Scarborough Harbour: Concerns 'lip service' is being paid to ambitions to develop hub to serve offshore wind sector

South Bay, Scarborough and the castle viewed from Olivers Mount.  Picture Tony JohnsonSouth Bay, Scarborough and the castle viewed from Olivers Mount.  Picture Tony Johnson
South Bay, Scarborough and the castle viewed from Olivers Mount. Picture Tony Johnson
Concerns have been raised that "lip service" is being paid to ambitions to develop Scarborough Harbour as a hub to serve vast offshore farms in the North Sea.

Scarborough "has a lot of catching up to do" if it's going to replicate the success of Grimsby Docks, which has grown into the world's largest offshore operations and maintenance hub "from nothing" just over a decade ago, the inaugural maritime renewables event at Scarborough Spa was told.

"Nobody anticipated (Grimsby’s success)," Iain Butterworth, chair of Humber Marine Renewables, said.

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"Sadly we're off the map, we've got a lot of catching up to do. Whitby isn't on the map, or Scarborough. It's like a void of nothingness."

Bob Mainprize, of Mainprize Offshore, who's concerned Scarborough will miss the boat over offshore renewablesBob Mainprize, of Mainprize Offshore, who's concerned Scarborough will miss the boat over offshore renewables
Bob Mainprize, of Mainprize Offshore, who's concerned Scarborough will miss the boat over offshore renewables

North Yorkshire Council supported the event and chief executive Richard Flinton said they are trying to get across to people that "it's a new start and we will look seriously at the opportunity".

He said they were aware of the scale of the issues they'd inherited, but as the country's third largest unitary authority, the council had “some heft”. He said: "We have got massive financial challenges nevertheless we will have sufficient heft to deal with priority issues. The harbour is one of those priorities."

Underinvestment has plagued the harbour for decades and some in the fishing sector feel understandably cynical that anything will change soon. This summer the full-scale replica of a Spanish galleon grounded entering the harbour, which hasn't been dredged for six years.

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NYC is talking about putting £30m into Whitby and Scarborough harbours over the next 10 years, but Fred Normandale, from one of the port’s oldest fishing families, said that’s "like putting a sticking plaster on a severed leg", adding: “Unless someone is going to make a start of raising Scarborough harbour up to standard none of this will happen.”

Bob Mainprize, director of Mainprize Offshore, from a Scarborough family with a 350-year fishing history, operates crew transfer vessels which take technicians to offshore wind farms out of European ports.

He said he understood the council is facing challenges but is concerned "lip service" is being paid to offshore renewables. Scarborough is the closest East Coast port to the £8.5bn Hornsea Wind Farm in grounds, he, his father and grandfather used to fish.

An investment so crews could have safe access to three to five vessels would bring money into the town, in harbour dues and spins off for hotels, restaurants, taxis and other services. Operating costs of each of their vessels is around £1m a year. He said: "We've gone from one vessel to 11 in 10 years and we've ordered a further six vessels with an option to buy a further six. The growth is there clearly. Barrow in Furness, Grimsby, Harwich have all benefitted. Its seems it's just not the priority here. I just hope it’s not lip service - that’s all it seems to be.”

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