£35 million investment to build a better Borough of Scarborough
The Council is looking to secure money to spend on ten additional regeneration projects
Scarborough Borough Council is looking to secure investment of more than £35 million to spend on ten additional regeneration projects as part of the Towns Fund schemes in Scarborough and Whitby.
Cabinet will be asked to approve business cases for all ten projects at its meeting on Tuesday 15th February before they are submitted to the government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) for consideration.
The business cases represent a significant milestone in the council’s plans to build a better borough for local communities and help deliver long-term economic growth.
The projects cover key themes such as skills and enterprise, cultural activities, the environment, connectivity, well-being and sustainability.
They are designed to deliver better outcomes for residents and businesses by making town centres more vibrant and alive while building on the cultural heritage for which the borough is famous.
Considerable attention has been given to emerging green technologies and environmentally friendly projects. There is also a strong focus on access to new skills and training that will help communities to thrive.
The ten projects are:
Scarborough
• Fablab Plus
• Scarborough Fair
• Scarborough Harbour West Pier regeneration
• Scarborough local cycling and walking infrastructure (Cinder Track improvements)
• Scarborough nature tourism (Wild Eye)
• Scarborough Station Gateway
Whitby
• Broomfields Farm net zero living
• Whitby old town hall and marketplace
• Pedestrianisation of Whitby swing bridge and harbour side public realm improvements
• Whitby Maritime Training Hub
In March 2021 the government announced that Scarborough’s bid for £20.2 million and Whitby’s bid for £17.1 million from the Towns Fund had been successful.
While the funding is committed, a business case for each project has to developed, approved by Cabinet and submitted to the DLUHC to ensure it meets the Towns Fund criteria before cash can be released.
Cabinet has previously approved business cases for improvements at Scarborough Cricket Club, new wayfinding signs in Whitby and projects at the Green Construction Skills Village and Whitby’s Eastside Community Hub. The cricket club project has been approved and the others are now with government for consideration.
Alongside these four projects, the additional ten projects will bring total investment in Scarborough and Whitby to £37.3 million.
Cabinet’s decision next week is to agree to submit the business cases to the DLUHC for funding to be released.
Once the projects have gained DLUHC approval they will be subject to further consultation and the statutory planning process before being given the final go-ahead.
Councillor Liz Colling, Scarborough Borough Council cabinet member for inclusive growth, said:
"We're delighted to be able to bring forward business cases for these ten projects.
"They will help us to unlock an investment of more than £35 million in Scarborough and Whitby as we look to continue towards our goal of building a better borough.
"The business cases are the beginning not the end of the process. They will pave the way to allow us to unlock the funding from government but there will be much more work and consultation on all of the schemes before any final decisions are taken.
"This significant and exciting investment has only been made possible by close cooperation and collaboration between ourselves, our partners, the Town Deal boards for Scarborough and Whitby, local businesses and the community.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make real, lasting improvement to the lives and outcomes of our borough’s residents."
Overview of each of the ten projects:
Fablab Plus
Fablab Plus will create a skills and innovation centre in Scarborough town centre that will drive new commercial activity and provide opportunities for local people and businesses to develop skills and capabilities in areas such as robotics, 3D modelling and cyber security.
The aspiration is for the Fablab to be housed on the site of the old Comet building, which forms part of the Station Gateway project.
Scarborough Fair
A new, year-round programme of cultural regeneration, which links a series of themed cultural and heritage events delivered at various locations in the town.
A total of £1.5 million Towns Fund funding has been allocated to improve festival and event infrastructure in the town to supports the festivals. This will be matched by £750,000 from the council to provide a programme of events over three years.
Scarborough Harbour West Pier
The £5 million regeneration of the West Pier is one of the key projects and aims to improve the area’s appeal for visitors, support the fishing fleet and enhance the built environment.
It is an ambitious scheme that will renovate heritage buildings, build new kiosks, public toilets and bait sheds, and create a high quality open space that can be used for events.
The plans will ensure that all existing tenants can remain on the pier if they choose and many will be offered better accommodation under the plans.
In addition to the existing businesses, a new, quality restaurant will be located on the pier.
Scarborough walking and cycling
Circa £3 million of Towns Fund money will see improvements to the route linking to the Cinder Track in Scarborough.
Scarborough Station Gateway
The largest regeneration scheme in the council’s current portfolio aims to create a high quality sense of arrival in Scarborough, as well as contributing to the economic and environmental prospects of the town.
The aspirations for the project include the creation of public space, redevelopment of Scarborough Railway station and surrounding buildings, and improvements to transport infrastructure.
See https://www.scarborough.gov.uk/latest-news/green-light-station-gateway-transformation for more information on this project.
Wild Eye
Wild Eye will combine nature observation, marine environmental and seafood experiences and world-class artwork installations at three locations in Scarborough.
An initial installation by Ryan Gander is to be located in the grounds of Scarborough Castle and is a conceptual piece commenting on the impacts of climate change on the coastal environment.
Broomfields Farm net zero living
Developed by Keyland it will deliver an exemplar sustainable housing development in Whitby.
The development will aim to deliver a net zero living housing development, which will not only deliver much needed housing, but also a sustainability standard with the community integrated into the heart of the scheme.
Pedestrianisation of Whitby swing bridge and harbour side public realm improvements
This project follows on from the trial closure (to road traffic) of Whitby swing bridge, funded as part of the Accelerated Towns Fund funding. The full project extends the scheme to include improvements to the public realm along the harbour side.
The trial, carried out by North Yorkshire County Council, showed significant benefits for public safety and provided a lot of information, which is being used to inform the main scheme.
A total of £2.3 million has been earmarked for this scheme.
Whitby old town hall and market place
The £1 million project aims to deliver improvements to Whitby’s old town hall and market place, which are Grade II* Listed and iconic parts of the town’s heritage.
The old town hall is in a poor state of repair and the first floor has not been occupied or used since 2017.
The vision is to build on the history and heritage of the building and surrounding market place, restoring the building and turning it into a key focal point for Whitby while also creating a vibrant and bustling year round market place with improvements for traders.
Whitby Maritime Training Hub
This project will create a new facility in Endeavour Wharf to provide training opportunities for the maritime and offshore renewables sectors for residents and the wider market.
The hub will address the recognised need to develop a better supply of technical skills to support the local maritime sector through modern, fit-for purpose facilities.
The hub will also provide accommodation for maritime businesses and service providers, such as the Whitby harbour master, Dalby Offshore and Whitby Fishing School to provide training activities, to support economic growth and resilience within the local economy.