Scunthorpe’s Grafton House Conversion Bid Denied Hat-Trick of Refusals

For the third consecutive time, the plan to transform the erstwhile Grafton House Care Home on Ashby Road, Scunthorpe, into a guest house has been given the thumbs down by councillors. The care home, which closed its doors in 2021 following a less than stellar rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), has been in the conversion limbo since then. A second attempt in July 2023 to metamorphose it into a hotel was also dismissed at an appeal. While the safety of highways was initially a point of contention, the crux of the refusal was the loss of a community use. The council was left wanting in terms of information regarding the sale of Grafton House as a community facility. A later application for a 13-room guest house, inclusive of a manager’s flat and 17 parking spaces, didn’t cut the mustard either. Despite an extensively detailed marketing campaign, the property received no offers to continue operating as a community facility. Adding fuel to the fire were concerns raised about the surplus of care homes in the area. The council’s unanimous refusal hinged on road safety, citing insufficient parking and turning areas as the primary culprits.