Multimillion-Pound Cost Of New Scarborough Council Offices Revealed

The relocation of council staff to a new office building on the outskirts of Scarborough will cost taxpayers £3 million, sparking concerns over the future of the town's historic civic headquarters.

Council staff relocations to a new office building on the outskirts of Scarborough will cost taxpayers £3 million.

Workers began moving into Resolution House, located by the A64, last week. The site, purchased from Anglo American, was originally marketed with a guide price of £4.5 million.

The move will eventually see staff vacate the current offices at Scarborough Town Hall and Malton's Ryedale House, prompting concerns about the impact on town centre businesses, access to services, and civic heritage.

North Yorkshire Council officials say the relocation avoids up to £19 million in costs to upgrade what they describe as appalling working conditions at the ageing sites. Property running costs are also expected to fall by £400,000 a year, and the Malton site could be sold for housing.

Customer access hubs are currently being planned for both Scarborough and Malton, with hopes they will open by April next year. However, no decision has yet been made regarding the future of Scarborough Town Hall.

Thomas Murray, Reform's town mayor of Scarborough, expressed his fears over the historic building.

He said:

"Scarborough’s historic Town Hall is not just another office block to be quietly written off from Northallerton. It has stood at the heart of Scarborough’s civic life for generations and remains the home of Scarborough Town Council, our council meetings, mayoralty and civic functions. It is an important part of our town’s heritage and civic identity, and I sincerely hope North Yorkshire Council will work constructively with the Town Council to secure its long-term future.

One thing is clear: I will not stand by and see the Town Hall become another abandoned building in Scarborough. Any uncertainty over its future creates uncertainty for the town council, including our offices, meetings and civic functions, and could ultimately leave Scarborough residents facing additional costs."

Independent Councillor Rich Maw welcomed the discounted purchase price but stressed that the initial cost is only part of the picture.

He said:

"I welcome the confirmation that North Yorkshire Council purchased Resolution House for £3 million.

I called in the original decision because I believed councillors needed greater clarity about the financial case, the condition and suitability of the building, the costs of adapting it, and, crucially, what this would mean for Scarborough Town Hall and the wider town centre.

The fact that the council has secured Resolution House for £3 million rather than the £4.5 million guide price is clearly significant. It is a substantial reduction, and I recognise the work that has gone into negotiating that purchase."

Councillor Maw added that residents deserve to know the full cost of acquisition, adaptation, moving staff, and operating the building.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

"I also remain concerned about the future of Scarborough Town Hall. It is an important civic and heritage asset at the heart of our town, and the decision to purchase an alternative council building cannot be considered in isolation from what happens to the Town Hall."

Concerns regarding the decision-making process have also been raised by Independent Councillor Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff, who stated she was deeply concerned at the poor quality of information provided.

She said:

"Such is my concern, I have written to the council’s external auditor, Mazars, detailing the failings in the council’s approach."

Campaigners who fought against the purchase argue the move is an unnecessary gamble in the wrong location.

Michelle Richardson, a leading member of the United Scarborough Residents Action Group, suggested that existing council-owned properties in the town centre would have been more suitable.

She said:

"We are again extremely disappointed and annoyed with NYC’s mismanagement of our already available assets and procurement in regard to due process and the short time allowance afforded to the completely unnecessary purchase of Resolution House.

At this stage we believe that our public finances have been outlaid in yet another ‘unnecessary gamble’, on a building completely in the wrong location for a greater percentage of the Scarborough population.

Pavilion House, situated within the Scarborough town centre, which had already been purchased for the same Council office use and in combination with Castle House, would have been a much more appropriate centralised location for all Scarborough residents and cost-effective, as we only required interior updates to facilitate a move.

We urge NYC to work and listen with the town council on this situation as a matter of urgency, so we don’t lose another significantly important building to ‘managed decline’ that this town has suffered, both under Scarborough Borough Council and NYC."

Town Mayor Thomas Murray argued the situation highlights a disconnect between the unitary authority and local communities.

He added:

"North Yorkshire Council moving its operations out of the town hall is also another example of a deeply centralised model of local government that simply is not working for communities across North Yorkshire. Decisions and services have become increasingly distant from the towns and communities they are supposed to serve. Power works best when it is closest to the people.

The creation of the unitary authority came with commitments to respect civic traditions and work closely with town and parish councils. Scarborough now deserves clarity about the future of its Town Hall, and Scarborough Town Council must have a meaningful role in deciding what happens to this important civic building."