Planners Refuse Request to Ditch New Scalby Footbridge

Tuesday, 16 May 2023 06:00

By Matthew Pells

A new footbridge linking housing developments in Scalby with local amenities will have to be built after planners refused a request to shelve the scheme.

The 200-dwelling development at High Mill, was granted planning permission in 2020, it included plans for the bridge over Scalby Beck which would provide a link to facilities in Newby such as schools, doctors surgeries and shops.

Recently the developer asked for the requirement to build the bridge to be dropped, but the new Scarborough and Whitby Area Planning Committee has rejected that request.

More than 60 members of the public wrote to North Yorkshire Council objecting and planners have now said the bridge must go ahead.

Planning Officer - Hugh Smith - explained the reasoning for the decision not to approve removal of the bridge requirement.

Councillor Eric Broadbent says the bridge was a key element of the original plan.

As an alternative to the bridge the applicant had proposed “a range of works intended to make Station Road safer for pedestrians and cyclists”.

But the meeting of the planning committee was not impressed with the comparison between the routes that would be available to pedestrians and cyclist to get to key local facilities with the bridge in place (shown in green)

And without (shown in blue)

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Roberta Swiers said:

“This must come down to cost but the cost is immaterial because it was on that planning application.

“If you look at the other routes, they are far longer, they are not as clear, they’re not lit as well, and I think this has to be done.”

Cllr Heather Phillips said:

“With some experience of getting children to school, I think we need to encourage school use over this bridge and it is vital that people get what they were promised.

“I think it would be very detrimental and hurt the reputation of the planning committee if we allowed this to go through, so I’m happy for this to be refused.”

A report presented to the committee said that officers had “considered the works of mitigation along Station Road and the risk of development stalling” as a result of a “ransom strip” situation which had arisen.

However, it concluded that the proposals put forward by the applicant “do not outweigh the harm to concerns” covered by planning policies and that the application should be refused.

The plan to remove the bridge from the development was unanimously rejected by the planning committee.