Agenda and minutes

To elect a Member as Chair of the Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee for the 2025/26 municipal year.

Resolved

That Councillor Liz Colling be appointed Chair of the committee for the 2025-26 municipal year.

Councillor Derek Bastiman

To elect a Member as Vice-Chair of the Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee for the 2025/26 municipal year.

Resolved

That Councillor David Chance be appointed Vice-Chair of the committee for the 2025-26 municipal year.

Resolved

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 21 March 2025, having been printed and circulated, be taken as read and confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

All Members are invited to declare at this point any interests they have in items appearing on this agenda, including the nature of those interests.

Councillor Janet Jefferson declared an interest in Minute item 144 Community Safety Annual Reports in her capacity as Chair of Scarborough Anti-Theft Group.

Councillor Phil Trumper declared an interest in Minute item 141 and the public question concerning Whitby School since he was a governor of that school.

The Chair provided the following updates concerning matters raised by members at the last Area Committee meeting in respect of the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2023-24:

Unclaimed benefits

Regarding the high level of unclaimed Pension Credit in Scarborough and Whitby and a request for Public Health and other agencies such as DWP to orchestrate a targeted campaign in the local area to raise awareness, Mark Foster, Interim Head of Financial Assessments, Benefits & Court of Protection had advised that it was highly likely there would be a new Pension Credit campaign, probably in the early autumn. The DWP has provided NYC with leaflets that can be printed and included in the next round of Household Support Fund if appropriate. The council would be linking with networks within the Scarborough area to raise awareness, provide advice on how to claim and would also be offering assistance from the Benefits Maximisation Team.  The committee would receive an update at a monthly briefing later in the year.

The higher proportion of older people renting in Scarborough and Whitby

By way of an update Independent Age report called Keys to the Future:

‘While some people choose to rent in later life, most older private renters Independent Age engages with are in financial hardship with limited choices. Many people in this situation have been unable to do anything but rent from a private landlord all their lives. In contrast, others will have moved into renting after a significant life event such as a bereavement, a relationship breakdown or job loss. Whatever the reason, older private renters in poverty often find themselves unable to keep their homes safe and warm, live with the constant fear of an unexpected eviction, and are forced to cut back so they can afford increasing rents on their low, fixed income.’

The report also notes that data shows that older renters are disproportionately likely to be in poverty compared with those who own their own home, and that in the future renting in later life is likely to become the reality for more people.

Healthy life expectancy

Public Health Consultant, Dr Victoria Turner advises that:

‘It was noted that female healthy life expectancy (HLE) had dipped below male HLE for North Yorkshire, and I said we would monitor any future data. We have had several more data releases since the report was published which show a) a further decrease for both male and female HLE and b) that male HLE has declined further than female HLE, so female HLE is once again above male:

• Male healthy life expectancy 2021-2023 = 63.8 years
• Female healthy life expectancy 2021-2023 = 64.6 years

You can see more on this on the North Yorkshire JSNA website.

This reflects broader UK trends – a helpful report was published by The Health Foundation last week looking at mortality trends if anyone is interested.’

Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice to St John Harris of Democratic Services and supplied the text (contact details below) by midday on Tuesday, 3 June, three working days before the day of the meeting.  Each speaker should limit themselves to 3 minutes on any item.  Members of the public who have given notice will be invited to speak:

·       at this point in the meeting if their questions/statements relate to matters which are not otherwise on the Agenda (subject to an overall time limit of 30 minutes);

·       when the relevant Agenda item is being considered if they wish to speak on a matter which is on the Agenda for this meeting.

If you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting, but do not wish to be recorded, please inform the Chair who will instruct anyone who may be taking a recording to cease while you speak.

There were four public questions and statements submitted to the committee.  Question 1 was considered at Minute 144 – Community Safety Annual Reports.  All members of the public were in attendance to put their questions except Andrew Watson.  Responses are also set out below.

Public questions and statements

1.     Cllr William Stuart

Most recorded crime was reduced in 2024/25 compared with the previous year. But one recorded type of crime, namely theft remained stubbornly high at 1523 recorded incidents. For Scarborough and Whitby what are specifically the types of crimes that are being recorded as theft? Is there any evidence that theft in Scarborough and Whitby is linked to organised crime and what measures will be taken to reduce this scourge that has seen no noticeable improvements in 2 years?

Reply

Here is a breakdown of all the thefts recorded since 2019/10.

Is there any evidence that theft in Scarborough and Whitby is linked to organised crime?

