Approval Granted For Long-Promised Bridge At Major Scarborough Housing Development

A long-delayed pedestrian and cycle bridge linking the High Mill housing development in Scalby with Newby is finally set to be built following the approval of the project's final phase.

A long-promised pedestrian and cycle bridge linking a major housing development near Scarborough to local towns is closer to reality after the final phase of a major residential scheme was approved.

The controversial pedestrian bridge connecting the High Mill housing development in Scalby with Newby will be built after years of delays and concerns from residents.

Approval of the plans, including 213 new homes, marks a significant milestone for a project that has faced years of delays and uncertainty, with the bridge first proposed as part of plans for the wider High Mill development more than 15 years ago.

Planning officers told councillors the bridge had proved difficult to deliver because of both engineering challenges and the need to find developers willing to take forward later phases of the scheme.

The bridge remains a requirement of the development after an application seeking to remove it was refused in 2023.

Speaking at the meeting, ward councillor Derek Bastiman said the crossing had been one of the main reasons he originally supported the development.

“I never thought when I supported this application nearly 20 years ago that it would take so long to get this bridge in situ,” he said.

“That’s the only reason I supported the application then.

“When you see young parents pushing their children up the full length of Station Lane and Station Road taking the kiddies to school on a wet morning, it’s heartbreaking to see them.

“That is the reason I supported the bridge originally, to make it a shorter journey to the schools, shops, doctors, chemists and so on.”

He added:

“I’ve always said as long as I have breath in my body, I will fight for this bridge to be delivered.”

The application approved by councillors covers the third and final phase of the High Mill development and includes 213 homes, of which 64 will be affordable housing.

Planning officers said the bridge would create a direct walking and cycling connection between High Mill and Newby, reducing travel distances to facilities including schools, shops and healthcare services.

According to a committee report, the distance to the nearest primary school would reduce from 2.4km to 1.6km, while journeys to a supermarket and GP surgery would also be significantly shortened.

The latest approval follows a controversial decision by councillors to relax the timetable for delivering the bridge last year.

Under the original planning permission, the bridge had been due to be completed before any homes in the final phase were occupied.

However, councillors agreed to allow construction to be delayed until the occupation of the 50th dwelling after developers argued the change would help unlock the scheme.

At the time, resident Andy Nattrass told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he was concerned the crossing might never be built.

“One of the attractions of moving into that estate was because we were expecting there to be a bridge that would enable us to go into Newby and across to the North Bay much more easily,” he said.

Councillors were told in 2025 that delaying the trigger would increase the likelihood of both the housing scheme and the bridge being delivered.

Addressing last week’s meeting, Cllr Rich Maw said he had initially been sceptical but now welcomed the proposal.

“If it means that it’s going ahead now with the bridge, then I’ll be supporting,” he said.

The committee also approved changes to the development’s Section 106 agreement, including arrangements for the bridge’s future maintenance.

Planning officers said a maintenance contribution of £396,940 had now been calculated, allowing detailed arrangements to be put in place once the structure is built and adopted by the council.

Newby and Scalby Town Council raised no objections to the plans, stating that it hoped the bridge could proceed “at pace” because it was “long overdue”.

Planning officers said the development would help deliver both much-needed housing and a piece of infrastructure that would benefit not only future residents of the 213 homes but also the nearly 300 households already living on earlier phases of the High Mill estate.