'More money needed from developers' for healthcare and green spaces in small Scarborough villages, say councillors

At a meeting of Scarborough Council’s planning committee earlier this month, councillors said that greater attention should be paid to the impact of developments on small villages in the borough.

The issue of financial contributions towards healthcare, green spaces and children’s play areas which can be requested from developers was highlighted by members.

In particular, the amount of money allocated towards NHS and GP surgeries was raised as a pressing issue, as well as making sure that the money is spent in the surrounding area.

Speaking at the meeting on Thursday March 9, Cllr Roberta Swiers said: “Although we are looking at the clinical commissioning croup (CCG), I do agree that any S106 money should be spent in that village.

“We are asked time and time again to take more things on as small parish councils, but where does the money come from if we don’t get these little bits brought in, so I think that should be something to be looked at.”

“It is not just the CCG in my opinion. Every time an application comes, what about the highways, we have country lanes running through these villages that are never fit for purpose for adding 2,000 properties in a village.”

The issue was raised during a discussion about an application for nine self-build houses in Hunmanby which was subsequently approved.

While members welcomed the introduction of self-build properties, the ward councillor for Hunmanby, Cllr Michelle Donohue Moncrieff, raised concerns about the scale of financial contributions towards services from the developer.

Also speaking at the meeting, Cllr Sam Cross said: “There is a lack of care for people and our residents, and we do suffer from that in the southern area as we’re well aware, and I think more ought to be done.

“In Filey, the doctor’s surgery hasn’t become any bigger but we have seen the development of the Mill Meadows country park estate, Filey Fields complex, and the pastures extension.

“We have also seen what happens in the summer when a number of holidaymakers come to Filey surgery and we have seen the pressure on the health service, so something does need to be done about the clinical commissioning group.

“In Filey, we are all pretty used to waiting for doctor's appointment and sometimes you get better before you see the doctor.”

Cllr Swiers added: “We have no services. We haven’t got any doctors, or dentists, nothing in a large village.

“We are doing local plans, but we can’t keep adding to these small villages time and time again without any acknowledgement from the Highway Authority and the CCG that we need to expand somewhere, and where I have no idea.”

She said: “I do think we need to look generally at our villages.”