Whitby housing crisis: Town Council to debate motion ‘to end major private building projects’ for ‘next 10 years’

Town councillors have proposed a motion seeking to put a stop to “major private housing developments” in Whitby in order to end the local housing crisis.

The September meeting of Whitby Town Council will see a motion calling for an end to “major private housing developments” and for social housing developments to be built instead.

The motion, proposed by Coun Michael Harrison and seconded by Coun Asa Jones, is hoping to “effectively combat the popular seaside town’s housing crisis” over the next ten years.

It follows a poll last summer that saw Whitby residents vote conclusively in favour of new and additional housing in the area being restricted to being full-time primary residences instead of holiday accommodation.

The motion proposed for the meeting on Tuesday, September 5, states: “In what we believe is in the best interests of the people of Whitby, Whitby Town Council calls for North Yorkshire Council to actively use its planning and economic development powers to prioritise social, cooperative and council housing developments, instead of major private building projects within the Whitby Parish Boundaries, for a period of the next 10 years.”

The motion also calls on Whitby Town Council to promote the policy in the development of its neighbourhood plan.”

In January, the now-defunct Scarborough Council backed a motion to establish a primary residency scheme in the town and earlier this year, a Government proposal that could give planning committees greater control over holiday let conversions also received cross-party support from councillors in Scarborough and Whitby.

However, councillors Harrison and Jones said that Scarborough Council and other local authorities were guilty of “inaction” and said that young people were forced to “flee” in search of affordable homes and jobs.

Coun Michael Harrison, who represents the Abbey ward, said: “The crisis has been allowed to become so extreme due to the inaction of local authorities.

"We believe that an equally extreme statement by Whitby Town Council is needed to force local and national government into finally taking action on a crisis that is destroying communities like Whitby across the country.

“We have to be bold and believe that a solution that not only repairs but benefits our community is possible.”

Cllr Asa Jones, who represents the West Cliff ward and has lived in social housing in Whitby for the last 12 years, urged North Yorkshire Council to prioritise building social housing over private developments and mandating the town council to do the same.

The motion will be discussed at the full meeting of Whitby Town Council on Tuesday, September 5.

North Yorkshire Council has been approached for a comment.