Councillors back calls to save Whitbyโs โvitalโ Cliff Lift
โA motion calling on North Yorkshire Council bosses to urgently reconsider their plan to permanently shut Whitbyโs historic Cliff Lift in the interest of residents and visitors has been passed unanimously.
โAt a packed meeting on Monday (March 2) dozens of residents gathered at Whitby Pavilion and told councillors that the landmark lift โis not a luxury, itโs a necessityโ.
โโโThe lift on Whitbyโs North Terrace, which opened in 1931, has been out of service since 2022 due to corrosion and water ingress, with โworst-caseโ repair costs estimated at ยฃ5.5 million.
โThe cost of the options to decommission the lift ranges from ยฃ199,000 to ยฃ538,000.
โCllr David Chance, who used to work at the Cliff Lift in 1964, said: โIt was always damp in the tunnel.
โโI think the ยฃ5 million figure has been plucked out of the air to justify inaction. I think that was the aim of Scarborough Borough Council to kick it down the road.
โโIโm absolutely convinced that it should be repaired.โ
โSpeaking at the meeting, a local resident said that the councilโs replacement bus service โ the future of which is uncertain โ was not adequate for elderly people and those with disabilities and asked: โHow is it right to deny many people with disabilities access to our beautiful Blue Flag beach?โ
Chris Bourne, the councilโs head of harbours and coastal infrastructure, said the council was not denying disabled people access to the beach and that slipways and ramps could also be used.
โCllr Rich Maw said โwe cannot row back on accessibility optionsโ.
โHe added: โNYC has accrued capital in reserves, and we should send a message to the executive that it has to commit to restoring the lift.โ
โCouncillors also highlighted the importance of maintaining the lift in a town where tourism is of major economic importance and which โbenefits the rest of the countyโ.
โCllr Janet Jefferson said: โWe have to preserve our economy and employment.โ
โFormer chairman of the British Resorts Association, Cllr David Jeffels, said: โWe need to look at the wider picture.
โโI think a case can be made for making the Cliff Lift a heritage feature, where everyone can go, not just disabled people and the elderly. In Scarborough, we lost the cliff lift on the North Bay, and itโs still sorely missed decades later.โ
โA motion was passed recognising the importance of the historic heritage asset for Whitby and โrequesting that the executive looks again at the Cliff Lift with a view to repairing and reopening itโ.
โThe motion added that there was a โlack of information to support robust decision-makingโ and an up-to-date survey with robust costings and a business plan should be completed to โensure the valuable asset remains as a going concern for residents and visitors of Whitbyโ.
โNorth Yorkshire Councilโs executive committee is set to make a decision on the Cliff Liftโs future at a meeting on March 17.