Whitby Harbour Dispute Headed to High Court for Three-Day Hearing

The Whitby Harbour dispute is set to escalate as it heads to the high court next month. After years of legal and financial challenges, the Leeds District Registry of the High Court will hear the case starting on Monday, March 4, in a three-day hearing confirmed by North Yorkshire Council.

The dispute revolves around a group called Fight4Whitby, who claim that the council has taken more money from Whitby Harbour than they have invested back into it. Fight4Whitby initiated legal action in 2016 using an old law from 1905, the Whitby Urban District Council Act, which stipulates that funds generated from Whitby Harbour must be reinvested into the harbor.

The ongoing disagreement has led to the delay in the signing off of the former Scarborough Borough Council’s financial accounts for several years. The unresolved financial records from 2015/16 are still pending verification, causing concern over the impact on the new North Yorkshire Council, which inherited the financial issues from the previous councils.

Coun Cliff Lunn, who heads the audit committee, expressed the challenges faced due to the legal disputes over harbors and parking, preventing the committee from receiving financial statements from Scarborough Council for many years.

Despite the approval of the budget for 2024-25 by North Yorkshire Council in a recent meeting, the unresolved accounts from Scarborough Council were not addressed, raising further questions about the financial stability of the new council.

Additionally, an objection has been raised regarding Scarborough Harbour, mirroring the concerns raised about Whitby Harbour, according to a council officer citing historic local legislation related to the treatment of income from Scarborough Harbour.

As the Whitby Harbour dispute heads to the high court, the outcome of the case could have significant implications for the financial management of the councils involved and the future of the harbors in question. Stay tuned for updates on this developing legal battle.