourism to bring in revenue to the area without doing anything about facilities for tourists. It’s not on.”

Independent councillor for Skipton South, Robert Heseltine, said he would also be voting against the plans due to the strength of feeling in Settle. He said: “Settle is a very pleasant place with a tremendous community. We can’t just say ‘you’re irrelevant’ — it’s your town.”

Settle Town Council objected to the plans citing the development’s impact on the nearby grade II* listed Quaker Meeting House as well as Settle Victoria Hall, the oldest surviving music hall in England.

An independent heritage report provided to the council by Hinchcliffe Heritage said the proposal would cause “no appreciable harm” to Quaker Meeting House and would “in fact deliver an enhancement” to the appearance of the area.

Conservative councillor for Gargrave and Malhamdale, Robert Sutcliffe, said the toilet block was in a “disgusting state” and needed to be replaced. He said:

“Either refurbish the toilets which would be expensive and unviable, or accept the fact that this area is going to change. This will be an improvement. In five years we’ll look back and think it looks quite nice doesn’t it?”

Councillors voted by six to three to refuse the plans with one abstention.