Yes – we have seen several instances of organised criminals travelling nationwide to steal from supermarkets.  As one recent example shows, in May 2025, there was an arrest in London of 3 travelling criminals who had stolen from a supermarket in our area.  They were wanted by Met Police, West Midlands Police and North Yorkshire for allegedly stealing high value items from supermarkets around the country.  This is not an isolated example.

And what measures will be taken to reduce this scourge that has seen no noticeable improvements in 2 years?

This is a national concern, not specific to Scarborough.  Measures have included appointing a dedicated retail crime officer and this resulted in us detecting 7 out of every 10 reported shoplifting crimes in the 2024/25 financial year.

Theft as a whole actually reduced by 2 crimes when compared to the previous year.  The initial report showed 1523 theft crimes but one of them has since been classified as not a crime, so this has reduced to 1522.

The last stable year of crime figures prior to COVID19 was 2019/20. The large drop for the 2020/21 year was largely due to the reduction in shoplifting during COVID.  Shoplifting has since become a national concern as details on page 5 of the report.  To counter this, we have the outstanding detection rate.

Supplementary question

How sure are you that the marked increase in shoplifting in 2024/25 is attributable to detection rates as opposed to volume?

Reply

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the local high detection rates have encouraged more retailers to report shoplifting offences although there is no doubt that nationally this offence is on the rise.

2.     Cllr Sandra Turner

Given that the overspill park and ride currently in operation on Green Lane and the impact this will have in the busier weeks of the season, on top of the complete disruption already being experienced, on both the number of cars that will have to travel through the town to access it, and the residents living there, will this council investigate the viability of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 141.

Considered a presentation by Jo Ireland, Assistant Director Culture and Leisure which outlined the key issues concerning the proposed replacement of the Community Football Pitch at Scarborough Sports Village.  Members were reminded that extensive surveys undertaken earlier this year revealed serious ground stability defects believed to be related to a defective drainage system originally installed to the pitch, a void in the rough location of a buried culvert, a blocked combination sewer and ground failure.  Positive discussions were taking place with the primary contractor responsible for the pitch, with a view to the defects being remedied in a timely manner.  The pitch, owned by North Yorkshire Council and managed by Everyone Active, was a popular community facility, used by various groups and teams, was the home ground of Scarborough Athletic Football Club (SAFC) who played in the football league (National league North) and was an integral part of the wider Scarborough Sports Village facility.

The recommended option to replace the pitch was a technical solution (partial excavation and installation of geogrid) with full remediation of drainage defects and then to resurface the pitch at the current location.  This had been costed at circa £3.2m through a programme of 44 weeks duration, although direct contract awards would reduce this timeframe significantly.  Ms Ireland then outlined the impact of the poor condition of the pitch on SAFC who would have to find an alternative venue (Bridlington Town) for the 2025/26 season, on other users, on Everyone Active who would be eligible to be compensated by the council for loss of income, and longer term because the replacement higher quality pitch would mean some 50% less community use.  The Executive would meet on 17 June 2025 to consider recommendations to ensure continuity of community football and which reflected the council’s aim to deliver a timely solution, to minimise the income loss and reduce the impact on all users, including SAFC.  Whilst the dialogue with contractors continued and all appropriate legal remedies would be pursued, the recommendation would be to adopt a backstop position if agreement could not be reached in a timely manner for the council to undertake the work to remedy the defects and resurface up to a potential cost of £3.2m.

In reply to their questions and comments, members were further advised that:

·       The Playing Pitch Strategy was currently being refreshed and would uncover any local deficit in 3G/grass pitches in respect of council’s aim to provide for and promote community use

·       The delay in informing members about the pitch’s failure was regrettable, whilst recognising the priority given to SAFC to brief their fans at the earliest opportunity

·       The council was in constant dialogue with SAFC who it was understood were considering initiatives to assist their fans in travelling to Bridlington for home games

·       The question of whether the council would compensate SAFC for their loss of income would be for members to consider and determine at the appropriate time

·       It was difficult to estimate at this time when works would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 142.

Considered the following petition:

‘Scarborough Athletic Football Club, a cornerstone of our community, faces an impending challenge. Their ability to host and play games next season is at risk due to the deteriorating condition of the 3G pitch at Scarborough Sports Village. Immediate action is required to restore this vital community asset.

The 3G pitch has been central to sports and physical activities for the residents of Scarborough, promoting healthy lifestyles and team spirit. Unfortunately, the current state of disrepair has rendered the pitch unsafe and unfit for use by Scarborough Athletic as well as local sports enthusiasts. It is paramount that North Yorkshire Council addresses these concerns and prioritizes the refurbishment of this facility.

