Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee

Annual Report 2024/25

6 June 2025

Membership

Councillors Liz Colling (Chair), Janet Jefferson (Vice Chair), Derek Bastiman, Eric Broadbent, David Chance, David Jeffels, Rich Maw, Clive Pearson, Heather Phillips, Tony Randerson, John Ritchie, Subash Sharma, Neil Swannick, Roberta Swiers, and Phil Trumper

Introduction

Area Committees (ACs) are a forum for visible local democracy and accountability, where members of the public and local groups can raise specific issues which affect the local area. ACs can also act as consultees for the development of plans and policies which affect the area and monitor performance data to ensure services are being delivered effectively and efficiently. ACs can provide meaningful scrutiny of local issues within their area, complementing the strategic work undertaken by the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

The Annual Report 2024/25 provides a summary of the committee’s activity over the last year and an overview of what has been achieved.

The work of the committee

There were four formal meetings of the committee in 2024/25.  Here is a summary of the committee’s business over these four meetings:

· Considered the safety of children walking to school with particular reference to the Cinder Track in Whitby

· From its Economic, Regeneration, Tourism and Transport Project Development Fund allocation, the committee identified several projects to take forward: improving coastal access at Cayton Bay; a review of maritime economic opportunities in Scarborough and Whitby; active travel / social prescribing pilot project; commemorations in 2026 to mark 400 years of Scarborough’s status as the first seaside spa resort; and feasibility studies in respect of creating a safe sea swimming space and an artificial nesting structure for kittiwakes in Scarborough.

· Endorsed the new Public Space Protection Order for Scarborough Town Centre

· In response to the problem of motor caravans parking overnight on certain streets in coastal locations, the committee supported the proposal to introduce overnight motorhome parking restrictions at Sandsend, Royal Albert Drive and Cayton Bay through an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order

· Considered the Esk Valley Railway Development Company’s compelling case for investment in the railway line between Whitby and Middlesbrough on the strength of a newly commissioned study and sent letters of support to the York and North Yorkshire and Teeside Mayors for the Strategic Business Study proposed in the study. 

· Considered an update on general harbour matters including planned improvements and repairs to harbour infrastructure and the development of a new Harbour Strategy and Investment Plan. The committee expressed disappointment at the delay in progressing the offshore renewables agenda, infrastructure improvements, and the development of a new Harbour Strategy and urged the Leader of the Council to address these delays and ensure the harbour team had sufficient resource to deliver the new strategy to secure the ongoing success of the harbours. 

· Considered York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s new data tool to collect information around patients who do not attend face to face outpatient hospital appointments.  Although the Trust as a whole performed well nationally (in the top decile) in relation to missed hospital appointments, further analysis revealed that for local Scarborough postcodes in deprived areas, there was a larger incidence of patients who missed appointments.  An informal seminar was then arranged to examine this issue in more depth.

· Received progress updates on the developing work of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and the implications for the local area; on the work of Public Health in the county and local area including their preventative programmes and initiatives to promote healthy ageing and with young people; on the new Scarborough Cross-Council Task Force which had been set up to ensure a coordinated approach to tackling a range of key priorities in the town; on the Scarborough Open Air Theatre; on the development of Community Safety Hubs across the county; on the work of the Localities Team; and on educational attainment across the 49 schools and academies in the Scarborough and Whitby area.

Taking into account the above, notable achievements by the committee include:

· Raising the profile of such issues as harbour investment, the development of a new Harbour Strategy and Investment Plan, missed hospital outpatient appointments, and the Esk Valley Railway

· Support for a series of projects:

i. The construction of new steps to improve public access to Cayton Bay

ii. The development of an interactive online training course for NYC health workers to prescribe and deliver active travel interventions for residents to improve health and wellbeing.

iii. The completion of feasibility studies to contribute to the evidence base for future funding applications in respect of maritime economic opportunities, artificial nesting structures for kittiwakes, and a safe sea swimming space in Scarborough

iv. Scoping and feasibility of the development of heritage interpretation around the original Spa pump, located adjacent to Scarborough Spa venue entrance in support of background development for the larger Scarborough 400 commemorative project.

