North Yorkshire Council councillors are set to consider plans to bring in an external development partner to help regenerate a number of council-owned sites in Scarborough town centre.
The aim is to appoint a partner to draw up a masterplan identifying new uses for underused or vacant sites, assess what regeneration is possible, draw fresh investment into some of the town’s most cherished buildings, and turn that into workable proposals for key locations.
Scarborough is rated among the council’s top development priorities, and separately recognised by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority as a key growth area. Councillors will consider the proposals at the executive’s meeting on Tuesday 15 September.
Market engagement
Deputy leader Cllr Mark Crane, whose brief covers regeneration and economic development, said: “We have a number of prominent sites that are currently underused or vacant. By undertaking market engagement to identify a potential development partner, we can take a coordinated approach to understanding how those sites can contribute to the town centre and bring forward practical regeneration proposals. This will help us assess future options for these sites, identify opportunities for investment, and ensure any proposals are deliverable.”
The council inherited a large property portfolio following 2023’s local government reorganisation, which merged the former county council with seven district and borough authorities — including a number of Scarborough sites now costing up to £1 million a year to run. Among the buildings the masterplan would consider is Scarborough Town Hall, roughly 80% of which currently sits out of use because the building has fallen into disrepair.
Councillors approved the acquisition of nearby Resolution House back in March to provide modern office space for staff who don’t need to be based centrally, though the council intends to keep a town centre presence — including customer services — as some staff move across; council staff currently split their time between the Town Hall and Castle House.
Any resulting masterplan would sit alongside other regeneration work already under way in the town, including the Station Gateway public realm scheme and plans to revive West Pier.
Cllr Peter Wilkinson, executive member for finance and property, said: “It’s important that we carefully consider how these sites can contribute to Scarborough’s future, identify regeneration opportunities and reduce the costs associated with buildings that are underused and require significant investment.
“This work will help us assess what options are available and consider proposals that are practical and financially viable.”
