Britain's oldest funicular cliff lift 'can’t be allowed to go the same way as Whitby'

Adrian Perry from Scarborough Civic Society is among those worried that the lift, which closed indefinitely last Friday, after safety concerns were raised, could suffer the same fate as Whitby's. It is also owned by North Yorkshire Council, and has been shut for around six years.

Although it may look to some a novelty tourist attraction, for many old and disabled people, it is the only way to travel from their homes or hotels on South Cliff to the beach without spending money on a taxi.

Whitby's lift was originally judged too expensive to repair after the bill was put at £5m - a figure some people felt lacked credibility - but following local opposition the council is now re-examining the costs.

Mr Perry said: "It's terrible really, people are very dependent on having that means of getting down to the Spa. The music down there is followed by a lot of older people, who don't want to do mountaineering.

"When you make a comparison between the South Bay cliff lift and the Central Tramway cliff lift which is run by a private company, it is like chalk and cheese. The Central gives a clear impression of an organisation that's very proud of it and maintains it to a very high standard.

"The South Bay cliff lift looks neglected. I don't think North Yorkshire Council thinks of it as an asset just as a liability.

"They seem to have a track record of just identifying a problem and not coming up with a solution. That's what they did in Whitby. They said it was going to cost £5m and they don't think it's worth doing. I hope they are not going to do the same sort of thing with the cliff lift in South Bay.

"It is very, very important."

Calls have been made for a shuttle bus service by Scarborough councillor Rich Maw so people can get to the beach and enjoy the shows at The Spa.

North Yorkshire Council said last week that the lift had been closed due to a number of issues with its infrastructure and critical components, following an independent assessment by specialist engineers.

Councillor Maw said if the repairs turned out to be outside the maintenance budget, the Executive might have to sign off the costs.

He said: "We can't allow this to rot and fester on the clifftop.

"We can't allow another Whitby. It's a jewel in the crown and one of the most single important pieces of infrastructure in South Bay."

Whitby Mayor Sandra Turner said the report into their lift wasn't yet complete, but she’s hopeful there had been a change of mind.

The lift was used a lot, she says, by people going to their beach huts, many of whom are locals and there's been a few instances where people had toppled over in mobility scooters on the zigzag paths going up the cliff. She said: "The last estimate was a figure plucked out of the sky of £5m, which is why we are waiting for a more accurate report."

Last week NYC’s leader Carl Les said they "recognise the affection people have for this landmark attraction”. They are reviewing the findings of the assessment and no decisions have been made.