Council gives green light for five-year tenancies at Whitby’s £10m Maritime Hub

Businesses hoping to set up in the hub will be able to sign tenancies for up to five years after council bosses rejected alternative proposals for three-year tenancies.

Coun Mark Crane, the executive member for open to business, said: “I think this is a good news story for Whitby, with businesses moving in with a significant number of well-paid jobs to the town.”

Speaking at a meeting of NYC’s executive committee on Tuesday, July 15, Coun Crane said he was hoping to visit the construction site next week to review the progress of the works which are scheduled to conclude in the spring of 2026.

Council bosses were told that one prospective tenant was “ready to sign” and another was “very, very interested”.

The company which is due to sign has not been named publicly, but according to a report it is a “maritime business and complies with the planning restriction of a water-compatible use”.

The Maritime Hub scheme is funded through the £17.1m awarded by the government’s Towns Fund and is set to house workshop spaces, training facilities, and marine tanks.

The second floor is set to be an office space for marine-based start-up businesses and other maritime industries.

Coun Crane told colleagues at the meeting: “Companies will clearly want the security of a five-year lease for them to move or start their business in that location.”

The authority had received letters from a group in Whitby that wanted it to offer three-year leases instead, according to Coun Crane, who said “we are not of the same view”.

He added: “I feel that legally, we have the right to offer a five-year lease to any company under the Whitby Urban Council Act of 1905.”

The proposal was approved unanimously at the meeting of the executive on Tuesday, July 15.

Businesses interested in becoming a tenant can contact the authority at [email protected].