Whitby Cliff Lift Gets Backing From Local Councillors But Remains At Risk

Scarborough and Whitby councillors have backed a public petition to save Whitby Cliff Lift and have told the authority’s bosses to reconsider its decommissioning. ​

At a meeting on Friday, September 19, the Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee voted to oppose the decommissioning of the ‘iconic’ Whitby Cliff Lift which has been closed since 2022.

​North Yorkshire Council’s executive committee is yet to make a decision on officers’ recommendations to permanently shut the historic cliff lift due to the apparently high cost of repairs.

​According to the authority, reinstating the lift to working order and addressing the water ingress could cost £5.5m.

​Officers have recommended that the council decommission the lift and remove the top building at a cost of £232,000.

​However, members of the cross-party area committee cast doubt on the accuracy of the “guesstimate” cost, and said that a more thorough analysis should be conducted, as well as a year-round monitoring of water ingress.

​Coun Phil Trumper, who represents Whitby West Cliff, presented his petition to save the “critical asset”, which was signed by more than 5,500 people.

​“The Cliff Lift symbolises inclusivity and accessibility, and its existence is not an amenity, it’s a necessity, and part of our town’s charm.”

​His motion to invite Anglo American – the mining company that has helped NYC establish the current condition of the lift – reasess its state after the winter,  was backed by colleagues.

​The committee also called on the council to hold a public consultation on the future of the Cliff Lift, which was opened in the 1930s.

​Coun Sandra Turner, the Mayor of Whitby, told the meeting: “Whitby is consistently in the top five of the most visited coastal towns.

​“This is an absolutely disgraceful suggestion to take away yet more of Whitby, and it feels like the town has been left out on a limb.”

​Coun Neil Swannick, who represents Whitby Streonshalh, said:

“I can’t believe that £3m is an amount needed to deal with the damp and moisture ingress, because it’s an awfully large amount, and I’d like to know why the compelling figure of £5m has been put forward.”

​Several members compared the proposal to the removal of Scarborough’s North Bay funicular in the 1990s, and Coun Eric Broadbent said he would

“hate for Whitby to lose the Cliff Lift and make the same mistake as was made in Scarborough”.

​Councillors also highlighted concerns raised by locals and visitors about the implications of its decommissioning for elderly people and those with disabilities.

​Coun Clive Pearson said:

“I first used the Cliff Lift in 1959 with my grandfather. It must be brought back completely to enable disabled access.”

​Coun David Chance, who was a Cliff Lift relief operator in 1965, told colleagues:

“I have a disability and I can’t walk down there, it’s absolutely impossible, so I have great sympathy for people with disabilities, and the bus service just isn’t adequate.”

​​The fate of the free replacement bus service is also currently unclear, as North Yorkshire Council has said the budget for its operation and the reserves from which the costs were funded have been “fully utilised”.

​​The cost of operating the subsidised bus service in 2024 was £52,440, or £345 per day, with average daily passenger numbers varying monthly between 11 and 33.

​​A council consultation on its future received more than 700 responses and “revealed strong public support for maintaining or restoring access to the beach via either the cliff lift or a reliable replacement service”, and the executive committee is due to make a decision by October 21.

​A report prepared for the meeting stated that whilst bringing the lift back into service would be “desirable to the community of Whitby, [it] would add to the council’s financial burden and reduce funding that would be available for other higher priorities”.

​Coun Janet Jefferson said:

“It doesn’t cost £3m to put a lift in a building, so why is this so expensive? We should all stand together on this. This is why people come to our towns.”

​Coun David Jeffels, former chairman of the British Resorts Association, concurred, stating:

“Much of Whitby’s success is down to its heritage. I warmly and fully support the motion before us today by Coun Trumper.”

​The motion emphasised the committee’s opposition to NYC’s recommendation to decommission the lift, invited Anglo American to re-inspect the lift after the winter, and requested a public consultation on the lift’s future.

​It was approved with all members voting in favour except for Coun Heather Phillips, NYC’s executive member for corporate services, who abstained from the vote.