Scarborough West Pier: Meeting postponed amid legal challenge and claim 'high end' seafood restaurant will be fast food

North Yorkshire Council has said the scheme is about “supporting and celebrating the town’s fishing and lobster industry as well as replacing the current facilities and buildings, which are no longer fit-for-purpose, with modern premises".

The plans, which were due to go before the planning committee in August, on September 27 and October 8, include an outdoor events space, parking, seafood restaurant and new kiosks, as well as better offices, sheds and warehousing for the fishing sector.

However dozens of objections have been lodged, as well as a letter from Friends of Scarborough Harbour, expressing the view that the pier "should be safeguarded for harbour-related uses, to ensure the future sustainability of the harbour as a working port".

There are fears that the redevelopment will not leave enough space for a boat hoist, which would help Scarborough blaze a new trail, servicing vast new windfarms in the North Sea.

In July, the council’s Executive said they were going to apply to the Department for Transport to appropriate the toilet block on the pier "from harbour use to general estates purposes".

Prominent local businessman James Corrigan, owner of crab boat Sunrise, began legal action against the council on the basis that the authority doesn't have the autonomy to do as it pleases with harbour land or assets.

A letter to the authority by former Scarborough Council planning manager Marcus Whitmore, who is acting for Mr Corrigan and Friends of Scarborough Harbour, said the businessman had challenged the appropriation of the area of West Pier, where the restaurant use is proposed "and the council has confirmed that the process undertaken was unlawful". The letter added: "The matter will therefore need to be reconsidered."

The objection claims that "confidential documents” confirm the proposed tenant of the restaurant in Building 1 is a well-known burger outlet – with no seafood on the menu.

Mr Corrigan said the proposals were "totally at odds" with the business plan submitted and accepted by the Department for Levelling Up. A heritage statement had described the restaurant as "driving a circular economy and the opportunity to showcase the locally caught seafood”.

The Yorkshire Post approached Square Burgers Ltd, a franchise partner of US firm Wendy's that operates a number of the chain's UK restaurants. Directors of Square Burgers also run the Papa's Fish & Chips chain, which has an outlet on Scarborough’s seafront. A spokesman said there was “no truth to us putting a Wendy’s” on West Pier.

NYC’s corporate director of community development, Nic Harne, said: “We do not agree that we have acted unlawfully. Concerns have been raised regarding the process of the transfer of the land from harbour to general use and we have agreed to consider these before a formal decision is made on any transfer.

“We can also confirm that we are not working with ‘Papa’s or Wendy’s’ regarding this development.”

A statement said "further work” was needed on the application before it could go to the planning committee.

It added: “A new committee date will be programmed in due course."