Hoteliers warned of gloomy prediction regarding Scarborough's B&B economy

By Kit Sandeman
Published 6th Feb 2023, 16:38 BST
Independent guest houses, hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation will disappear altogether within 20 years in Scarborough, hoteliers have warned as more and more properties are converted into flats, holiday lets and care homes.

Concerned owners say not enough is being done to protect and promote the independent accommodation providers, and as things stand it is too easy for developers to close them.

According to one estimate, 262 guest houses and B&Bs in Scarborough have closed in the last decade, with dozens more going through the planning process currently.

Scarborough Borough Council says it disagrees with the prediction, and that small establishments remained the “lifeblood” of the town.

Scarborough Borough Council says it disagrees with the prediction, and that small establishments remained the “lifeblood” of the town.Scarborough Borough Council says it disagrees with the prediction, and that small establishments remained the “lifeblood” of the town.
Scarborough Borough Council says it disagrees with the prediction, and that small establishments remained the “lifeblood” of the town.

But the threat to tourism is well recognised by the council, and while measures are in place to make it harder for developers to change the use of traditional accommodation, many hoteliers feel it is still too easy to circumvent the rules.

The local plan, designed to guide all planning decisions, states: “There is continued pressure to convert visitor accommodation to other uses, particularly from guest houses to residential uses.

“This must be carefully monitored as the appeal of this area as a tourism destination could be threatened by a shortage of quality and range of accommodation types.”

Jo Lee is the co-owner of the Cavendish guest house, on Esplanade Road. She said: “We've been running a bed and breakfast in Scarborough for 11 years and there has been a noticeable decline in the number of guest houses and bed and breakfasts.

“I'm not anti big hotels, there is a place for big hotels in any town, but one of the things people like about Scarborough is the independents.

“The council put in a local plan and part of that was to protect guest houses. They wouldn't be allowed to convert them to any other use unless it could be deemed that it was no longer financially viable for them to carry on. But the council to me doesn't seem to be doing due diligence, they're just taking people's word for it.

“The council doesn't have their finger on the pulse. It goes against their local plan, and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to why an application gets approved or declined and it's very worrying because if they're not careful there will be so few guest houses and small accommodation owners in Scarborough that we will just become like any other town.”

She added: “We think we've lost about 232 guest houses or B&Bs in the last 10 years. We have lost so many.

“Don't get me wrong, there are some wonderful things happening for Scarborough and there is investment being put in. I'm not negative about Scarborough, it's about the management of it.”

Tony Bates is the owner of Hotel Ellenby, on North Marine Road. He moved to Scarborough during the pandemic, and said even in that time, two of the hotels he looked at buying have since been converted into flats.

A spokesman for Scarborough Borough Council said: “We do not agree with the prediction that Scarborough will have no independent accommodation providers in 20 years’ time.

"Smaller establishments are the lifeblood and backbone of the accommodation offer on the Yorkshire coast.

“Many hotel, bed and breakfast and guest house owners have invested significantly in their offer in recent years to remain competitive and attractive to customers.”

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