Council set to consider contract to build Whitby's multi-million pound maritime hub

While not everyone has been in favour, North Yorkshire Council’s executive will consider proposals to approve a contract to build the Whitby Maritime Hub, which is aimed at providing a greater breadth of career paths in the historic port.

Building on Whitby’s proud fishing and sailing heritage, the hub in Endeavour Wharf is set to address the need to develop a better supply of technical skills in the maritime sector and put the town at the forefront of the growing renewable energy sector.

The hub would also provide accommodation for maritime businesses and service providers to support economic growth in the coastal area.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, whose responsibilities include economic growth and harbours, said: “We have long recognised the need to ensure that there is a diverse and sustainable range of job opportunities for all our communities, and especially those on the coast.

“The plans for the Whitby Maritime Hub present us with a significant chance to achieve just that, opening the door to new economic growth and helping to create the next generation of skilled apprentices and professions by providing first-class training and facilities for a range of maritime industries.

“The proposals to enter into a contract to start work on the development will be considered carefully by executive members to ensure that we provide the best value for taxpayers while also capitalising on the opportunity to create what we hope will be a landmark development on the North Yorkshire coast.”

The funding for the project is set to come from the £17.1m given to Whitby as part of the Government’s Town Deals programme.

A total of £37.3 million was awarded under the programme to both Whitby and Scarborough in 2021.

Planning permission for the development was approved by North Yorkshire Council in August last year and the executive will now be asked to approve proposals to enter into a £9.6m contract with nationally-recognised developers from Willmott Dixon.

If the plans are approved by the executive, it is hoped that construction on the Whitby Maritime Hub will start early this year for the development to open in the spring of 2026.

The council says a public consultation in the early part of last year as part of the planning process saw 256 responses, with 69 per cent of people supportive of the project.

But we reported last summer that 60 residents had also objected to the “monstrosity” with many suggesting that it did not fit the character of the area and that the money could be better spent elsewhere.

A report to be considered by the executive on Tuesday January 21, has recommended that North Yorkshire Council initially remains as the operator of the building with the potential for a community interest company to be developed to take on the running of the facility.

The chair of Whitby Town Board, Barry Harland, said: “This would be a major development for Whitby, and we want to ensure that the opportunities which it presents are felt by the local community as well as attracting some of the leading talent in the maritime sector.

“Whitby has a proud maritime heritage, and we want to make sure that this continues throughout the 21st Century.”

There will be space in the hub for classroom-based training, engineering workshops and marine biology laboratories, offering opportunities for training and employment in areas ranging from marine biology to emerging industries, such as off-shore wind.

There is also due to be an office space for marine-based start-up businesses and other maritime industries.

The offices are intended to be occupied by local, regional and national businesses and organisations.

This would enable new and innovative commercial opportunities in the maritime and marine sectors to support growth in the local economy and reduce a reliance on seasonal employment, such as tourism.

Cllr Neil Swannick, the member for the Whitby Streonshalh division on North Yorkshire Council, said: “The chance to provide a far greater range of job opportunities here in Whitby would benefit not just people living here in the town, but also across a far wider area."

Cllr Phil Trumper, who represents the Whitby West division on North Yorkshire Council, added: “The proposed development of the hub presents a significant opportunity for Whitby to place itself at the front and centre of the maritime and offshore renewable energy sectors.

“There would be a more diverse range of jobs available in the town which would help ensure that local people, especially in the younger generations, can remain to pursue a career here.”