Search for Donkeys in Scarborough Borough

Tuesday, 26 July 2022 16:06

By Matthew Pells

An appeal has begun to find someone to run donkey rides in three towns on the North Yorkshire coast.

Over the years, the animals have been a regular feature on the beaches of Filey, Whitby and Scarborough and are almost as iconic as buckets, spades and ice cream.

Now the borough council is inviting bids from donkey owners to offer rides at the following locations:

Cobble Landing, Crescent Hill and Royal Parade in Filey
Battery Parade in Whitby
North Bay and South Bay in Scarborough

Operators will be expected to offer rides between Easter and September each year but there is scope for them to trade during the winter months with restricted hours.

Firms must have public liability insurance in place to minimum value of £5 million.

Everyone involved in providing the donkey rides will be required to have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check in place.

The council is also looking for help with another staple of the seaside … the deckchair. Two hire concessions are on offer in Filey at Cobble Landing (200 chairs) and at Royal Parade (100 chairs).

All the chairs are provided for the operator but they will be expected to maintain them and carry out any necessary repairs. There is a pay booth and storage at each location. The operator will be expected to offer the deckchairs for hire between May and September each year.

The council says it is open to approaches from all interested parties and is keen to ensure donkey rides and chair hire is on offer rather than making money from each concession. Expressions of interest should be sent via email to estates@scarborough.gov.uk

Councillor Jim Grieve, cabinet member with responsibility for tourism, said:

“The idea of a seaside resort was conceived on the North Yorkshire coast.

“For some people a visit to Filey, Whitby or Scarborough isn’t complete without a donkey ride or soaking up the sunshine from the comfort of a deckchair with sand between their toes.

“While our towns and villages offer much more than just beaches, we are keen to offer an authentic seaside experience for visitors who want that.

“We’d like to hear from anyone interested in running the concessions on offer.”