Business leaders looks forward to ‘new era of prosperity’ for jobs blackspot

The proposed mine is seen as key to helping counter the area’s reliance on the often poorly paid tourism sector as well as the blight of long-term unemployment and a lack of job opportunities.

The Eastfield district on the outskirts of Scarborough, for instance, ranks among the top 10 per cent of the nation’s most deprived communities.

Scarborough Borough Council’s chief executive, Jim Dillon, said: “The scale of the opportunities will be immense. The council has backed the plans all along, and I cannot think of another scheme that I would prefer to see coming to the borough of Scarborough. The council will do everything in its powers to make this happen, as it has the potential to transform the coastal economy.”

Concerns have, however, been raised over whether the coast’s creaking infrastructure will be able to cope with the development, as well as the need for housing – especially affordable homes. While the average household income in the Scarborough borough is just under £17,000, the average property price stands at £159,000. House prices soar to as much as £240,000 in property hotspots, such as the edge of the North York Moors National Park.

Rob Miller, a board member on the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership, runs a Scarborough-based manufacturing company, Bluebird Vehicles, which builds coaches and minibuses with disabled access.

He said: “The business community sees this as a major opportunity for bringing jobs and investment. The business environment is extremely tough at the moment, and the announcement of the mine’s site is a defining moment. But there are still an awful lot of challenges, and we need to make sure that there is the necessary infrastructure in place.”