Filey Residents Launch Bold Bid to Save Historic Queen Street Land from Private Development

In the heart of Filey’s oldest quarter, a dedicated group of volunteers is racing against time to reclaim a neglected plot of land on Queen Street.

Described as a "once in a generation" opportunity, the project aims to transform a currently unkempt site into a vibrant community garden and green space that would serve both local residents and the neighbouring Filey Museum.

The land, which sits on one of the town’s most historic thoroughfares, has a storied past. Originally occupied by a house until the 1960s, the plot became an open grassed area following the demolition of several properties to make way for council housing. For years, it served as an informal meeting spot where residents and visitors could rest on benches. However, after being leased as a private garden to a nearby homeowner, the lease has since expired, leaving the land overgrown and, according to local advocates, a "blot on the landscape".

Stephen Eblet, a local resident and volunteer driving the project, explained the current situation and the community's vision:

"What we have is a a piece of land in Queen Street that used to be an open area of grassland really. It's not massive. It's the size of a large garden and it used to be frequented by some of the local residents to sit down on benches and pass the time of day.

It went under the ownership of North Yorkshire County Council. It was passed down through the years through various councils and it was let off as a garden to to a residential property nearby and I think the owner of the property has no further use for the garden.

So it's  come on the market now up for sale and it's quite overgrown. It's a bit of a blot on the landscape really at the moment. It's unkempt. It's uncared for and we could do better with it. So it's come up for sale and we've joined together as a community group to try to purchase this land to turn it into a community green space.

We're a bit worried about the alternatives which could be anything from turn it into into something just car parking spaces for instance which wouldn't be visually attractive on what is one of Filey's most historic streets. Another possibility is somebody could buy it up just for the fact of they want to own a piece of land which will probably increase in value over the years and do nothing with it.

So we think it would be more beneficial to the community to turn it into some sort of a garden or a green space that can be used by the whole community, the public in general and local organizations, community groups, Filey museum, places like that would all have access to it to use it for functions or events that they want to take place."

Ownership of the land has shifted over the decades from the Filey Urban District Council to Scarborough Borough Council, and finally to the current owners, North Yorkshire Council. The council has now put the plot up for sale via sealed bids, with a minimum asking price of £7,500. The deadline for submissions is Friday, 15th May 2026.

Mr Eblet highlighted the urgency of the financial campaign:

"We've got to put a bid in. There is a market value on the land, but we have to tender for it and we have to be considered along with what sounds like a volume of other bids and tenders.

We would like to eventually clear the space, landscape it, and turn it into what is a functional green space.

We're at a critical week. We've got to put the bid in by Friday. We've managed to secure a generous £5,000 grant from Filey Town Council and from members of the community we've got pledges of funding for up to about 6,500 at the moment.

That will cover possibly the price that they're asking for, the minimum price. But of course, we don't know what the maximum bid will be."

The group’s primary concern is that a private buyer might use the land for purposes detrimental to the street’s historic character, such as car parking or long-term property speculation. Mr Eblet emphasised the importance of preservation:

"We think that the land will be better used by the community rather than by a private buyer. This is Filey's most historic street. It's got the oldest building in Filey Museum. And we feel it would be much more attractive to the street scene as a green space, a garden rather than what could possibly be an alternative as under private usage."

"This is Filey's historic street. The whole of Filey's history is based around that street. And we just feel that 40, 50 years ago, there were some possibly bad decisions made by councils where old buildings were knocked down and replaced with newer, more modern buildings, which spoiled some of the ambience of the street. And we're keen not to let that go any further.

We'd like to preserve the attractiveness of the street and also make a usable space on what is, like I said, the most historic street in Farley."

The proposed garden would offer numerous benefits, including outdoor seating for relaxation, educational information boards about old Filey, and essential facilities for the Filey Museum, such as a safe space for fire marshalling and improved photo opportunities for tourists.

While the immediate focus is on winning the bid, the volunteers are already looking toward the future management of the site. Mr Eblet outlined the long-term plan:

"Once we've bought the land, if we are successful, we will then form a trust to maintain, run, design, and the general upkeep of the space. We will need further funding for this. There's going to be legal costs, there's going to be survey costs, there'll be design costs, and actual the conversion of the space into a green space will cost money, of course."

The group has also reached out to North Yorkshire Council to request a community asset transfer, arguing that the social value of the garden far outweighs the £7,500 sale price. As the Friday deadline looms, the residents of Filey remain hopeful that their historic street will soon see the return of its much-loved green space.