A Whitby bar can rise again with a new look, the council has said.
Northern Bay Leisure Ltd’s application to renovate the shopfront of JK’s Bar on Wellington Road, Whitby, has been approved by North Yorkshire Council.
Earlier this year North Yorkshire Police had applied for JK’s to have its licence revoked after a series of complaints.
The force withdrew its concerns when the previous owners sold the bar.
The new owner, Russell Vickers, from Northern Bay Leisure, assured the council that the premises would remain closed until improvements were made.
Renovation works will see the new shopfront formed of a set of four aluminium powder-coated sliding doors and one main entrance door at the main section.
The existing timber fascia and masonry columns would be retained and repainted.
One member of the public objected to the plans over concerns that they would result in increased noise disturbance.
The local resident said that “the installation of sliding doors that can be left open during trading hours could result in noise disturbance if loud music is played late at night”.
‘Good standard’
However, council officers said the scheme was of a “good standard of design” and noted that Wellington Road is a “commercial street that features two bars and pubs”.
They said they did not consider that “the proposed shopfront would exacerbate noise disturbance to an unacceptable degree”.
The planning authority also told the applicant that depending on the nature of new advertising signs the bar may require a separate application for advertisement consent.
Following the council’s licence review earlier this year, the new owners told the authority that there would be an entirely new staff and that the bar would be renamed.
However, details of the new name were not included in the submitted plans.
North Yorkshire Council approved the planning application, subject to conditions, on Tuesday, 25 June.