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Visit to Scarborough
Cleethorpes Town Team Visit to Scarborough - 9 December 2009
As part of the "Renaissance process, consultants John Thompson & Partners and Yorkshire Forward invited members of Cleethorpes Town Team to see examples of a successful project at Scarborough. Unfortunately, due a number of logistical circumstances, not all members of the team were able to attend, but this short report will hopefully give Civic Society members an insight into what went on.
At Scarborough Foreshore, Renaissance Manager Nick Taylor outlined some of the improvements which had been made to the area. The harbourside had been made more picturesque by removing galvanised railings which obscured the view, cleaning up the area, and attracting boat-owners to moor up. Opposite the foreshore, new York stone paving and down-lighting was put in to make the area more attractive to pedestrians and wheelchair users (the area had previously been a no-man's-land, with unofficial car-parking taking place).
Jane, the owner of the Waterfront cafe provided refreshments and explained how businesses had changed to take advantage of the re-development. Where once, businesses concentrated on making a one-off profit from customers and closed down for the winter, they now opened year round offering a good quality product at reasonable prices. This encouraged "local tourism", with customers travelling from as far as Bridlington because they knew that Scarborough was open.
The local authority had actively sought a commercial enterprise, the Ask restaurant chain, to develop a new venue on the harbourside, with its top floor offering a stunning view. No public funds were used to develop this site, although it delivers an undeniable benefit to the area.
Other developments included a skateboard/bike park on Marine Drive, an award-winning light railway run by Dave and Lesley Humphries, and Trafalgar Square - where the local community had been encouraged to rejuvenate the area and reduce effects of anti-social behaviour.
Nick Taylor gave a short presentation in the Renaissance Shop, outlined the structure of the Town Team and the methods by which it turned aspirations into realities. Having drawn up a public "wish list" for the harbour area, the team managed to identify those wishes which were deliverable in the short and medium term, and those for which obstacles were insurmountable - for instance, although it was thought desirable to have a footbridge making it possible to walk the entire circumference of the harbour, it was pointed out that the harbour is considered a "safe haven" for vessels in peril, and it would need Ministerial approval to bridge off the harbour. On the other hand, much work has been done to dredge and clean up the water quality, making the area more attractive to surfers.
Other sites of interest included The Rotunda, the William Smith Museum of Geology, which re-opened in May 2008 after a £4.4 million redesign sponsored by the Heritage Lottery Fund and private donations. Entering the Rotunda, either by the glass lift shaft or spiral staircase is a stunning experience - with curved glass cases holding artefacts, a circular map of the geologic coast and a kaleidoscopic glass roof it is literally difficult to know where to look first.
The Woodend Creative workspace is a £4.8 million re-working of the former Natural History Museum, now providing workspaces for artists and companies in the creative sector. On the other end of the scale; in a much less costly re-imagining of a winding cobbled street leading down to the beach, a local gallery owner had encouraged artists to decorate the walls of derelict buildings. Not so much graffiti as a free open air gallery (and no doubt a welcome excuse to stop and pause on a very steep street).
In six hours, only an overview could be provided. Some members of the team found the tour lacking in background detail, with questions left unanswered. On a positive note, the tour demonstrated that the Renaissance Process could deliver practical results and gave an insight into how Scarborough had achieved its objectives.
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