A Letter to the Editor from Ian DIXON of Whitby, a keen follower of local government affairs, who writes to express his support for Councillor Rob BARNETT’s call for the abolition of Scarborough Borough Council and the establishment of a Unitary Authority for North Yorkshire.
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Sir,
Over my lifetime, I have seen how massively things have changed in Whitby, mostly not for the betterment of the indigenous population.
The town is hailed in the press and media as a top tourist destination, a ‘must’ place to visit.
Unfortunately, this has had a detrimental effect on the prospects for locals in the terms of financial opportunities, housing and amenities.
We have more houses being built every year – hundreds – but, actually, the population number hasn’t changed much in the last 50 years.
What has happened is that any property coming on the market, it is snatched up by rich speculators, eager to invest in the ‘Whitby Boom’ Industry – Holiday Houses!
Locals on minimum wages have no chance of getting on the property ladder anymore.The so called ‘Tourism Boom’ means mainly minimum wage jobs, seasonal and ad hoc employment.
A few in Whitby are making a fortune while the majority get the crumbs.
The town has virtually no hospital, part time Police cover, poor communication links and, basically, a total lack of funding and investment for the town.
The town is expanding while the services are contracting.
If you live in Whitby, you have to put up with three tiers of councils who care not for locals or their views, only for their own interests.
There are still some lights for locals though, with centres such as The Helredale Centre, we need more hubs like Helredale and the funding to help them.
Lisa and the team at Helredale Centre do a fantastic job for the local community, on very limited funds – forgotten heroes!
The main problem in Whitby is that the residents are ignored and treated with contempt.
It is time to get rid of the three tiers of councils, NYCC, SBC and WTC. Let’s have one Authority who can look after the people of North Yorkshire properly.
One Authority would be able to look after everything and do away with the confusion and waste we have to pay for through our Council Tax Bill.
It’s time for change!
Kind regards
Ian Dixon
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