As a consultation is launched on how to spend £20m of government funding in Scarborough, there are calls to focus on projects that deliver for residents rather than visitors.
Scarborough's new Neighbourhood Board says the work it is doing to decide how to spend the twenty million pounds of government funding is not about funding council projects.
Board Chair Heath Samples says it's up to local residents to decide what the "Pride in Place" money is used for.
He says the idea is to spend it on projects that enhance local peoples lives rather than just tourism projects.
"A lot of people have said to me, oh, is this just the substitution for North Yorkshire Council not having to spend it? So you are going to spend this money. On things the council should spend it on. Absolutely not.
And the more you understand the project, uh, of pride in place, the more you realize that actually this is a unique opportunity and unique money to be spent on things that our Scarborough residents want our community want, and things that will make our town better, our sea fronts better, our facilities better for everybody in the town.
Not for tourism necessarily, but for everybody else in the town that lives here. "
That sentiment of spending the money on projects that benefit local residents rather then visitors is supported by local resident group "Scarborough United". Michelle Richardson from the group thinks residents need to come first.
"The last decade, possibly two decades , most of the grant funding that have come through has been focused on tourist led, projects.
And what the residents are now saying is enough of that we want something that benefits us primarily first, and then tourism as a secondary to that would be a bonus, but we must put our own needs at the top of the list now. "
Over the next 10 years, Scarborough is set to receive up to £20 million through the government’s Pride in Place programme.
To make sure this investment reflects what matters most to local people, the Scarborough Neighbourhood Board and North Yorkshire Council spoke to local organisations, businesses, young people, and residents in 2024 and 2025. The board has used this feedback to choose 11 possible project ideas to receive funding.
The board is now asking residents, businesses and visitors to have a final say on these projects before they make a formal decision. They would like people to share their opinion and comments on each project to help shape the future of Scarborough.
The consultation runs until 13 February 2026 and can be found at https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/your-council/consultations-and-engagement/current-consultations/pride-place-scarborough
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