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Eyesores are a
seafront blight
Scarborough Bathing station and chalets derelict and falling into further disrepair. Pictures by Richard Ponter
eyesores are blighting Scarborough’s South Bay and action is urgently needed, it has been claimed.
Richard Grunwell, of High Street, Scalby, said two sites in particular – the former Windmill site and the bathing station next to the Spa – had deteriorated over many years and something should be done. They give visitors the wrong impression of the resort, he says.
He said: “I could never understand why no-one was considering doing anything at the Windmill site. It just detracts from the seafront.”
Mr Grunwell said that the old bathing station next to the Spa had been neglected while the area around it had been improved. “It’s a really derelict area. We’ve had all this work done at the Spa and stuck in the middle of it is this derelict monstrosity.
“It gives a bad impression – it’s almost as if they’ve gone either side of it and forgotten all about it. There’s no logical reason I can see why it should be left like that. It needs to be included in whatever is done.
“Just to leave it as it is doesn’t make sense when they are trying to promote Scarborough’s beaches and tourism.”
Adrian Perry, the chairman of Scarborough and District Civic Society, said the group had been campaigning to get both sites improved.
He added: “Last year a planning proposal came forward for the Windmill which, on the surface, made it look as if they were going to tidy it up but it just became a parking space. They didn’t follow up the planning application and we were disappointed that it was a failure.”
He said the site of the bathing station, next to what was Children’s Corner, was another matter but he hoped the two Spa sites could be jointly developed. “It is an absolute disgrace,” he said.
“They were trying to market Children’s Corner with the chalets – they linked the two together. We’ve had a number of people come forward to say they want to do something with Children’s Corner.”
Mr Perry agreed that the bathing station was an eyesore and did present the wrong impression. He said: “It’s absolute poison. When people walk along the front they come back to us and say that it is a state and somebody ought to do something about it.”
Cllr David Jeffels, Scarborough Council’s tourism portfolio holder, said that the Windmill site was a development opportunity right in the heart of the seafront. He said: “But it is not without constraints because of the cliff behind it. Nevertheless it’d be good to see this site brought into economic use, to the benefit of the council and taxpayers, and at the same time enhance something of an eyesore.”
He added that it could be achieved in the short term by using a temporary building to provide a facility such as a tea shop. “That would be to everyone’s advantage.”
Cllr Jeffels said that the council was constantly looking at what could be done with the old bathing station and toilets by the Spa and it was in a “much loved area”.
He said: “It’d be good to think that it could be used to generate some much-needed income for the council.”
Cllr Janet Jefferson, the president of Scarborough Chamber of Trade and a member of the South Bay Traders, said that the bathing station had been up for redevelopment for a number of years and the Windmill site was a prime site for Scarborough – but a number of potential schemes had not come to fruition.
She added that the economic climate would need to improve before potential developers would be prepared to invest.
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Weather for Scarborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 20 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
Goingsplodgin
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 10:37 PMInteresting comments here and a very valid topic. One oustanding comment from *17* i walk along sandside every day and Sulmans is the by far the most unkept frontage . A lick of paint is all it needs - what a horrible advert for scarborough .
throxenbylad
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 07:55 PMBuildings do come to the end of their economic life, but the costs of demolition prevent that taking place, so they have to stand looking an eyesore. It was the same when Brunswick Terrace stood for years as an eyesore until the Brunswich Centre was built...and then the town got another eyesore! Planners eh?
CR
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 04:08 PMI was pleased to see that someone has raised the issue of eyesores in the town and inparticular the windmill site which has been vacant for far to long. When I was on the council I raised the subject of this eyesore on a number of occasions without getting any positive answers.I would like to see the council advertise this site for sale at a sensible price. I only hope the council will do something positive so we are not disscusing this eyesore again in three years.
Miss Tyfied
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:28 PMNo mention of a big eyesore in a prominent position on the sea front- SULMANS is disgusting . I was on the beach today and looked right along from the harbour bar up to the cliff lift and this building is letting the rest down badly.
I read the news today, oh boy
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 07:09 PM12 Interesting comment, how come no one from SBC or the SEN, or indeed any solicitor from Scalby, has the bottle to take this up with the Don? "We’ve had all this work done at the OAT and stuck in the middle of it are these derelict monstrosities"?
quakeroat
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 01:29 PMjust make it safe for children to wander around it and use it as a place to adventure in.
evildarren
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 01:02 PMSad :( Another one of the towns characteristic old buildings written of by our progressive council... Suppose they don't want the tat ruining the wonderful Spa! I mean what happened to the bar!! Instead now we have a "anywhereeverywhere" homogenised flat pack office.... RAGE!
oldboro
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 12:48 PMMany happy hours of my childhod with my Parents and Sibligs down there at childrens corner and in the chalets as well. Is there not an investor who would like them if the council of course would sell, so that they could be re-vamped?.
Sue Donim
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 12:06 PMWhilst on the North Side those pedestals installed by Don RObinson for the so called "SkyRide" remain in situ rusting away. Why not have these removed (or used) whilst all this stuff is on the agenda?
southcliff
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:11 AMWith nearly 3 million unemployed it should not be beyond the wit of man, or even this council, to get them and 50 tins of paint, go down there and spruce these places up in a couple of days?
baconroll
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:16 AM'Derelict and falling into further disrepair.' This sadly is SBC jargon for 'maintainance' and is typically seen all around our town. Many buildings and areas need attention before they throw more money away on councillors toys! The North Bay Pool site is disgusting - if I left a heap of caravans and old tyres on my land they would jump on me quickly enough to get them cleared.
Catcher in the Rye
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 07:47 PMI quite like the 'Mini Iraq' site on the old Northbay Atllantis, and, unlike the Council the guy operating it has shown some creative enterprise that looks like fun
Mr Do!
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 07:43 PMIts wonderful to know that SBC thinks so highly of the heritage of our town.
guesticulate
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 06:59 PMScarborough should realise that it is comprised of two different parts. There is the posh end , (the South Bay) and the rough end, (the North Bay). The sooner everyone realises this and accepts it , the better. Upon reaching this point we can then spend all the money on the South Bay , to improve it even more and just let the North Bay fall into disrepair and use it as a dump .
throxenbylad
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 06:41 PMThe tyre dump on the North Side gives visitors the wrong impression of the resort. Start with that!
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