Support the campaign to save Whitby harbour!
Monday 18th March
The campaign about parking and other revenue from Whitby’s harbour land is very much in the news at the moment as it has reached the High Court in London. This is a costly process and Fight4Whitby has launched a CrowdJustice page http://www.crowdjustice.com/case/fight-for-whitby where people can donate to support our case to hold the local authority to account for their failure to adequately fund the maintenance of the harbour in Whitby.
What’s happened?
A local government Act requires all revenue generated on Whitby harbour land to be ring-fenced for maintaining the harbour. When Scarborough Borough Council took over in 1974, the terms of this Act fell on them. Income from Whitby harbour appeared to have been reserved for harbour use until some point between 2001 and 2005 when it stopped.
Why should you care?
Since this time, money generated on harbour land has been spent across the Borough with income from car parks alone on Whitby harbour land in excess of £1m per year. If ring-fencing had been maintained the money would be there to help fund urgent repairs and maintenance to Whitby harbour now and in the future.
A failure of the harbour structures could lead to increased flooding, and/or closing the harbour, and the consequences of which would include a risk to life and property as well as a detrimental effect on tourism, businesses and the environment.
We need your help
Since 2016 Whitby resident Sue Boyce, supported by Fight4Whitby, has been funding a legal case to bring the money made in Whitby back to the town. Sue has used her own savings as well as local donations but now we need your help to continue to fund this case.
The Whitby harbour case is, at long last, due to be resolved having been heard by the High Court in March 2024 and now awaiting a decision by the Judge. The Court will determine the extent of harbour land and whether the 1905 Act has been properly applied. If the Act has been incorrectly applied, it will decide how much money should be returned to the harbour reserves.
What we’re asking you to do
• Donate to help fund our case.
•
Like and share our CrowdJustice page link via social media.
• Spread the word with everyone you know.
More information about the Fight for Whitby campaign can be found via the following link:
www.whitbycommunitynetwork.org/harbour/
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