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Scarborough Town Council Plans Set to Move Forwards

Tuesday, 22 October 2024 06:00

By Anttoni James Numminen, Local Democracy Reporter

Scarborough’s Charter Trustees have been asked to approve plans for the creation of a new town council which will also see their roles abolished.

The Charter Trustees for the town’s unparished areas will discuss the plans and actions that need to be taken before Scarborough Town Council is created next spring.

The trustees, who have been responsible for maintaining ceremonial duties in the town, will see their roles abolished ahead of the creation of the new body on April 1, 2025 while the first elections will take place on May 1.

Implementation work will include hiring an interim parish clerk and responsible financial officer, as well as creating a budget.

However, the new town councillors will not be paid.

As part of the reorganisation, the property that was managed by the charter trustees – who represent the town’s unparished areas on North Yorkshire Council – will have to hand it over to the new town council.

A report prepared for a meeting on Friday, October 25, states: “Ceremonial and historical property which formed the civic collection belonging to Scarborough Borough Council was required to be transferred to the Charter Trustees on their creation on 1 April 2023.

“All such property is now required to be transferred to a new town council.

“This includes mayoral regalia, silver and plate and items of historical interest. A schedule of all the items forming the civic collection will be appended to the Reorganisation Order.”

It follows a U-turn by the council this summer after councillors decided to approve a five-ward system for Scarborough Town Council, with three elected members in each after residents said they opposed the authority’s plan for 15 single-member wards.

Approval of the town council plan came after several years of planning, delays, and more than £90,000 worth of consultations.

Last summer, the leader of North Yorkshire Council, Coun Carl Les, said he was “not minded to re-charge” Scarborough Town Council for the first elections as it is outside of the electoral cycle.

It has also been proposed that the Charter Trustees – except the member for Eastfield division which falls outside the geography of the new town council – be treated as a “shadow council”.

While they would have no formal powers, they could act as a consultative body to inform decisions made regarding the reorganisation and implementation of the plans.

The Charter Trustees meeting will be held at Scarborough Town Hall on Friday, October 25, at 10am, and members of the public are invited to attend.

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