Councillors back calls to save Whitbyβs βvitalβ Cliff Lift
βA motion calling on North Yorkshire Council bosses to urgently reconsider their plan to permanently shut Whitbyβs historic Cliff Lift in the interest of residents and visitors has been passed unanimously.
βAt a packed meeting on Monday (March 2) dozens of residents gathered at Whitby Pavilion and told councillors that the landmark lift βis not a luxury, itβs a necessityβ.
βββThe lift on Whitbyβs North Terrace, which opened in 1931, has been out of service since 2022 due to corrosion and water ingress, with βworst-caseβ repair costs estimated at Β£5.5 million.
βThe cost of the options to decommission the lift ranges from Β£199,000 to Β£538,000.
βCllr David Chance, who used to work at the Cliff Lift in 1964, said: βIt was always damp in the tunnel.
ββI think the Β£5 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.
ββIβm absolutely convinced that it should be repaired.β
βSpeaking at the meeting, a local resident said that the councilβs replacement bus service β the future of which is uncertain β was not adequate for elderly people and those with disabilities and asked: βHow is it right to deny many people with disabilities access to our beautiful Blue Flag beach?β
Chris Bourne, the councilβs 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.
βCllr Rich Maw said βwe cannot row back on accessibility optionsβ.
βHe added: βNYC has accrued capital in reserves, and we should send a message to the executive that it has to commit to restoring the lift.β
βCouncillors also highlighted the importance of maintaining the lift in a town where tourism is of major economic importance and which βbenefits the rest of the countyβ.
βCllr Janet Jefferson said: βWe have to preserve our economy and employment.β
βFormer chairman of the British Resorts Association, Cllr David Jeffels, said: βWe need to look at the wider picture.
ββI 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 itβs still sorely missed decades later.β
βA motion was passed recognising the importance of the historic heritage asset for Whitby and βrequesting that the executive looks again at the Cliff Lift with a view to repairing and reopening itβ.
βThe motion added that there was a βlack of information to support robust decision-makingβ and an up-to-date survey with robust costings and a business plan should be completed to βensure the valuable asset remains as a going concern for residents and visitors of Whitbyβ.
βNorth Yorkshire Councilβs executive committee is set to make a decision on the Cliff Liftβs future at a meeting on March 17.