Campaigners Declare ‘Victory’ As Whitby Cliff Lift Saved From Decommissioning

A new study will be commissioned to determine the future of Whitby’s Cliff Lift as proposals to permanently close it were postponed.

North Yorkshire Council has said it “wants to work with the residents of Whitby” as a proposal to permanently decommission the town’s historic North Cliff Lift, which opened in 1931, was postponed.

At a meeting in Malton on Tuesday, March 17, the authority’s executive committee also decided to withdraw a replacement bus service which it said had become too expensive to sustain.

The lift has been closed since 2022 due to corrosion and water damage, with “worst-case” repairs estimated to cost £5.5 million, according to North Yorkshire Council.

Campaigners, Scarborough and Whitby’s MP, and local councillors have called for the lift – which links North Terrace to the beach below – to be repaired, saying it “is not a luxury, it’s a necessity”.

Cllr Sandra Taylor, Mayor of Whitby, welcomed the council’s decision not to permanently close the lift:

“I’m very pleased at the outcome. The leader of the council has promised he will work closely with Whitby Town Council so that is really positive from our point of view.”

Commenting on the council’s decision to discontinue the free replacement bus service, she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS):

“I think there needs to be a better alternative.

“The bus service has worked to a degree because it does allow access for some people, but it has failed anybody who was disabled, or in a wheelchair, it wasn’t a wheelchair friendly bus service, so that was the element where it failed really disastrously.”

Cllr Phil Trumper, who represents Whitby West Cliff on NYC said residents “appreciate the financial constraints” the council is facing but added that the lift is a “necessity”.

He told the meeting:

“Almost 6,000 people signed a petition I started, which shows how important it is to the local community. It hasn’t operated properly since 2018, and we’ve seen really serious health and safety issues, most recently last week.

“The build-up of traffic is another health and safety issue, it’s become like the M1. There have been some serious accidents on the beach, and ambulances have been blocked by those vehicles.

“The figure of £5 million is a worst-case scenario and doesn’t reflect reality. We need this asset for the residents, for the visitors, for Whitby.”

Karl Battersby, corporate director of environment at NYC, said: “The main bone of contention is whether the costs are accurate”.

He said there was “no dispute the lift has suffered significant corrosion internally”, and added: “The bus is far too expensive for us to justify based on its current and historic usage.”

According to a report presented at the meeting, the cost of operating the bus service in 2025 was £52,744, or £345 per day, and the cost of operating the service in 2024 was £52,440, or £342 per day.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Trumper told the LDRS:

“It’s a victory for everyone who’s spoken up about the lift, been passionate about it and been passionate about the community of the town of Whitby.”

He called on the council to carry out the promised surveys “as quickly as possible because we’d really like to see the lift reopened as soon as possible”.

Cllr Trumper said:

“We’ve been talking about it for a long time, so we need to get it open.”

The decision not to permanently close the lift has been welcomed by Scarborough and Whitby MP Alison Hume who said:

“I’m very pleased North Yorkshire Council has decided to look into what it will cost to repair our historic Whitby Cliff Lift.

Permanently decommissioning it, without undertaking an up-to-date assessment of the work required and associated price, would have been a really premature move given the understandable concerns about the accuracy of the costings which were initially put before members.

The iconic Cliff Lift isn’t just part of the town’s heritage. It is a vital piece of infrastructure too which ensures the beautiful Blue Flag beach below is accessible for all.

This doesn’t mark the end of the battle to save the cliff lift from closure. However, it is an important and sensible step in the right direction.

As someone who used the Cliff Lift myself for countless summer holidays with my children, I know how important it is to local people. The strength of feeling, when it was initially proposed for closure, was testament to that and I commend everyone who has spoken out so eloquently against the closure.

I’m disappointed the replacement bus service is expected to be discontinued although encouraged by the suggestion that alternative provision is being looked at. The beach chalets and beach must be accessible to all.”