Council commits to save famous lighthouse and piers in Scarborough and Whitby

The picturesque lighthouse in Whitby and sea walls at Scarborough Harbour are set for significant investment as part of North Yorkshire Council’s ongoing commitment to improve its harbours.

North Yorkshire Council is responsible for maintaining and improving the infrastructure around the harbours in Scarborough, Whitby and Filey Coble Landing.

A total of £543,000 has been allocated to carry out design and investigation works to the Scarborough lighthouse pier to replace the sheet piles, which is a sheet material used to provide earth retention, support and protection against the sea.

Surveys have shown that the piles need replacing due to water corrosion, thinning of the thickness and gaps appearing in the structure.

The lighthouse pier has been deemed at risk of failure, with the front edge closed off to the public. This is also the case with the roundhead, where a loading restriction is in place and the piles are beyond repair.

A further £252,000 will be spent on design and investigation works on the Grade II listed Whitby west pier lighthouse which is in a poor condition. The building has been netted and the area around the base closed with barriers.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for harbours, Cllr Derek Bastiman, said: “Scarborough Harbour and the Whitby lighthouse are important and historic structures, so it is essential that we allocate a significant budget to ensure they are maintained and managed to a high standard.

“Any collapse would have serious consequences on access for vessels, and continued deterioration will impact on harbour operations, businesses and tourism.

“The funding demonstrates our commitment to investing in our harbours and places the council in a competitive position to apply for grant assistance as and when it becomes available.”

The £795,000 investment was agreed at a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s executive members today (Tuesday, February 20). The funding is to be spent in the next financial year.

The harbours require an investment of £27 million to resolve all of the infrastructure challenges at both Whitby and Scarborough. A total of £1.637 million has already been secured to undertake works to Scarborough west pier inner harbour wall, following recent investigation works, and to finalise the design of a scheme to replace piles at the Eskside Wharf.