Scarborough Borough Council’s Steve Hollingworth visited Whitby Town Council and told us of an untenable situation which led the borough to deny funds toward its continuation.

I (then a Whitby Town councillor) immediately suspected an ulterior motive, the motive being to prepare the way for a housing development and to deny the people of the area a much-needed facility.

Any new housing will be handed over to social landlords who are obliged to house certain categories of people who are not what we would call ‘Whitby’ people.

After the so-called triumph regarding California Beck and the demise of the Green Lane Play Centre it transpires that Regeneration Funds have been misspent in order to pave the way for an unwanted housing development.

Note the metalled path between Spital Bridge and the Helredale Play Centre.

Scarborough Borough Council, with the help of Whitby Town Council, has deprived the people of Whitby any chance of a fair consultation.

How many people remember the Whitby Town Council fiasco where I was accused of being drunk when I tabled agenda items to discuss Housing and Spital Vale?

As a result the items were not discussed and effectively hushed up.

This shows the power SBC has over our own town council.

The borough will now pretend to consult with every intention of ignoring us.

Tom Brown, Boulby Bank Top, Whitby