Concern Over Scarborough Eyesore After Levelling Up Bid Rejection

Friday, 27 January 2023 06:00

By Matthew Pells

Scarborough's "ugliest building" could be with us for longer than planned.

Scarborough Borough Council bought Pavilion House, once voted Scarborough’s ugliest building, along with the old Comet building in 2021 and was planning to use government levelling up cash to help redevelop them as part of the station gateway project.

But last week the borough's £20m levelling up bid was rejected.

It will now fall to the new North Yorkshire Council - which replaces the borough council in April - to determine what to do with the sites.

The Borough Council's Head of Finance - Kerry Metcalfe - updated members of the council's audit committee yesterday.

Scarborough's failure to secure levelling up funding has raised concerns about what will now happen to the two buildings.

Pavilion House was once voted Scarborough’s ugliest building but would have been given a new lease of life as part of the council’s blueprint for Scarborough town centre.

The 1970s concrete cladding was to be removed and replaced by glazing to give the building a modern look and to enhance its environmental credentials.

The plan was for a public sector ‘hub’ to then be established inside, the council had discussion with the NHS and Beyond Housing about their future accommodation needs.

The rest of the space would be offered as ‘touchdown’ work areas for businesses to use.

Borough Councillor - Andrew Backhouse - is worried about what might happen now the government cash isn't forthcoming.

The Borough Council's Head of Finance - Kerry Metcalfe - says that with the borough councils levelling up bid having been rejected the new North Yorkshire Council will now have to decide what to do when it takes over from the borough in 9 weeks time.

Kerry Metcalfe says the failure of the levelling up bid has raised the project to the top of the borough council's risk register and also increased the risks associated with the councils capital investment programme.

Councillor Rich Maw says he is "bitterly disappointed" that the borough didn't get a share of the governments levelling up cash.

Kerry Metcalfe says some parts of the Station Gateway project have already secured funding but the rejection of the levelling up bid means some later stages are now without funding.