The Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee met to discuss the Whitby Cliff Lift, receive an update on the Playing Pitch Strategy and Leisure Investment Strategy, and review the committee's work programme. The committee heard updates from David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, and Alison Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby. They also received a petition to save the Whitby Cliff Lift from closure.

Whitby Cliff Lift

The committee discussed the future of the Whitby Cliff Lift, and the replacement bus service, following a public consultation. The council is considering decommissioning possibilities for the lift. A report had been taken to the Executive on 15 July 2025 to consider the best option, with the officer recommendation to infill the shaft with foamed concrete, retaining the tunnel section for storage after removing internal finishes.

Councillor Liz Colling, Chair of the committee, urged officers to engage with Whitby Town Council on the matter. The Area Committee will be consulted on the future of the Whitby Cliff Lift before any decisions are made by the Executive.

A petition to save the Whitby Cliff Lift from closure was received by the committee.

Playing Pitch and Leisure Investment Strategies

The committee received an update on the Playing Pitch Strategy, the Built Sports Facilities Strategy, and the Leisure Investment Strategy from Matt Hewison, Head of Development (Active North Yorkshire).

The Playing Pitch Strategy (PPS) and Built Sports Facilities Strategy (BSFS) will provide a strategic framework to ensure that the provision of outdoor sports pitches and indoor built facilities meets the needs of residents and visitors to the North Yorkshire Council area. Knight, Kavanagh and Page (KKP) were commissioned in August 2024 to produce the new PPS and BSFS for North Yorkshire.

Ten analysis areas have been established for use within the PPS and BSF studies:

• Coastal area
• Harrogate area
• Malton & Norton area
• North York Moors National Park area
• Northallerton & Thirsk area
• Richmond area
• Ripon area
• Selby area
• Skipton area
• Yorkshire Dales area

As part of the strategy:

• 40 education sites have been visited/consulted
• 134 responses to the primary school survey have been received
• 208 responses to the Town/Parish Council survey have been received

Playing Pitch Strategy - Winter Sports

For football, the strategy identified 194 clubs and 1205 teams playing on pitches, with a 71% team response rate after consulting 853 teams. There are 618 football pitches identified across 272 sites, with 480 pitches across 373 sites open for community use.

For Rugby Union, 15 clubs were identified, with 14 responding to consultation requests. There are 136 rugby union pitches across 59 sites, comprising 93 senior pitches, 24 junior pitches and 19 mini pitches. 109 of the 136 pitches across 39 sites are open to community use.

For hockey, 10 clubs were identified and consulted with. There are 23 full-size artificial grass pitches (AGP's) across 22 sites, and 14 small-sided AGP's across 14 sites. 26 pitches are open to community use.

Leisure Investment Strategy

The Leisure Investment Strategy includes the following workstreams:

• Active Well Being Hubs - significant sites with the potential to be flagship health and well-being hubs.
• Retain and Lifecycle invest - facilities that will be retained, including smaller, local sites.
• Furniture, Fixture and Equipment (FFE) - assessment of all sites and costs for replacement of FFE (gym and fitness equipment)
• Explore/options appraisals - sites for further exploration for possible divestment or alternative delivery models.

Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme for 2025/26. Councillor Neil Swannick requested an update on whether there was a plan to return to alternating the committee's venue between Scarborough and Whitby. St John Harris, Principal Democratic Services Officer, advised that the requirements centred on a microphone system, an integrated induction loop, disabled access, and the capacity to livestream the meeting with council technical support.

The committee will potentially consider the following topics:

• Plans for parking provision on the East Coast with particular focus on Whitby
• Future meeting venues for the Area Committee

Mark Foster, Interim Head of Financial Assessments, Benefits & Court of Protection, will attend the committee's informal monthly briefing in November to provide an update on the multi-agency campaign to promote Pension Credit in the Scarborough and Whitby area.