Council bosses have approved more than £100,000 of savings in coastal grass cutting and the maintenance of bus shelters despite concerns about an impact on rural communities.
“Inconsistent, duplicated, or discretionary funding” for grass cutting, public shelters and bus shelters in the Scarborough area will be axed to the tune of £102,347, following the approval of plans by North Yorkshire Council’s executive committee.
The legacy funding regime from the now-defunct Scarborough Borough Council consisted of payments to town, parish, and village councils in the Scarborough area for the delivery of services related to the local environment.
The Scarborough Model Agreement had allocated £208,724.77 annually to 36 parish and town councils in the Scarborough area for services including roadside grass cutting, burial ground maintenance, and public amenities.
Speaking at the meeting on Tuesday, October 21, Coun Heather Phillips, the executive member for corporate services, said:
“The amount of money seems small, but it will impact quite a lot of parishes to varying degrees.”
“All the parishes were informed in October 2023 to allow them to adjust their precepts.
“I know there have been anomalies and funding is continuing on a couple of matters into the next financial year, in order to allow that dialogue to be hopefully concluded.”
The savings are part of what the council described as
“a significant transformation programme to maximise the benefits of local government re-organisation”.
Funding for grass cutting at roadside verges will be axed entirely from the current £55,000, while ‘administration’, which is currently allocated £23,000, will also cease, alongside funding for public shelters, bus shelters, and clocks.
Parks, playing fields and open spaces will continue to receive funding for now, as will burial grounds and church yards, and the maintenance of public seating.
Coun Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff, who represents Hunmanby, said:
“One of the frustrations about this report was that we were told these numbers would come out in July, but they’ve only come out now.
“It’s important that both sides are happy, especially if they are going to get payments going forward, so they can be clear on what is required.”
Coun Phillips said the authority would be taking a “pragmatic” approach to the issue.
She added:
“I do hope that Scarborough Town Council will engage with us and I would expect them to do so, because it’s for their own benefit.
“We all like certainty and I’d like to make sure we do provide that certainty as soon as possible.”
North Yorkshire Council’s wider savings scheme involves reviewing services including highways, parks and grounds, waste, and street cleansing.
The council is examining how it can “leverage capabilities and harmonise services to ensure consistency and equity across the county” and has set a budgeted savings target of £600,000 by 2027/28.
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