Scarborough's Victorian sea wall to get £1.5m for 'urgent' repairs

A council has been granted £1.5 million for urgent sea wall repairs amid warnings that more than 500 properties could be at risk within five years if the structure fell.

The funding from the Environment Agency will allow North Yorkshire Council to proceed with a project to repair the Victorian-era wall in Scarborough.

The original sea defence structure dates back to 1890 but improvements have been made up until the 2010s.

The funding will allow for urgent repairs along 440 metres of the frontage of the North Bay, which, without investment, is “at risk of failing”.

The sea wall stretches 2km from Clarence Gardens to the North Bay Cliffs.

North Yorkshire Council said the length of the wall is “in a variable condition”.

There are 240 residential properties, 137 commercial properties including several tourist amenities, and 136 beach chalets at risk of coastal erosion within five years should the walls fail.

Councillors unanimously approved the major grant and plan at a meeting of the authority's executive committee on 28 May.

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

The authority said it would procure a specialist consultant to design the project by November before a contractor is chosen by October 2026.

The proposal is fully grant-funded by the Environment Agency and it was noted that the total project cost is an “early estimate”.

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