Scarborough Residents Asked For Thoughts on £20m Spending Plans

Residents, businesses and visitors to Scarborough are being encouraged to have their say on which projects would benefit most from a multi-million pound investment to drive regeneration and improve the health and wellbeing of communities.

Scarborough is set to receive up to £20 million of government funding as part of a national programme to bring major investment to towns across the country.

The money aims to support community-based projects that can bring long-term benefits for the area. They include boosting economic growth, creating more welcoming and inclusive environments, and identifying more opportunities for young people to reach their potential.

The Plan for Neighbourhoods programme was renamed Pride in Place in September last year. 

The Scarborough Neighbourhood Board is responsible for co-ordinating how the funding will be spent in the town, working with North Yorkshire Council, and has identified 11 local projects that could benefit from the money.

The board is now seeking residents, businesses and visitors to have their say on each project as part of a five-week consultation.

The projects are:

• The Old Town Regeneration project,
• The redevelopment of Square One (SQ1),
• Sprucing Up Scarborough,
• We Are Scarborough Volunteering Hub,
• The Scarborough Fair,
• Turning Tides,
• Dads Behaving Madly Wellbeing Hub,
• Scarborough Youth Spaces Network,
• Stephen Joseph Theatre improvements,
• Scarborough Watersports and Sea Centre,
• The Scarborough Community Grant Fund.

Submissions received as part of the consultation will help determine which projects will be considered to benefit from the first batch of funding.

The chair of the Scarborough Neighbourhood Board, Heath Samples, says it's important for all local residents to get involved in deciding how the money is spent, adding that his own love and passion for the town was the reason he decided to get involved in the Neighbourhood Board,

"One of the issues I was having is I was going on social media an awful lot. Looking at a lot of the groups that were more negative than positive and felt like, do you know what? I'm gonna fall in a trap here if I'm not careful. I'm gonna start getting negative like a lot of people are. So I thought, you know what, let's do something about it.

I love this town. I've been in this town for the last 57 years. I've had boats in the harbour since I was 16. I've had shops and businesses up and down the high Street, and I just thought, you know what? We've got an opportunity with this 20 million pound pride in place that the government have given us.

Let's spend it wisely. Let's get some positivity back into this town, and let's all take a part of making it great again. "

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, whose responsibilities include regeneration, said:

“It’s vital that the projects chosen are the right ones that can make a positive and lasting difference for the communities of Scarborough.

“We want this money to be just the beginning – it must act as a catalyst to inspire further investment in Scarborough that can continue to help revitalise the town centre for decades to come and improve residents’ health and wellbeing.

“The 11 projects have been identified by the Scarborough Neighbourhood Board to reflect the community’s priorities and have been developed in partnership with a range of organisations, businesses, young people and residents.

“I would encourage everyone to take part in the consultation and have their say on which projects should receive the funding. All submitted views will be considered before a formal decision is made, with the feedback helping to shape the future of Scarborough.”

The board has produced a 10-year regeneration plan for the town, as well as a four-year investment plan, which sets out its over-arching priorities following extensive engagement with the public, which included Let’s Talk Scarborough.

This has been submitted to the Government with approval of the plan expected within the next few weeks.

The priorities include improving the town’s appearance by tidying up public spaces, looking at ways to brighten up shopfronts and streets and supporting the delivery of more leisure and commercial opportunities to stimulate town centre footfall.

The chair of the Scarborough Neighbourhood Board, Heath Samples,added:

“Pride in Place is about putting local Scarborough people at the heart of shaping the future of where they live.

“This consultation is a crucial moment to listen, learn and make sure the priorities we set genuinely reflect the character, strengths and ambitions of our neighbourhoods.

“I would encourage everyone who cares about Scarborough – residents, businesses and community groups – to take part. Your views matter. Taking a few minutes to contribute helps ensure our decisions are grounded in real experience and a shared sense of pride in our town.

“The Neighbourhood Board will use this feedback to shape the next phase of Pride in Place, refining priorities, guiding investment and turning ideas into practical action. We are committed to making sure what people tell us directly influences what happens next.”

The MP for Scarborough and Whitby, Alison Hume, said:

“This is an important moment for Scarborough as residents get their first chance to feedback on the first tranche of shortlisted projects for the government’s flagship Pride in Place programme. 

“Pride in Place is investing £20 million over ten years on projects which the community decide are the priorities for them. 

“There are some much needed initiatives such as Sprucing Up Scarborough which I am really excited about as I know how much residents are desperate for a revitalised town centre they can enjoy, feel safe in, and be proud of. 

“The government is committed to devolving power to build stronger communities, thriving places and empowering local people to take back control. Scarborough residents know the town better than anyone else and that is why this government has decided to do things differently.”

Local Councillor Rich Maw is excited about the potential of the project, however he says there are limits to what can be achieved with £20m.

"I think there's potential with it being 20 million over 10 years, it doesn't go as far as what you might think. And I think we have to manage expectations, but at the same time, there are some really good ideas coming forward and if we pursue those, if we can get money into those.

I know it's 20 million, but if you can get a 10 or 20% discount on those things, your soon up to 22 or 24 million. So it should be looked at in some ways as. Part seed funding.

So it's 20 million, but yeah, that could easily turn into 40 and then we can really see things happening in Scarborough with that kind of money. "

The consultation runs from today until 5pm on Friday, February 13.

People can take part in the consultation by visiting North Yorkshire Council’s website at https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/pride-in-place

A number of events will also be held in the town over the next month where communities can take part in the consultation and ask any questions they have. More information on these events, as well as each of the identified projects, are also available on the website.