It was lodged with the Planning Inspectorate after Ryedale coun- cillors – against the advice of their planning officers – threw the scheme out last November because there was no car parking for the flats in a part of the town that was already “saturated” with traffic.

Pickering Town Council, together with 22 local residents, had also objected to it.

Now, City Developments has got approval to go ahead with the project, which has a block of six two- bedroom flats fronting Burgate and three more in a block at the back of the building on Willowgate.

In his ruling, planning inspector George Arrowsmith said the main issue was whether the flats would affect the amenity of nearby residents by causing a significant increase in on-street parking.

He said he had to determine the appeal by taking account of the Government’s commitment and policies for reducing the amount of parking in new development as a way to encourage “sustainable travel choices”.

Mr Arrowsmith said: “The proposed flats are modest in size and close to the town centre with its commercial and social facilities and public transport services to Malton, Scarborough, Whitby, York and Leeds.

“I am therefore satisfied it would generate less parking demand than one for a similar number of family houses in a more outlying location.”

Mr Arrowsmith conceded that the new flats could increase pressure on the small number of on-street parking spaces in Willowgate but he said the Government’s policy was to reduce parking provision to make car usage less attractive in comparison to travel by public transport.

The likelihood that resident parking in this part of Pickering would become less convenient was therefore not a decisive objection.

And he added: “I conclude that the additional parking demand generated by the proposed development would not detract unacceptably from the amenity of nearby residents.”

Town mayor Cllr Julie Hepworth voiced her dismay at the decision and Burgate resident Mark Sissons, who was one of the objectors, said he was not entirely surprised.

He said: “I’m aware of the Government guidelines but I think they are being applied with a head in the sand attitude. They may work in a big city but not in a small rural market town like Pickering.

“I suspect the people who will live in the flats will work outside of town and while there is a bus network it doesn’t necessarily operate at convenient times for people to travel to and from work so they will use cars.”

And he added: “This is an area with very restricted on-street parking – not just in Burgate and Willowgate but the wider area – and nine flats could mean at least nine more cars.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Write to Malton and Pickering Mercury, 49 Market Place, Malton YO17 7LX or email sheila.elgey@yrnltd.co.uk or text MPMEDITOR with you name and message to 81800