Plans lodged to expand shop and create new flats

Plans to extend a shop in Whitby into an empty building next door and create eight new flats above the store have been submitted.

If approved, Yorkshire Trading Company, which has been operating in the town for about 30 years, would expand its branch on Baxtergate into the former Barclays Bank building.

The proposals include building an extension over a car park at the rear of the site and creating apartments on the upper floors, according to a planning application.

In a statement, the company said the scheme aimed to "provide a better offering to the residents and visitors".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the firm said the project would also create 10 to 15 new jobs, adding that the scheme was a "once-in-a-generation opportunity".

​"This development will provide a complete ground floor shopping experience, allowing unimpeded access for the enjoyment of everyone in Whitby, residents and visitors alike," the planning statement said.

"Yorkshire Trading Company is a secure, long-established retailer that has shown loyal and unwavering support for local town high streets for many years," it added.

​North Yorkshire Council has not yet set a date for making a decision on the plans.

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