Concerns raised over storm impact on pier project

Concerns have been raised about plans to redevelop Scarborough's West Pier over fears around the potential impact of high tides and stormy weather.

The £20m scheme includes plans for a building at the end of the pier to house four retail kiosks, public toilets, a store, welfare facilities and an electricity substation.

Critics are worried the high risk of flooding and strength of the waves could cause damage to the buildings, with one describing it as a " totally ridiculous" location.

North Yorkshire Council planners have said the sub-station proposal was a "reasonable proposition".

Branding the plans "a totally ridiculous location to consider siting a new electrical substation", Guy Smith, a former Scarborough Borough Council councillor and member of the United Scarborough residents' group, shared a video of the pier being battered by waves and strong winds.

"The video shows the sea drenching the RNLI station, and the combination of electricity, water and boat fuel in a building adjacent, do not make very good companions," he said.

"These patterns of higher seas are becoming more frequent in my opinion and the video shows the strength of the flow, potentially causing damage to property."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, in a report presented at a meeting last year, officers noted that "the development would provide wider sustainability benefits to the community to outweigh the flood risk" and it would "be safe for its lifetime".

They added that there was already a sub-station on the pier providing a power supply for its users and that this apparatus was "essential".

The project has faced opposition from residents and local activists over fears that working fishermen and other maritime industries are being overlooked in favour of tourism.

A decision on the plans was postponed last year after members of the strategic planning committee said they wanted more details about economic impacts and drawbacks.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.