Motion Urges Whitby Town Council to ‘Withdraw Support’ for £10m Maritime Hub

A motion urging Whitby Town Council to withdraw its support for the town’s £10m Maritime Hub will be discussed by councillors on Tuesday.

Two members of Whitby Town Council have put forward a motion which could see the authority withdraw its support for the Maritime Hub which is being developed with Government funding.

Coun Jacqui Layman and Coun Steve Smith said:

“In light of the public opposition, the lack of commercial interest in, and North Yorkshire Council’s continued inability to provide a viable business plan for the proposed Maritime Hub, Whitby Town Council withdraw its support for this project.”

The motion will be heard at a full meeting of the town council on Tuesday (Jan 28) and comes a week after NYC’s executive committee approved a construction contract for the multimillion-pound Maritime Hub despite objections and requests that the money be spent elsewhere.

Council leaders supported pushing ahead with the plan due to the risk of rising costs associated with delays as well as facing a deadline from the Government in order to avoid having to return the funding.

The motion by the two town councillors adds:

“Although in full support of improved training and job opportunities for Whitby, and in particular those that offer economic diversification, [WTC] urges North Yorkshire Council to seek a more practical and less divisive location”.

Speaking when the contract was approved, Coun Mark Crane, the authority’s executive member for open to business said:

“In my opinion, this is a good news story for the people of Whitby.

“Around 30,000 people and businesses were consulted and this project is strongly supported by the vast majority of people who live and work in Whitby, and both Whitby councillors are supportive.”

In a submission alongside the motion, Councillors Layman and Smith have suggested that

“public opposition to the proposal can be evidenced by the fact that of the 59 comments submitted to the NYC planning portal, just six were in support of it”.

They also highlighted a “lack of commercial interest and a viable business plan”.

While a recent council report noted that “no tenants[have been] secured at this stage”, the authority said it had received “strong interest” from possible tenants and was eager to move ahead with the 13-month construction stage.

The Maritime Hub is set to house workshop spaces, a lobster hatchery and marine tanks and would also be used as a training space for people interested in working in the fishing industry.

North Yorkshire Council said the hub would “open doors to new economic growth”.

In a response prepared for tonights meeting, North Yorkshire Council said:

"In recent months, renewed extensive activity has taken place by the Council to secure tenants for the Whitby Maritime Training Hub. This activity has proved effective, and meetings and discussions with a range of interested tenants in both training and enterprise for the building have taken place, and a number of Expressions of Interest have been received. Promotional activity and conversations with potential tenants will continue throughout the construction period.

The Council has agreed Head of Terms with an external tenant for the facility and several others are engaged in negotiations with the Council’s Property service. The Harbourmaster will also take space within the building.

There is an acknowledgement that a subsidy will be required from the Council for the facility until it reaches the required occupancy level for it to be sustainable. Senior Management within the Council are fully appraised of the situation and associated risks. Considering the risks, the required level of subsidy and the benefits that the project will bring, the decision was formally taken by the Council’s Executive on 21 st January 2025 to proceed into the construction contract for the project."

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