Councillors asked not to respond to email seeking action on resort

The campaign group Justice for Bridlington has written to councillors asking them to formally agree to take action over what it describes as the “flawed” Bridlington Area Action Plan (AAP), which is intended to bring £200m of investment to the resort.

As revealed in the Yorkshire Post, the AAP was dealt a severe blow in April when supermarket giant Tesco confirmed it had abandoned plans to build a new store in the resort, which had been a key element of the scheme.

The campaigners say more than £60m has already being spent on “ineffective” regeneration in Bridlington, and said in their covering letter to councillors: “That so much public money has not only been wasted in Bridlington, but arguably caused more harm than good, suggests that not enough councillors are asking the right questions and holding the council to account.

“We wish to identify those members who are willing to make a firm commitment to do this important part of the job that your electorate have asked you to do on their behalf.”

Mathew Buckley, the council’s head of legal and democratic services, said: “We have asked members not to reply to the email from ‘Justice 4 Bridlington’ at this moment, either positively or negatively, as it deals with a matter that may still require decisions from councillors in the future.

“The statement commits those signing it to a course of action and councillors signing up to such a statement may run the risk that they are unable to take part in discussions on these matters in the future as by signing the declaration they have predetermined their position.

“Whilst it is considered whether members would run such a risk, they have been asked not to respond to the email at this time.”