Town centre regeneration will end Scarborough’s “air of negativity” – MP
A multimillion-pound investment to regenerate Scarborough’s high street will give hope to the town, Alison Hume MP has said.
An “air of negativity” about Scarborough will be “blown wide open” with a major public investment in the regeneration of the town centre, including £18.5 million to redevelop the Brunswick centre, according to the town’s Member of Parliament.
Scarborough has an opportunity to secure long-awaited change despite concerns over financial risk and past disappointments, Ms Hume said, adding: “It’s not lack of talent in Scarborough; it’s a lack of opportunity, and this investment will really give hope to the town, and just get rid of the negativity”.
The comments came after the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority agreed to support the redevelopment of the former Brunswick Centre as the first project within the Scarborough Mayoral Development Zone initiative.
The Combined Authority has initially committed £1 million towards the project, with a further £6 million in funding subject to future approvals. It forms part of a wider £18.5 million package from North Yorkshire Council, Pride in Place, and the Combined Authority.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire acknowledged there were risks associated with public investment but said intervention was necessary to unlock wider regeneration.
“There’s risk with any investment, of course there is,” David Skaith said.
“But we have incredibly robust business cases. We are going to be very stringent in holding everyone to account on delivery on this project.”
The mayor said public funding was needed because private investment alone had failed to deliver.
“Markets have failed, and we need to step in as well, have that partnership, to be able to bring the wider investment together to have the really big impact that we can have in Scarborough.”
‘Coastal areas ignored for too long’
At a Combined Authority meeting in Scarborough on Friday, questions were raised about protections for taxpayer-funded investment, the reliability of forecasts for visitor numbers and jobs, and the absence of guaranteed public toilets within the redevelopment plans.
Responding to those concerns, Mr Skaith said the authority would monitor delivery against agreed business cases and expected outcomes.
He said: “Without the initial investment, the opportunities to unlock the redevelopment will not be realised.”
The mayor also rejected suggestions that Scarborough residents had heard similar promises before.
“They haven’t had a mayor before who is really passionate and determined to make this difference and to make this change,” he said.
“I’m fed up with going into so many places across this county, particularly our coastal areas, which have been ignored and have been left behind.”
Meanwhile, Ms Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, sought to reassure residents that regeneration plans would deliver tangible benefits despite a series of recent setbacks for the town centre, including retail closures.
She said that investment through the mayoral development zone would help attract private-sector backing.
“People want to see change in Scarborough. It’s only going to happen if we bring investors in.”
When asked why residents should believe regeneration promises would be delivered this time, she told the LDRS: “We’ve got a Labour Mayor, we’ve got a Labour MP, we’ve got a Labour Government. Between the three of us, we’ll make it happen.”
The Brunswick scheme requires a new planning application after a previous consent lapsed.
Developers estimate the scheme could attract around 850,000 visits a year, generate more than £45 million of annual spending and support hundreds of jobs.