The Coast Pays, the Mayor Decides Where It Goes
Visitors to Scarborough and Whitby would pay the tourist tax, but the mayor has ruled out ringfencing the money for the coast. Plus the farm fund that shut within six hours and three North Yorkshire hospices warning of cuts.
If a tourist tax comes in, visitors staying in Scarborough and Whitby will pay it, and the coast won't get a say in where the money goes. David Skaith told the Labour conference he's very confident a visitor levy will go ahead, and ruled out ringfencing the cash for the places that raise it. It would all go into one pot for York and North Yorkshire. Alison Hume, who'd asked for coastal money to stay on the coast, is gathering Scarborough and Whitby tourism leaders for a roundtable on it.
Farmers have already had a lesson in how these pots work. The Sustainable Farming Incentive opened on the morning of Tuesday 22 September and shut before 4 pm the same day, which was bad news for anyone planning to apply after a day's farming.
Closer to home, St Catherine's is one of three North Yorkshire hospices warning of cuts and possible closures. The NHS covers about £4m of the £11.2m their beds cost, and fundraising finds the rest. St Catherine's was offered an extra £51,519 this year, then had it taken back.
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📰 Scarborough Life
💷 Mayor 'Confident' on Tourism Levy. David Skaith says he's confident a visitor levy can go ahead, ruling out ringfencing cash for the areas that raise it. MP Alison Hume is holding a roundtable with Scarborough and Whitby tourism leaders to push back.
🌾 £253m Farm Fund Gone By Teatime. The Sustainable Farming Incentive opened at 10 am on 20 September and was fully allocated by 4 pm, prompting Scarborough and Whitby MP Alison Hume to apologise to farmers who missed out.
🎡 Scarborough Fair Runs Through Saturday. Rides and games fill William Street Coach Park through 3 October, with half-price rides on Thursday from 3 pm to 6 pm. New this year: the Ibiza Rocks ride makes its Scarborough debut.
🏥 North Yorkshire Hospices Warn of Cuts. Leaders at three North Yorkshire hospices say an unsustainable funding crisis has led to redundancies, with £7.2m a year needed just to keep existing beds open. Councillors hear the warning Friday.
🅿️ Whitby Mayor Warns on Parking Squeeze. Councillor Sandra Turner says life in Whitby is already hard for residents amid council talk of more parking meters and fewer resident discs. Officials say no decisions have been made - the plan is still at an early stage.
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🎃 Halloween Disco at the Flyer. Hot dogs, fries and a spooky disco await at Scarborough Flyer on Thursday 29 October, 5 pm to 6.30 pm, £5 a child. Booking essential.
🏛️ Loft Seating Planned for Abbey Wharf. New plans would turn unused loft space above the harbourside restaurant into extra seating. A similar bid for a roof terrace was rejected here three years ago; this one has no step-free access.
🌊 Alpamare's Fate Finally Settled. A preferred bidder has been chosen to take over the water park, with an early 2027 reopening planned. Flamingo Land keeps running it until its lease expires at the end of October.
👹 Krampus Run Returns to Whitby. The folklore beast and his bell-clattering entourage hit the streets on 4 December for what's grown into one of the UK's largest Krampus events since starting as a small gathering in 2013.
⛺ Eight Glamping Pods Planned Near Filey. The Honeypot Inn in Speeton wants to add prefabricated pods to a field next to its existing caravan-club site. The parish council has no objections; no decision date has been set.
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🏺 Whitby Pair Turn Mudflats Into Mosaics. John Fuller and Hayden Costello comb the River Esk's low-tide mud for discarded pottery shards, some 400 years old, turning them into jewellery under the name Esk and Tide. One find: a pilgrim's token nearly as old as the abbey.
🎃 Baxtergate Dresses Up for Halloween. Whitby's high street is decking out shopfronts for Halloween and Goth Weekend throughout October, including a Dine with Dracula afternoon tea on 31 October. The Christmas market takes over from 13 November.
🚡 Council Votes to Demand Cliff Lift Answers. Scarborough Town Council has formally written to North Yorkshire Council demanding timescales and a shuttle bus. One zero-hours employee has gone unpaid throughout the closure.
🏗️ Whitby Builder Liquidates Owing £200k. P.M Straw (Builders), trading since 2002, entered voluntary liquidation in August. Seven staff are owed roughly £14,000 in wages, with unsecured creditors facing a £128,400 shortfall.
