Whitby Neighbourhood Plan: the need to protect and enhance Whitby town centre and harbour
In this sixth article on the Whitby Neighbourhood Plan, we take a look at some of the issues the town centre and the harbour face.
A thriving town centre and harbour should create a resilient, attractive, and functional place that meets the needs of its residents and visitors, blending commerce, community and culture.
The problem
The town centre and harbour are no longer thriving – nor are they now the heart of the community.
The area has been hollowed out by short term holiday lets and over-run by cars.
The balance between catering for tourism and catering for retail has been lost, with the levels of tourism pushing many residents out.
The harbour has lost most of the facilities required to allow it to function as a fishing hub and port.
The town centre lacks the facilities to provide routine maintenance and cleaning, and is urgently in need of a design brief and longterm planning commitment to make it a welcoming and useable Key Service Centre for the community and visitors alike.
The lack of diversity in the retail offer and the proliferation of takeaways, gaming, vaping and drinking establishments only serve to ensure that the parish has some of the worst health and life expectancy outcomes in the area.
The lack of upkeep, and alternative uses for some of our historic buildings and the harbour frontage needs to be addressed.
It is critical that a local co-ordinated plan is agreed for the development of this area, retaining the fabric and character of our historic properties and harbour infrastructure and avoiding adverse changes to the setting of our iconic seafront.
Addressing the problem
We are proposing the following Neighbourhood Plan policies
•WBY20: Whitby Town Centre – encouragement for developments to achieve a vibrant and viable town centre, comprising a mix of retail, service sector, business, hospitality, cultural and residential uses.
This will also serve to protect the frontages at ground level in key areas for retail use.
It also includes consideration for improved public outdoor spaces in town centre.
•WBY21: Whitby Harbour – Developments to preserve and enhance the character of Whitby Harbour and its role as a working and functioning port.
This would aim to support proposals that celebrate the heritage of the town / harbour, as well as to resist proposals that would inhibit the continued functioning of the harbour.
The consultation
Visit https://www.whitbycommunitynetwork.org/whitby-neighbourhood-plan-draft-consultation/ to have your say.
Your comments are welcomed.