AN award-winning North Yorkshire gin-maker has been granted permission to move into brand-new new premises in the shadow of Whitby Abbey.

Scarborough councillors have approved Whitby Distillery’s £1.5 million plans to renovate two derelict barns on Abbey Lands on the south-west corner of the Abbey grounds.

Whitby Distillery, makers of Whitby Gin, was founded 2017 by Jessica Slater and Luke Pentith who have grown their business from a passion project to one whose gin stocked in more than 300 outlets across the UK.

The move will enable the distillery to become a major distillery visitor attraction, providing leisure and function space for the local community.

Luke Pentith said: “This is absolutely wonderful news.

"We’d like to say a big thank you to Scarborough Council and English Heritage for believing in us and in our exciting project.

"Moving our distillery to Abbey Lands Farm is a game-changer for us and will enable us to step up production, give us a tremendous platform for growth and introduce a new industry to Whitby.

“It is an honour and a privilege to be restoring these derelict buildings on such a world-famous site.

"For us, this is all about launching an amazing adventure on the atmospheric North Sea coastline, with tremendous knock-on effects for the local economy."

Work on the new eco-build distillery will start this autumn, with a six to 12 month build period.

The building will supported by renewable energy sources to house a new hand-beaten still.

Green roofs will be planted with wild flowers.