North Yorkshire Council Approves Funding Allocations For Scarborough's Pride In Place Scheme

North Yorkshire Council has formally approved the funding allocations for seven priority projects under Scarborough's Pride in Place scheme, committing to front-fund up to £3.2 million to ensure early delivery.

North Yorkshire Council's Executive has formally approved the funding allocations for Scarborough's Pride in Place programme, green-lighting seven major regeneration projects for the town.

The scheme, which will see Scarborough receive £19.5 million in endowment-style funding over the next ten years, aims to support regeneration, improve wellbeing, and create a cleaner, safer town. The first wave of projects was selected by the Scarborough Neighbourhood Board following extensive public consultation.

According to a council report presented on Tuesday, the local authority will act as the accountable body for the fund. The initial tranche of delivery funding totals just over £6.6 million, comprising £5.3 million in capital and £1.35 million in revenue.

Because the government funding profile means there is insufficient allocation in the first two years to enable all approved projects to progress immediately, the council has agreed to cashflow up to £3.2 million from its Strategic Capacity Reserve.

This front-funding ensures projects can begin without delay and will be fully reimbursed in years three and four of the programme, when higher funding allocations are received from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The seven priority projects include a £3.5 million capital contribution towards 'Square One', the redevelopment of the former Brunswick Shopping Centre into a leisure-led, mixed-use destination to revitalise the town centre and strengthen the evening economy.

Other physical improvements include £940,000 for 'Sprucing up Scarborough', a coordinated programme of highly visible public realm and shopfront enhancements, and a £400,000 capital contribution to improve environmental sustainability and accessibility at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, safeguarding a key cultural asset.

The funding will also support community and wellbeing initiatives. The 'Turning Tides' youth support programme will deliver targeted, one-to-one resilience support for young people, while a dedicated Men's Wellbeing Hub will provide peer support for male carers and dads to reduce isolation.

Additionally, the programme will fund the continuation of the Scarborough Fair cultural festivals and establish a Community Grant Fund to enable voluntary organisations to deliver locally-led projects.

The projects were identified following community engagement involving 1,294 responses from local residents and businesses, alongside previous input from 1,600 participants in the Let's Talk Scarborough initiative.

North Yorkshire Council's executive member, Councillor Mark Crane, said:

"We welcome the money from the government to Scarborough. Haven't agreed with everything that this government has done, there's some things that are positive and this is definitely one of them for the people of Scarborough.

I sit on the towns board and I have to say that whilst every one of those projects may not have been my first choice, we have to recognise that the people of Scarborough who have been consulted and those that sit on the board are supportive of these projects and therefore they are good things and will see I think an improvement in some areas of Scarborough and hopefully increase tourism and the opportunities for people that live there."

Speaking about the specific regeneration plans for the town's Brunswick Centre, which is being renamed SQ1, Councillor Mark Crane added:

"The Brunswick centre I think that's an exciting project for Scarborough and one that will see significant change to the town centre and hopefully to the people visiting it. And I was delighted that the board I think unanimously supported that project but happy in my position to support the other projects there and as I say the government money is very welcome to improve a place like Scarborough which has got so much to give."

The Scarborough Neighbourhood Board, chaired by Heath Samples, led the development of the ten-year Regeneration Plan. The board ensured that public feedback carried the majority weighting when determining the final priorities for the town.

The Member of Parliament for Scarborough and Whitby, Alison Hume, previously stated that the programme puts local people front and centre, allowing residents to shape a long-term vision to drive regeneration and make Scarborough a better place to live and work.

The approval by the council's Executive allows the local authority to enter into legal grant agreements with the external organisations responsible for delivering the projects, marking a major step forward in delivering visible and lasting improvements across the Yorkshire Coast town over the next decade.

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