Restoring the 3G pitch is not just about sports; it's about investing in community well-being, youth development, and the economic benefits that come from attracting spectators and hosting games. A well-maintained pitch will ensure that Scarborough Athletic can continue to thrive and inspire the next generation of players and fans.

North Yorkshire Council, with its duty of care to the community, must commit resources to this project without delay. The repair of the 3G pitch will also uphold the reputation of Scarborough as a vibrant and attractive place for sporting events.

We need your support to send a strong message to the council that the community values its sports infrastructure and requires action now. Let's keep the heart of our local sports scene beating strong by ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for all.

Sign this petition to urge North Yorkshire Council to take immediate action and restore the 3G pitch at Scarborough Sports Village for the future of Scarborough Athletic Football Club and our community's sporting pride.’

Resolved that the committee:

(i)             thanks the petitioner for his petition; and

(ii)            supports the petition and notes the council’s commitment to resolving this matter.

       i.         North Yorkshire Police Community Safety Annual Report 2024/25

     ii.         Community Safety and CCTV Service Annual Update

Considered (i) North Yorkshire Police Community Safety Annual Report 2024/25 presented by Superintendent Rachel Wood, Senior Operating Commander for the Scarborough coastal area and (ii) Community Safety and CCTV Service Annual Update presented by Paul Romans, Community Safety CCTV Manager.

Cllr William Stuart asked a public question to which officers replied.  See details under Minute 141 above.

North Yorkshire Police Community Safety Annual Report 2024/25

Introducing the report, Superintendent Wood commented that locally crime had followed the national trend for the last financial year, with reductions in recorded crime across most categories with some exceptions such as shoplifting and possession of weapons.  She attributed the significantly higher rate of crime in the Scarborough and Whitby area of 82.44 crimes recorded for every 1000 people to the fact that the figures did not account for the visiting population which could quadruple in summer.  For future reports, she would introduce analysis of crimes according to resident and visitor victims.  Superintendent Wood commended the hard work of local teams and crime prevention initiatives in reducing burglary and robbery, whilst noting that a relaxation of the definition of robbery may lead to an increase in this crime in future reports.  She also applauded the Clear Home Build initiative in Woodlands ward and the extensive multi-agency work done to reduce anti-social behaviour and to address violence against women and girls.

In reply to their questions and comments, members were advised that:

·       The high visitor numbers skewed crime figures in Whitby as they did for Scarborough, but Superintendent Wood was confident the Police had sufficient resources in Whitby to address these challenges

·       The Police and Community Safety Team acknowledged the problems in Whitby caused by youth anti-social behaviour.  The plan was to extend the youth worker provision in Scarborough to Whitby in September, introducing youth diversionary activities too

·       The Police and Community Safety Team recognised the concerns around the Reach project which sought to house individuals with the most complex needs in the community.  Most of these individuals had been housed successfully with no repercussions felt by neighbouring residents

·       The Police commended Rural Watch for the valuable intelligence it provided, which may be a factor in the reduction in crime figures in the Esk Valley

·       Despite the closure of the Safer Streets Fund, there was funding still available towards measures to prevent neighbourhood crime in the area such as the use of video doorbells.

·       In respect of Clear Hold Build, the Clear stage had now ended in Woodlands.  Hold and Build brought initiatives such as outreach work and drop-in sessions to ensure the community safety presence remained, and that residents continued to feel confident to report any crime

·       The Police were very aware of the issues surrounding domestic violence in local holiday parks and trained and supported park staff to deal with this issue

·       The Police had introduced a new online form to make it easier for the public to report crime

Members commended the Police for their work in several areas including tackling quad bikes,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 144.

Considered a report of the Assistant Chief Executive for Local Engagement providing an update on the work of the Scarborough Cross-Council Task Force.  Members were reminded of the three priority areas for the Task Force:

1. Improving the 'on-street' look and feel of the town centre.
2. Enabling residents and visitors to feel safer in Scarborough.
3. Identifying how services can be better joined up to support young or vulnerable residents

Initially, the Task Force sought to identify actions to improve the ‘look and feel’ of the town centre.  This translated into £250K allocated to help improve the street cleaning resource in the town centre, tackle run down areas and undertake a series of public realm improvements.  The wider programme included more than 30 projects that boost civic pride and support local businesses, creating a cleaner and more welcoming place for everyone.  A large-scale spring clean took place on 28–29 March and another was planned for 19 June.  A civic pride campaign had been launched and new cleaning equipment and Town Centre Caretakers were now being deployed.

