Scarborough families ‘living in fear’ near HMO properties, MP says
Residents living near emergency accommodation in Scarborough have told their MP they can no longer use their gardens, open their windows or invite their grandchildren round because of alleged antisocial behaviour.
Speaking in Parliament, Alison Hume, Labour MP for Scarborough and Whitby, said some people living close to temporary accommodation sites had been left feeling “anxiety, frustration and fear”.
One resident, Brian Witty, told the MP: “It’s making my life a complete misery.
"My cameras are going off all night with people mooching about drinking, taking drugs, alcohol and fighting.
“I can’t have my grandchildren over because of the foul language and cannabis use.”
Another constituent, Rachel, said: “Incidents are taking place every single day on the streets surrounding these properties, not just sporadically.
“We can’t use our garden anymore. We can’t even leave our windows open on hot days because of the noise and the smell.”
Raising the issue during a Parliamentary debate on antisocial behaviour, Ms Hume said the problems were increasingly concentrated around a small number of town-centre properties used for emergency temporary accommodation.
She stressed that she did not oppose housing vulnerable people in the town, but said Scarborough was carrying a disproportionate burden compared with the rest of North Yorkshire.
The MP told ministers: “To be clear, I do not oppose emergency accommodation being located in Scarborough, but we are seeing an over-concentration in one town out of a large county.”
She said that of 103 people recently placed in emergency accommodation across North Yorkshire, 58 were being housed in Scarborough.
Ms Hume said: “We do not mind taking our share, but does the Minister agree that, although vulnerable people deserve safe accommodation, the communities that host them deserve fairness too?”
The MP also claimed guests staying with another accommodation provider had asked for refunds after experiencing disruption during their visit.
However, she said conditions had improved after concerns were raised with operators, including Homemore.
“I am pleased to say that meaningful improvements, such as 24-hour on-site security, have been made,” she told MPs.
“Although the challenges remain, those measures have begun to make a positive difference.”
Responding for the Government, Sarah Jones, a minister in the Home Office, said antisocial behaviour was “not a low-level problem” and highlighted new powers introduced through the Crime and Policing Act 2026.
At a meeting last month, Jo Coles, deputy mayor for policing, fire and crime, acknowledged that while the number of antisocial behaviour incidents in the Scarborough area had recently reduced, there were still serious issues to tackle.
She added: “Some of the things you’re talking about are not only antisocial behaviour, but they also are crimes in a much more serious sense.
“So, we mustn’t put everything in an antisocial basket when actually some of this stuff is much more serious than that.
"Criminal damage to someone’s property is not antisocial behaviour.
"It’s much more serious than that.”
Ms Coles said she had been working with partners throughout the summer to address concerns in coastal communities, including Eastfield, bringing together police, local authorities, youth justice services and other agencies.
Official figures show antisocial behaviour in North Yorkshire Police’s coastal command area had fallen by 13 per cent over the past two years, the meeting heard.
The deputy mayor also warned against “painting all young people with a bad brush” and emphasised the importance of multi-agency work and support programmes to offer support.