Group of six ‘trustees’ will be responsible for Scarborough’s civic events until parish council created in 2024

Because of the local government reorganisation and plans to bring devolution to the county through the creation of a new North Yorkshire Council, which includes abolishing borough and district councils, certain parts of the town of Scarborough will be left without town or borough councillors.

Plans are ongoing to create a parish council – set to be known as Scarborough Town Council – but until then six councillors will be responsible for representing the town at civic events and taking care of the civic regalia.

The charter trustees will be made up of the councillors on North Yorkshire County Council who represent the unparished parts of Scarborough: Cllrs Eric Broadbent, Liz Colling, Janet Jefferson, Rich Maw, Tony Randerson, and John Ritchie.

Until a parish council can be created, the charter trustees will be responsible for the town’s civic duties and if no parish council is created, the trustees will continue in their roles and would only be dissolved if a parish council was established in the future.

The trustees will elect the charter mayor and deputy charter mayor from their number at their annual meeting in April and the group will have responsibility for ensuring the continuation of the civic and ceremonial traditions of the town.

A report by NYCC on plans to create a parish council states that the “civic collection, including the civic regalia, will be the responsibility of the charter trustees” from April onwards.

However, the trustees will “not have powers to deliver any services”.

The currently unparished parts of Scarborough, for which a parish council is planned, are Castle, Falsgrave and Stepney, Northstead, Weaponness and Ramshill, and Woodlands areas.

As part of an initial consultation on the creation of the parish council, members of the public were asked whether they would instead prefer charter trustees to continue in their roles.

However, only 1.3 per cent of those who objected to the body’s creation said that charter trustees would be “the best option”.

One respondent to the consultation stated: “I do not see the benefit of a parish council that the charter trustees could not do. All I see is an increase in council tax for little to zero reward, struggling families will struggle more.”

However, others raised concerns about representation and the continuity of local democracy in the town.

Another respondent said: “Charter trustees are pointless toothless tigers. Not value for money. Don’t represent the people. No power to implement policies that will help the people or town.”

The draft recommendations for the creation of the parish council will now proceed to a second round of detailed public consultations.

It has been recommended that the first election for Scarborough Town Council take place in May 2024.