The report presenter, Joe Penny, Principal Officer to the Chief Executive also referenced the regular cross-service input and engagement with various operations in the town, working in partnership with North Yorkshire Police, to address anti-social behaviour and other community safety issues.  Further, proposals were under consideration to pilot a potential North Yorkshire Outreach and to create a Multi Disadvantage targeted team to provide support to individuals with substance / alcohol issues within Scarborough town centre.

In reply to their questions and comments, members were advised that:

·       The Task Force’s focus was the town centre but would consider other areas of the town in line with the agreed priorities, e.g. environmental improvements

·       Young people would be a future theme for the Task Force and were a key element of the new Scarborough Plan for Neighbourhoods.  Reference was also made to the work of neighbourhood policing to support young people and the Sidewalk Scarborough youth project

·       The Task Force was always exploring potential sources of funding, for example the Keep Britain Tidy funding for the cleaning machines, and how it could work with the Plan for Neighbourhoods fund

Mr Penny undertook to take back to the Task Force and/or the Scarborough and Whitby Local Area Team, members’ suggestions detailed below:

·       Lamppost painting and other street improvements in Falsgrave

·       Another spring clean up ahead of the Scarborough 400 celebrations

·       A street cleaning machine for Whitby

·       Further environmental improvements such as floral displays with the support of local businesses

·       A dedicated space for young people in the town centre to make them feel welcome

·       Encouraging the involvement of Scarborough Town Council

The Chair thanked Mr Penny for his presentation and for answering members’ questions.

Resolved that the committee notes the update and recent activity of the Scarborough Cross-Council Task Force.

Considered a report of the Assistant Chief Executive for Local Engagement which provided an update on progress and incidents impacting emergency planning and community resilience within the local area and across North Yorkshire.  Presenting the report, Phil Whild, Emergency Planning Manager reminded the committee that the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 placed certain statutory duties on the council in preparing and responding to civil emergencies including:

·         Risk assessment and contingency planning

·         Emergency and business continuity plans

·         Public information and warning systems

·         Inter-agency cooperation and information sharing

During 2024-25 the council had responded to range of major incidents encompassing storms, floods and fires but also an avian influenza outbreak, the threat of public disorder and the collision of two vessels in the North Sea.  Good practices such as publicly accessible sandbag sites and an enhanced out of hours command structure had been identified because of these incidents.  Mr Whild also outlined the role of elected members in integrated emergency management, the current work plan of the council’s Corporate Emergency Planning Group, the multi-agency Scarborough and Whitby Integrated Emergency Management Group whose work included the development of a Marine Pollution Plan and a Scarborough Town Centre Evacuation Plan, and the development of Community Resilience Policy.  In respect of the latter, the Resilience and Emergencies Locality Officer had been working with a range of councils and organisations to help develop community emergency plans and build resilience in local communities.  Lucy Trewhitt, Resilience and Emergencies Locality Officer, then expanded on some of this work.

Following presentation of the report, issues raised by members included:

·       The lack of an effective, coordinated local response in Whitby to last winter’s cold snap by the gritting of pavements and problems in accessing the sandbag store in the town

·       The need to refresh the sandbag store in Staithes

·       The Resilience and Emergencies Locality Officer’s valuable work in supporting Cayton and other villages to produce a community emergency plan

In response to members’ concerns, officers acknowledged that more work needed to be done by the Resilience and Emergencies team to assist local communities to help themselves in these kinds of incidents through community emergency planning, enlisting volunteers and other measures, and that a consistent approach was required across the county.  Officers undertook to contact Whitby Town Council and the newly established Scarborough Town Council in this regard.

The Chair thanked Mr Whild and Ms Trewhitt for attending and answering the committee’s questions.

Resolved that the report be noted.

Considered a report of the Assistant Chief Executive for Local Engagement which provided an update on the delivery of projects and programmes by the Localities service in the Scarborough and Whitby area during 2024/25.  Presenting the report, Adele Wilson-Hope, Communities Area Manager East reminded the committee that the Localities team had been operational since 1 May 2024, comprising a Communities Team, a Parish Liaison & Local Devolution Team and a Migrant Programmes Team.  The Communities Team had been active across various workstreams: health & prevention; financial inclusion; North Yorkshire’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme known as FEAST; digital inclusion; community resilience in emergencies; strengthening local community assets and infrastructure; and social regeneration through the Communities strand of the Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) programme, Community Partnerships and Town Investment Plans.  The Parish Liaison & Local Devolution Team had continued its work of ongoing liaison with parish councils and double devolution schemes.  The Migrant Programmes Team united several existing refugee and asylum seeker programmes alongside the Home for Ukraine programme to form a single integrated service.  Their work encompassed such areas as integrated community support to welcome and empower migrant communities across North Yorkshire through the Swift initiative, resettlement schemes, support for asylum seekers, and the Homes for Ukraine scheme.  More locally, the team was reviewing the Eastfield PACT Partnership, had supported the development of the Whitby Pump Track, and was collaborating with the Lottery funded SeeCHANGE project and CAO Revival North Yorkshire.

