Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Scarborough Council has decided to lease some of its land at Whitby Maritime Training Hub, Whitby Old Town Hall, Scarborough West Pier and other locations as part of the major Town Deal project.

Following “in principle” approval from the council leader, Cllr Steve Siddons, the search for companies and organisations to lease council land set to form parts of the Town Deal projects will begin.

Scarborough Borough Council was awarded £20.2m of Town Deal funding for Scarborough, and £17.1m of Town Deal funding for Whitby, to deliver a programme of projects in support of “long-term economic growth earlier this year”.

The “in principle” approval of the lease of council land concerns Endeavour Wharf at Whitby Maritime Training Hub, Whitby Old Town Hall, West Pier Properties at Scarborough’s West Pier, the FabLab+ Comet Building, and Pavilion House at Station Gateway, but the properties will not be sold.

An artist's impression of the proposed use of the Comet building site.

A report presented to the council leader states: “If approved, the council will seek to identify and select preferred tenants by way of competitive tender and work with the selected tenderers to develop the detailed designs for each of the schemes before entering into agreements for lease and commencing project implementation.

“This is considered critical to ensuring the projects are developed in line with operator and tenant requirements and to help to ensure the sustainability of the resulting schemes.”

Potential lessees would take on management and operation of the properties once constructed and developed, although the land and property will remain in the ownership of the council.

In August the council also allocated a further £600,000 for its railway station “gateway” redevelopment, as well as applying to the Government earlier in the year for an additional £20m of funding to progress the FabLab+ and Pavilion House office projects.

How the West Pier development could look under the Town Deal plan.

The report also states that the procurement of lessees for the sites will “enable the council to identify the financial implications” such as potential rental return, operating costs, and overheads.

The agreements for leases will be subject to further approval from the leader, cabinet members, or council.

Information about the leasing of the sites will be published via the council’s digital media channels, through the resident news, and via “traditional media formats”.

Scarborough Council decides to lease properties and land at Whitby and Scarborough as part of Town Deal projects