Whitby Cliff Lift Inspection Produces ‘Very Favourable’ Findings

The findings of an inspection of Whitby Cliff Lift have been welcomed by councillors ahead of a proposal to permanently close the landmark.

Council bosses are set to decide on a plan to permanently close the lift next month, but a recent inspection of the site by Anglo American is encouraging, local councillors have said.

​​The lift on Whitby’s North Terrace, which opened in 1931, has been out of service since 2022 due to corrosion and water ingress, with repair costs estimated at £5.5 million.

​Mining company Anglo American, which helped the authority assess the lift’s current condition, was invited to further investigate the impact of water damage over the winter period.

​A spokesperson for Anglo American said the company carried out a follow-up visit to the lift in January and “overall, conditions appeared similar to our previous visit in August, and our original recommendations remain unchanged”.

Last August, the company said “it would appear that the shaft is relatively dry, with no significant water ingress” and suggested that “the main source of water in the shaft is due to moisture accumulation (condensation), related to a lack of adequate ventilation”.

​In January the company did, however, “note an isolated source of water inflow near the top of the shaft that needs further investigation”.

​Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the spokesperson added:

“Whilst we have been happy to provide our views, our high-level observations are based on short site visits, and we recommend a separate and more in-depth professional review.”

​More than 5,600 people have signed a petition to save the 94-year-old facility, which consists of a lift within a vertical shaft running down from the cliff top through the boulder clay, leading to a 221ft (67m) pedestrian tunnel out to the beach.

​For the last four years the council has run a free subsidised bus service to replace the lift, which has historically not generated any income.

​Cllr Neil Swannick, who represents the Whitby Streonshalh ward, said he was

“very pleased to hear from Anglo-American that they had been back to view the shaft again, and that the result was that it was as dry as it was in the summer”.

​“I think the next step is that we have a North Yorkshire Council, Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee on March 2 in Whitby, where we will be discussing the harbour strategy, and that is the appropriate place for us to ask questions of the officers to find out what they intend to do now.”

​A current proposal for NYC’s executive committee is for the council to decommission the lift and remove the top building at a cost of £232,000.

​​“This option involves the removal of the top section of lift equipment to ensure the system is safe. A reinforced concrete capping slab would be required to close off the top of the main shaft,” a report states.

​Cllr Phil Trumper, who represents the Whitby West ward, said:

“When we have the meeting on March 2, that’s something that we’ll be trying to progress, we’ll be asking to move forward.”

 “I will be asking for a proper survey, an in-depth survey, because we should be looking at how we can repair the lift and get it open.”

​Cllr Swannick added:

“It seems that the result of the second survey by Anglo-American is very favourable, and it doesn’t look as though we have to spend £3 million to deal with the damp issue.

​North Yorkshire Council has said it is “aware that prior to its closure the lift was a useful and a much-loved heritage asset by the people of Whitby and its visitors”.

Scarborough and Whitby MP, Alison Hume, said:

“The Whitby Cliff Lift is part of Whitby’s identity as well as providing vital access to the beach from the West Cliff. 

“I fully support Cllr Phil Trumper’s efforts to ensure that Conservative run North Yorkshire Council renovate and reopen the lift. 

“This is a good opportunity for Northallerton to invest in a town which brings so much value to the county as a golden tourism goose.”