Members welcomed the update, commended the Whitby Pump Track project and sought further information on the breakdown of funding for the three year Swift programme (a written reply would be provided).

The Chair thanked the Communities Area Manager East for her presentation.

Resolved that the report be noted.

Considered a report of the Corporate Director of Community Development which provided an update on the development of Scarborough’s Town Investment Plan.  Members were reminded that the council had begun a Town Investment Plan programme for North Yorkshire which reflected a co-ordinated approach to regeneration and investment at a place-based level with a key aim of understanding investment priorities in each town.  In respect of Scarborough, much work had already been undertaken; therefore the TIP was envisaged to pull together a range of existing investment priorities, rather than create a wholly new set of policies.  A review of local, national and regional policy contexts had identified the recurring theme of addressing inequality in the town, and this would be the central narrative for the TIP.  The next steps were around mapping existing public and private sector actions to address the identified inequalities. Stakeholder engagement which included the Area Committee would commence shortly.  Whitby’s ‘Great plan for Every Place’ would begin development in the Autumn.

Resolved that the report be noted.

Considered a report of the Corporate Director of Community Development which provided the final reports from the Project Development Fund and closed this work package.

Sea swimming – in respect of the feasibility study for the safe sea swimming space in Scarborough, the Chair relayed the comments of Karen Chiverall of the Scarborough Sea Pool Campaign expressing gratitude for the Area’s Committee for the study which gave the new Community Interest Company an excellent step forward with a preferred location, outline designs and indicative costs.  Members of the Area Committee warmly endorsed this project and expressed thanks to Joe Russell, Principal Regeneration Officer for his work.

Offshore economic opportunities – similarly members commended an excellent report which provided a strong evidence base (i) for future strategy in particular the Harbour Strategy and Town Investment Plans for Scarborough and Whitby and (ii) for future funding bids.

In reply to their questions and comments, members were advised that:

·       Earlier that day a draft Memorandum of Understanding was offered to a local crew transfer vessel operator

·       Despite Orsted’s recent announcement that the Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm project had been put on hold because of market conditions, the Beyond the Shoreline report’s findings, conclusions and action plan remained valid, since the opportunities for North Yorkshire Coast remained the same even if the timeframe had altered

·       The report had been widely circulated to stakeholders and Mr Russell was happy to speak to groups and organisations including Whitby Town Council

·       The prospectus for the Coastal Communities Fund was eagerly awaited which may provide further funding opportunities

·       Parkol Marine’s recent contracts including for a multi-hull aluminium fishing vessel were to be applauded

Sea bird nesting – members were advised, correcting media reports, that the proposed kittiwake artificial nesting site was not on the Grand Hotel, but on the terrace below which was believed to be in the ownership of the council.  The council was in positive dialogue with the Grand Hotel.

Resolved that the report be noted.

Considered the latest draft of the committee’s work programme for 2025-26.  Councillor Swannick requested an update on whether there was a plan to return to alternating the committee’s venue between Scarborough and Whitby.  In response to the request made by Whitby Coliseum to specify the technical requirements to host a future meeting of the committee, the Principal Democratic Services Officer, St John Harris advised that the requirements centred on a microphone system, an integrated induction loop, disabled access, and the capacity to livestream the meeting with council technical support.

The Chair confirmed the following topics for potential consideration by the committee (this may initially be at an informal briefing):

• Plans for parking provision on the East Coast with particular focus on Whitby (following the earlier public question)
• Future meeting venues for the Area Committee (following Councillor Swannick’s query)

Further, the Area Committee would be consulted on the future of Whitby Cliff Lift prior to any decisions by the Executive.

In respect of unclaimed benefits including Pension Credit raised at the March meeting, the Chair confirmed that Mark Foster, Interim Head of Financial Assessments, Benefits & Court of Protection, would be attending the committee’s informal monthly briefing in November to provide an update on the multi-agency campaign to promote Pension Credit in the Scarborough and Whitby area.

Resolved that the work programme be noted.

Any other items which the Chair agrees should be considered as a matter of urgency because of special circumstances.

19 September 2025