Scarborough’s charter mayor and trustees hold first Town Hall meeting since April

On Friday, October 20, Scarborough’s six charter trustees held a public meeting in the Town Hall to discuss their work so far.

The trustees have been responsible for the town’s civic duties and ensuring the continuation of the ceremonial traditions of the area since Scarborough Borough Council was abolished in April.

They will continue their work until Scarborough Town Council is created.

Charter mayor, John Ritchie, said that since stepping into the role he has had a “really good and positive experience,” adding that he was “happy to be in the role”.

He said: “Residents appreciate the role that a mayor plays in the town as the civic leader.

“In Scarborough, people are proud of the town’s traditions and I’m happy to play my very small role in promoting this wonderful town and our wonderful residents.”

At the meeting, the trustees approved a financial report which stated that less than half of the year’s £20,980 budget has been spent so far.

The expenditure up until September amounts to £9,295, of which £8,770 was spent on council officer support.

The charter trustees are councillors John Ritchie, Janet Jefferson, Eric Broadbent, Rich Maw, Liz Colling and Tony Randerson.

North Yorkshire councillors recently approved a third public consultation regarding the town council’s creation, which is set to delay its formation by at least a year until 2025.

On the creation of a Scarborough Town Council, mayor John Ritchie told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It’s just not clear – we thought that we’d be done and dusted and I’d be the first and only charter mayor to be in Scarborough.

“The new town council was supposed to be up and running in May of next year, but that’s not the case anymore, so we’re having another meeting to plan the agenda for the year ahead.”

An originally approved plan would have divided the body into five wards according to currently unparished areas – Castle, Falsgrave and Stepney, Northstead, Weaponness and Ramshill, and Woodlands – with three councillors in each.

However, the new plan is set to create 15 wards with one councillor representing each area.

On the timeline for the town council, mayor Ritchie said: “I think we’re due to hear about where those wards are going to be towards the end of the year or the beginning of next year.”

He added: “But there’s absolutely no certainty at the moment.”