Scarborough Harbour West Pier project's budget could receive boost
The Borough Council's cabinet will vote on the increase next week
The Scarborough Harbour West Pier project’s budget could receive an £3.9m boost if the scheme is approved by senior councillors.
Scarborough Council’s cabinet will vote on a plan that seeks to increase the overall budget of the West Pier regeneration project to £11.4m.
The cabinet will meet on Tuesday, February 14 to discuss the plan which proposes releasing millions of pounds of council finance and applying for external funds in addition to the £5m already allocated from the Towns Fund grant.
The project seeks to create “modern, fit-for-purpose facilities for the fishing industry, and new hospitality and retail opportunities” as part of the West Pier, which is located in the town’s south bay.
The harbour is in an “iconic” location and epitomises “much of the culture and tradition that makes the town such a special place”, according to Scarborough Council, which also notes that the built environment is poor in several areas and facilities are “dated and inadequate”.
The cabinet is set to decide on a proposal to establish an £8.9 million budget and initiate the process to seek an allocation of £2.5 million from the Local Investment Fund.
A report prepared for the meeting states that £3.9m would come from the budget of the Scarborough Harbour West Pier regeneration project, including monies ring-fenced for asset management and “masterplans and blueprints”.
While £5m has already been released from the Scarborough Towns Fund grant award, the authority is also proposing to apply for £2.5 million from the Local Investment Fund.
However, the cabinet report notes that a bid is currently being prepared for the UK Sea Food Infrastructure Scheme for £3m and if successful, the UKSFIS bid would negate the need for the Local Investment Fund application.
Approval of the plan is being recommended to enable works to proceed immediately to meet funding requirements and minimise future disruption to harbour operations.
Scarborough Council also states that approval would ensure “greater certainty for West Pier tenants and harbour users as to the deliverability of the scheme”.
According to the report, the authority has “met with tenants and harbour users regularly to consult and inform people of progress” and notes that new tenancy arrangements will need to be established with those council tenants affected by the project.
The funding would be used to create new, purpose-built warehousing, workshops and processing units for the fishing industry, modern trader kiosks, new public toilets, and a high-quality public realm.
The council has so far entered into the first part of a two-stage design and build contract with William Birch and Sons.
The report states that “some early and enabling works will start ahead of the main contract” while the main works are scheduled to take place between December 2023 and April 2024 subject to approval by North Yorkshire County Council.