Grade-II listed Victorian seaside shelter at risk of collapsing at any moment to be restored

The shelter to the rear of Scarborough Spa in the town’s South Bay was designed by noted architect Frank Tugwell in 1897 and gave panoramic views of the bay.

The structure, which sits within the South Cliff Gardens, was Grade II Listed last year but recent inspections have found that the structure is starting to show its age.

Scarborough Council’s planning committee today approved listed building consent to restore and preserve the shelter.

A survey of the shelter found “extensive structural deficiencies” and noted that the building was now leaning towards the sea as the existing columns could not cope with the weight of the roof.

However, Stephen Gandolfi, the council’s conservation officer, told the planning committee that the condition of the shelter had deteriorated even further in recent months.

He said: “The current condition has worsened since the submission of the application and I have been informed by the applicant’s structural engineer that the building is at risk of collapse should any severe weather happen shortly.”

He said that scaffolding had been erected around the structure so that work could begin as soon as possible.

A number of repairs and changes are proposed, including work to be carried out on the roof, steel support beams to be added, exterior benches to be returned to the site, brickwork and joinery repairs, new guttering and the entrance up to the structure is to be widened to allow for wheelchair access to the shelter.

The committee unanimously approved the works with Cllr Glenn Goodberry saying: “It is a wonderful old heritage building and we need to preserve it for future generations.”

The repairs will be carried out as part of the £7 million Lottery-funded South Cliff Gardens project which will also include the re-opening of a long-forgotten tunnel beneath the South Cliff Lift as well as work on paths and surfaces to improve drainage and accessibility.

Other works to be undertaken will see a community hub created, a putting green restored, a new play area and toilets installed, the restoration of the Italian Gardens and much more.

The council was successfully awarded a grant of £4,665,700 towards the cost of the project by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Community Fund as part of its Parks for People joint initiative, and has itself contributed £2,041,000.