Eastfield ‘community hub’ projects could receive £145,000 funding from Scarborough Council

Community hub projects in Eastfield run by Carers Plus Yorkshire and More Than Books could receive £145,000 of funding to support their delivery of “a range of social wellbeing initiatives”.

Carers Plus Yorkshire applied for £55,000 towards the development of a ‘food hub’ at the old café premises at 120 Westway for 27 months.

A report prepared by the council states that the investment would “help to establish the asset as a social hub providing a range of community activities revolving around cooking and food”.

Additionally, £90,000 would go towards the ongoing development of More Than Books – formally Eastfield Community Library – as “an established community wellbeing hub” delivering a range of social activities for young people and families, including horticultural and outdoor activities “beyond the traditional library remit”.

The plan is set to be approved by the cabinet member for inclusive growth, Cllr Liz Colling, on February 14.

Money would also be spent on solar panels, a new café facility and a two-year development officer post to help establish a funding and sustainability strategy.

The grants from Scarborough Council are to be funded by income the authority received following the sale of 48 acres of land in Middle Deepdale, Eastfield, for the purpose of housing development.

In February 2019, the authority’s cabinet approved the procurement and implementation of a regeneration ‘masterplan’ exercise with the community and stakeholders, the delivery of which was overseen by a council steering group.

However, concerns have been raised about the progress of the council’s commitments in Eastfield.

In January, the Scarborough and Whitby Conservative Association stated: “Of the £1.2m allocated to regenerating Eastfield by the previous Conservative administration, as of October 2022 the Labour-led Scarborough Borough Council has spent a total of £137,000 or to put it plainly in over 75 per cent of the time allotted they have managed to deliver just 11 per cent of the funding promised.”

The council report says the authority is helping to develop “a ‘CommonUnity Bases’ programme with the aim of supporting at least three community-managed facilities towards financial and operational sustainability”.

The report adds: “The Community Support Package provides a sum of £270,000 to support the development of this programme.”