💦 Late-Season Splashes at Warrior Aqua Park. Extra weekend sessions have been added at North Yorkshire Water Park while the warm weather holds, £10 a head. Spaces are limited.
🏘️ Second-Home Tax Faces Ombudsman Threat. Filey-founded campaign group SHOUT says it has grounds to allege maladministration in how the council brought in its 100 per cent second-homes premium. The levy has already raised £20m for a dedicated housing fund.
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📺 Doctor Who Special Hits the Big Screen. The SJT is screening a cinematic edit of David Tennant's "The Impossible Planet" and "The Satan Pit".
🏘️ Councillors Want Grip on HMOs. Scarborough councillors want planning permission required for HMO conversions.
🚡 Cliff Lift Staff Feel Forgotten. Employees at the shut-down Spa Cliff Lift say they've been left in limbo since August.
🎸Events, Activities & Live Music
We keep it short here - head to our EVENTS PAGE for links and future events.
Thursday, 1 October
09:45 🎳 Social Bowls - Alexandra Community Centre, Scarborough
10:15 🎨 Crossgates Art Club - Crossgates Community Centre, Scarborough
13:30 🎭 The Trial of Romeo Oscar - Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
18:30 🎨 Evening Art Session - Robin Hood's Bay Studio & Gallery
19:00 🧠 Quiz Night - Brew & Bao, Scarborough
19:30 👻 Psychic Night - Scarborough Rugby Union Football Club, Scalby
19:30 🎭 The Trial of Romeo Oscar - Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
19:30 😂 Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf - Scarborough Spa
20:00 🎶 An Evening With… Alastair James - The Crescent Lounge, Scarborough
20:00 🧠 Quiz Night - The Tunny Catch, Scarborough
20:00 🧠 Big Quiz with Growler - The Crown Tavern, Scarborough
20:30 🧠 Quiz Night- Highlander Hotel, Scarborough
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Friday, 2 October
09:00 🛍️ Filey Outdoor Market - Filey Bandstand
09:45 🎳 Social Bowls - Alexandra Community Centre, Scarborough
10:00 💃 Easy Sequence Dancing - Cayton Village Hall
13:00 🧵 SEWcial Sewing & Textile - Stitched by the Beach, Scarborough
18:00 💃 Line Dancing - Alexandra Community Centre, Scarborough
18:30 🍺 Temperance Hall Friday - Nags Head, Scalby
19:00 🛼 Social Skate Roller Disco - YMCA, Scarborough
19:00 🎳 Social Bowls - Alexandra Community Centre, Scarborough
19:00 💃 Line Dance Party - Gristhorpe & Lebberston Village Hall
19:30 🎭 The Trial of Romeo Oscar - Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
19:30 🎶 Sing for Gaza - Scarborough Railway Men's Club
19:30 🎭 Sh!t-faced Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet - Scarborough Spa
20:30 🎤 Open Mic Night - The Crescent Lounge, Scarborough
21:00 🎶 Live Music Night - The Merchant Irish Bar, Scarborough
22:00 🎶 Live Music - The Echoes - Scarborough Flyer
22:00 🎶 Live @ Chaplins Bar - Chaplins Bar, Scarborough
Saturday, 3 October
09:00 🏃 Scarborough Woodlands Parkrun - Graffiti Bridge, Scarborough
11:30 🧘 Yogalates - Alexandra Community Centre, Scarborough
14:30 🎭 The Trial of Romeo Oscar - Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
19:00 💃 Easy Sequence Dancing - Cayton Village Hall
19:00 🎶 A Different Thread: Live - Old Parcels Office Artspace, Scarborough
19:30 🎭 The Trial of Romeo Oscar - Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
19:30 🎶 Oh What a Night! - Whitby Pavilion
21:00 🎶 Live Music Night - The Merchant Irish Bar, Scarborough
Sunday, 4 October
08:00 🚶 The Cinder Track Sponsored Walk - Sainsbury's, Scarborough
16:00 🎤 Under 20s Open Mic - The Crescent Lounge, Scarborough
17:00 🎯 Sunday Socials - Haddock Hideaway, Scarborough
19:30 😂 Dom Joly Trigger Happy TV - Scarborough Spa
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👋 That’s All For Now 🎬
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Sue | Editor | The Scarborough Insider
