Thursday 12th December 2024,
North Yorks Enquirer

NYC: Snakes & Ladders

NYC: Snakes & Ladders

  • – an “In My View” article by NIGEL WARD, reporting on a discernible improvement in communications between Whitby residents and North Yorkshire Council’s Corporate Director of Environment (inc. Harbours), Mr Karl BATTERSBY. Top marks! (Well . . . almost!).

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I will not spare too many words reminding readers of the outstanding cultural and historical character of Whitby Harbour, beyond the most passing reference to Capt. James COOK and the SCORESBYs, father and son.

The Harbour, as we know, is protected by the ancient West and East Piers (Grade II Listed structures) and their respective Extensions.

We have known, for some time, that there are snakes (of one sort or another) in Whitby Harbour – aye, and ladders; the latter, alas, for far too long unfit for purpose.

I was unsurprised, therefore, towards the end of October, to receive messages of grave concern from Harbour-users to the effect that the ‘safety’ ladders on the in-Harbour side of the East Pier (ancient wooden structures rotted to such degree that the first 8-10 rungs above low-water level had entirely disappeared due to decades of negligence on the part of Scarborough Borough Council – predecessor authority to North Yorkshire Council) had been replaced by modern stainless steel ladders with apparent disregard for any attempt at the retention of the cultural maritime heritage of the Harbour.

So, on 30th October 2024, I emailed NYC’s Corporate Director of Environment (inc. Harbours), Mr Karl BATTERSBY (pictured below), passing on Harbour-users’ concerns – not by way of a Complaint; rather as a helpful ‘heads up’ to the Council to the effect that it may have overlooked Planning regulations that specify ‘like-for-like’ replacement on Grade II Listed structures (in much the same that they do in relation to replacement windows for old cottages, chapels, etc). Fair enough. This respect for traditional values makes Whitby what it is and, safety issues aside, attracts over a million visitors a year to our unique town and port.

On the subject of respect, I deliberately skipped over NYC Harbours Manager Mr Chris BOURNE precisely because he has been so disrespectful to me in the past.

Mr BATTERSBY was lightning-quick to respond, assuring me that he would look into the matter and get back to me.

Unfortunately, by 11th November 2024, I had heard nothing further. Frankly, I would have expected the Corporate Director of Environment (inc. Harbours) to have sufficient knowledge at his fingertips to respond more quickly. So I emailed him a gentle reminder which included the following URL-link and a quote from the Historic England Advice:

The exact wording of the Advice from Historic England is:

“If carrying out a repair or renewal to a listed building would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, then listed building consent will be required. Many repairs will not affect the character of the building. However, it is not true that repairs using like-for-like materials will never require consent as such repairs still may affect the special interest in the building. The removed materials may, for example, hold historic interest.”

[My emphasis, in bold text]

The rotten wooden ladders – recessed into the original stonework channels of the main fabric of the East Pier – could hardly be said to hold zero “historic interest”. Harbour-users felt (in my view, quite rightly) that ‘like-for-like’ hardwood ladders let into the original stonework channels would have fulfilled the letter and the spirit of the Planning regulations far more appropriately.

But it turns out that all will be well. Hopefully.

On 13th November 2024, Mr BATTERSBY informed me that:

“…whilst the matter is not clear cut, we propose to submit a retrospective application for listed building consent to regularise the matter.”

[My emphases, in bold text]

So it would appear that Harbour-users’ concerns were well-founded all along – the Council had been in error (at what cost?) and, thanks to public intervention, is now to “regularise the matter” – though, from a personal point of view, I would prefer to see ladders in the traditional style made from an appropriate hardwood and set into the stone, as per the originals.

Nevertheless, I thanked Mr BATTERSBY for his exemplary service, reminding him that I had at no stage made a Complaint, merely expressed a serious public concern with a view to assisting him in the matter of fulfilling the Council’s legal responsibilities in a manner respecting Whitby’s cultural and historic heritage. And I added that a word of thanks would not have gone amiss.

To his eternal credit, Mr BATTERSBY responded most graciously, if briefly, in the following words:

Thank you for your email Mr Ward and for raising the issue.

Regards.

Karl Battersby

(Full email trail PDF embedded, below Mr BATTERSBY’s photo)

Download the PDF file BATTERSBY_EMAILS.

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