Whitby zip wire plans 'awful' amid fears resort may 'turn into Blackpool'

The two zip lines have been proposed to take thrillseekers from the Whitby Pavilion car park down to the lighthouse on West Pier

Plans to install two 300m zip wires in Whitby have been dubbed as "a crass idea" with fears the resort could turn into "Blackpool".

The zip lines have been proposed between the Pavilion down to the West Pier lighthouse by an events firm.

But the Whitby and District Tourism Association said the "awful idea" was "totally out of keeping" with the resort's image.

A planning application has not yet been submitted.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the Barnsley-based company, Big Bang Promotions, said the zip lines would be a "pop up" attraction for the summer between 23 June and 5 September, which would boost the local visitor economy, "create local jobs and provide educational workshops".

Managing director Jon Snape confirmed it was in the "very early stages" of discussions with Scarborough Borough Council.

'We are not Blackpool'

But it has been met by fierce opposition including the Whitby Town Council, which has voted unanimously to object to the proposal.

John Freeman, the association's chairman, said: "I find it amazing that anyone could even think of such a crass idea.

"It is totally out of keeping with the image Whitby wishes to project. We are not Blackpool or Scarborough and certainly do not want to go down that road."

Whitby councillor Garath Jackson said the fixture "would have a detrimental effect on buildings and the landscape".

"The issues are around parking and crowds, the issues around landing on the pier does not sit right and it is not the type of tourist attraction that we want in Whitby.

"It would not improve the lives of people in Whitby," he added.

Scarborough Borough Council said it was involved in talks but "a decision on whether to consider the proposal further" had not been made.