Victorian beach to get £1.5m for sea wall repairs

The funding will include repairs to almost 1,445ft (440m) of frontage in Scarborough

A Victorian beach in North Yorkshire will receive £1.5 million for urgent repairs to its sea wall.

North Yorkshire Council accepted the grant for Scarborough’s North Bay from the Environment Agency at its executive committee meeting on Tuesday.

The funding will include repairs to almost 1,445ft (440m) of frontage along the bay which, without investment, is “at risk of failing”.

Councillors unanimously approved the funding to help “sustain the vital coastal defences".

The council said in the meeting that more than 500 residential, tourist, and commercial properties would be at risk within five years if the wall fell.

The age of the original sea defence structure dates to 1890 and repairs and additions have been made to various sections in the 1920s, 1950s, 1970s, and 2010s.

The sea wall stretches 1.2 miles (2km) from Clarence Gardens to the North Bay Cliffs.

It consists of a variety of “concrete and masonry near-vertical seawalls of fluctuating heights”, as well as an assortment of steps and slipways.

The council added the length of the wall is “in a variable condition”, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

It went on to say it would procure a specialist consultant to design and project manage the works by November.

A contractor will then be chosen to undertake the works to be delivered by October 2026, in line with the grant deadlines.

The proposal is fully grant-funded by the Environment Agency and includes a “significant risk contingency allowance” of £444,000.

A report said approval would help avoid associated tourism losses, and protect the main road link between North and South Bays and important utility infrastructure.

It was noted in the meeting that the total project cost of £1.5m was an “early estimate” and is subject to confirmation by the contractor, which has not yet been appointed.