Landslide leaves listed beach huts...listing
TOWN hall officials have been blamed for allowing a row of some of the world’s oldest beach huts to be crushed by a landslide.
The terrace of brightly coloured Grade II-listed chalets is one of just two remaining examples in the country. Historic England described them as “capturing the spirit of the Edwardian seaside”.
The huts, erected in 1911, had been meticulously preserved and protected from the ravages of the sea on the South Cliff at Scarborough, North Yorkshire, for 107 years.
Even the original remained intact.
When cracks appeared in the path above the chalets two years ago, residents feared there may be a landslip and reported it to Scarborough Borough Council.
Nothing was done, however, and now as predicted the cliff has given way.
Tons of earth are crushing the wooden huts and it appears to be only a matter of time before they are lost to the waves.
Councillor Tony Randerson raised the issue during a council meeting, laying the blame squarely at the door of the town hall.
He said: “This defect was brought to the attention of Scarborough Borough Council some two years ago by the proprietor of the Clock Cafe.
“I raised it myself around one year ago, only to be informed that it was just grass coming through the crack in the pavement and nothing to be concerned about. It strikes me that this landslip could and should have been avoided.”
Clock Cafe owner Jackie Link said: “One of our customers spotted a crack interior panelling in the path two years ago and reported it to North Yorkshire County Council. There was then a bit of a disagreement with the county saying it was the borough’s problem, and the borough council saying it was the county council’s.
“Then a year ago someone came out and told us it was an old crack because it had grass growing through it. We told them it wasn’t. We use that path every day and knew it was a new crack, but nothing happened.”
Councillor Mike Cockerill, who has responsibility for the chalets, said he would seek information from council officers about what surveys had been carried out and what was found.
He added that contractors would be drilling bore holes to assess the ground conditions before deciding what to do.
“Currently the chalets are providing support to the retaining wall and therefore they have been left in place,” he said. “Netting is being used in case of collapse to stop debris flying into the air. It does look a mess, I don’t deny it.”