Great Yarmouth guesthouse bid refused by borough council

The house, formerly called the Merivon, is located in Great Yarmouth on Trafalgar Road, a street lined with traditional seaside B&Bs.

In October, the owners made a retrospective application to Great Yarmouth Borough Council to change the use of the premises.

But a planning officer has said the loss of the guesthouse in the town's seafront area would have an impact on the borough's economy.

They also said the applicants had not demonstrated that a tourist use was no longer viable.

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The house has five guest bedrooms with owners' accommodation on the ground floor, meaning a total of ten holiday beds would be lost.

If the proposal was approved, the lack of a suitable garden meant the property would be an oppressive environment for residents, the planner added.

One neighbour objected to the proposal, citing loss of holiday accommodation and impact on neighbouring uses.

They said the guesthouse was "a thriving business" for 20 years under its previous owner.

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Local policy allows residential accommodation in the seafront area only on upper floors and when it is self-contained as in apartments - to safeguard against the loss of tourist uses on the ground floor.

The applicants bought the house in December 2021 and at that time residential use began there.

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The planning application was then made in October this year following the result of an enforcement complaint.

According to a document submitted with the application, the property was put on the market in January 2020 and it was there for 21 months. During that time the price fell on two occasions while 18 viewings did not result in an offer.

A similar bid for another guesthouse on Trafalgar Road was refused last May and since then has gone to appeal.