There were four Mid-Cycle Briefings (MCBs) in 2024/25.  The MCBs enable the committee chair, vice chair and group spokes to develop the committee work programme, develop the programme of informal briefings for the committee, review issues to see whether they are appropriate for a discussion at the committee and agree the agenda for the next meeting.  The key issues that were addressed are as summarised below:

· Work of the Parish Liaison, Local Devolution and Community Rights Team

· Local Insight data pack for Scarborough and Whitby

· Regional consultations on the future of the NHS and Police and Fire priorities

· Local bus services

In addition, there were 11 informal briefings and updates to the members (typically held remotely via MS teams each month) which helped to inform the work of the committee by providing context and background on issues in the area.  This included:

· Consultation results on draft Long Term Plan for Scarborough – Let’s Talk Scarborough

· Let’s Talk Rubbish – feedback from the public consultation on the proposed option for future recycling services in North Yorkshire

· Work of Dial A Ride in the area constituency

· Beyond Housing’s work in the area and investment, repair and regeneration plans

· Scarborough North Bay Development

· Let’s Talk Active public consultation feedback

· Joint Venture Housing Development Partnership with Lovell

· Cultural Strategy

· National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping

· Community football pitch at Scarborough Sports Village

· National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA) dataset and flood maps

Public participation

A key element of the work of the committee is engagement with local people and organisations and listening to concerns raised.  In 2024/25, there were eight public questions and statements.  These covered issues including:

· The proposed boat hoist on Scarborough West Pier

· The council’s appropriation of land on the West Pier

· Pedestrian safety on Whitby Promenade

· The future sustainability of Whitby School

· Educational attainment in Whitby

· The impact of the new Home to School Travel Policy on schools in the Esk Valley

· The future of existing leisure facilities on the new site of Scalby School

Further, the committee considered a petition against the proposal to implement an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order on Royal Albert Drive.  In response, the committee reiterated its support for the ETRO whilst welcoming the opportunity that the six month public consultation provided to review the impact of the ETRO in relation to the concerns raised by the petitioner and so help determine what further action may be required. 

The Area Committee meeting on 29 November 2024 was the first to be recorded and broadcast on the Council website and YouTube channel.  This meeting attracted 184 views and the next one on 21 March 2025 attracted 199 views giving an average of 191 views per meeting in 2024/25.

Recordings of the meetings are available here - Live meetings | North Yorkshire Council

Engagement with the local MP

Since her election on 4 July 2024, Alison Hume MP has attended two meetings of the committee in 2024/25.  This engagement with the local MP and their office has enabled the committee to be briefed on matters at Westminster that may impact upon the area and also enabled the committee members to highlight local concerns and issues that the MP can then raise at Westminster, as summarised below:

· Need for a women’s refuge in Scarborough

· Need for a registration scheme for short-term holiday lets to help address acute housing issues in Whitby and other parts of the constituency

· Poor state of rural bus services

· Non-functioning smart meters in the north of England

· Inshore fisheries

· Safety of female politicians

Work Programme for 2025/26

The committee work programme is a live document that is owned by the committee. Members are able to suggest items for inclusion in the work programme, both as part of discussions and debate at meetings of the committee as well as in-between meetings.  Any item identified for inclusion within the work programme will be reviewed by the supporting officer and at the MCB to determine: 1) whether it is within the scope of the committee; 2) what the expected outcome of the debate and discussions would be; 3) whether it is being reviewed by another committee of the Council; and 4) whether it could be considered as part of an informal briefing as opposed to at a formal committee meeting.

Some of the key areas of investigation currently included in the draft work programme for 2025/26 are:

· Community football pitch at Scarborough Sports Village

· Local Town Investment Plans

· Ongoing work of the Scarborough Cross-Council Task Force

· Harbour Strategy and Investment Plan

· Strategic Leisure Review and Playing Pitch Strategy

Contact Information.

Chair - Councillor Liz Colling cllr.liz.colling@northyorks.gov.uk

Vice Chair - Councillor Janet Jefferson cllr.janet.jefferson@northyorks.gov.uk

Democratic Services Support Officer – St John Harris stjohn.harris@northyorks.gov.uk