£145,000 plan for new wayfinder signs and family fun app in Whitby to go to Scarborough Council

The wayfinding signs will replace the tired and out-of-date ones in the town and it’s hoped they will be in place for the coming summer season.

The £147,815.30 cost of the project will be met from the £17.1m awarded to Whitby from the Towns Fund once the funding has been received from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

The new signage will provide more detailed information in terms of timings to key locations and will provide maps to assist visitors in navigating around the town.

A new app is also planned to support the physical signs. It will provide a digital visitor information map and direct people to attractions, walks and trails around the town alongside augmented reality games for families to enjoy, and a fun trail for children to explore.

Artwork from Whitby-based artist Karen Ruffles, who produces gothic-inspired works under the title of Drawing in Dark, is set to feature on the new signs.

She was chosen following a public appeal for local artists to submit ideas for the scheme earlier this year.

The Whitby Town Deal board has backed the project and the business case has gone through the initial approval stages with the DLUHC.

A steering group, with representatives from Whitby Town Council, North Yorkshire County Council, Whitby Disability Action Group, Whitby Civic Society, the Tourism Advisory Board and representatives from the tourism business sector, has also been involved in the development of the scheme and map content.

Following a full tendering process, DMA Signs Limited has been chosen to create the new structures.

Cabinet will vote on whether to approve the funding from the Towns Fund once it is released by the government.

Janet Deacon, Scarborough Borough Council tourism and culture manager, said she was delighted that "the old and tired signs in Whitby" could be replaced.

“As well as looking much better, the wayfinding signs will vastly improve the experience of visitors as they look to navigate Whitby," she said.

“The artwork will honour the town’s rich history and iconic attractions, and provide a great first impression as people flock back to the coast.

“I want to thank Whitby Town Deal Board and the steering group for all their work in getting us to this stage.”