Once again the Lake District National Park Authority looks set to disregard Keswick Town Council on a guest house planning issue.
The town council has objected to the change of use of the mid-terrace Cragwood Guest House, in Blencathra Street, to flexible use as a guest house and holiday let.
It has opposed the application on the grounds that a design and access statement has not been submitted in support of the application advising how the property will be managed. The application form indicates the loss of one full-time employee, implying a loss of management structure.
The council says that it is also unclear whether the existing family home element will be retained and its loss would have an impact on local housing demand.
But members of the LDNPA’s development control committee are recommended at their meeting on September 6 to approve the application with conditions.
Town councillors have objected to a big increase of large properties in residential areas of Keswick being allowed to switch from owner/operator-run B&Bs or guest houses, into “unmanaged” holiday lets.
The concern has been that if there are no on-site staff to keep a check on guests, then anti-social behaviour problems can occur and affect neighbours. But the view of the town council keeps on getting overlooked and the go ahead is being given to ‘unmanaged’ properties leading to anti-social behaviour fears.
A report to the development control committee said that the application proposes two separate uses that the owners would have the flexibility to interchange between.
It adds: “Keswick Town Council have raised concerns that the proposals would have an unacceptable impact on neighbour amenity without the provision of full time on-site management.
“It is not clear if the existing guest house currently includes manager’s or owner’s accommodation. However, this is not a planning requirement of the existing use; a guest house can be operated without owner’s or manager’s accommodation.
“A holiday let, a dwelling in permanent occupation or a guest house can all be occupied by persons who behave well or behave poorly. Taking into account the specifics of the application building, including its size, outdoor space and means of access, it cannot safely be concluded that changing the building from one type of holiday accommodation to another, as proposed, would be likely to result in demonstrably different levels of activity, or give rise to an increased likelihood of unneighbourly or anti-social behaviour as compared to the which could arise from the existing use.”
