The two zip lines that would take thrill seekers from the Whitby Pavilion parking lot to the lighthouse on the West Pier have been proposed by a company called Big Bang Promotions.
The Barnsley-based team has approached the Scarborough Council about its plan to install two lines in time for the summer season when coronavirus restrictions are lifted.
In documents sent to the city council, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the company stated: “The proposal would be to create a destination attraction ‘pop-up’ for the summer of 2021 between the dates of June 23 and September 5.
“The zip line would create a local attraction that would attract visitors to the area, create local jobs, provide educational workshops, and boost the economy of local visitors.
“The zip line would be of two lines so that the participants could slide next to each other and it would be approx. length of 340 meters ”.
Two possible launch points are proposed in the Pavilion car park.
Passengers would travel over the beach and sea before reaching a landing area “the size of six parking lots” in front of the lighthouse on the West Pier.
Scarborough City Council has been seeking input from local councils and groups and the results are not a pleasant read for the company.
John Freeman, president of the Whitby and District Tourism Association, called the proposal a “terrible idea.”
He added: “I find it amazing that anyone could even think of such a crude idea.
“He totally disagrees with the image that Whitby wants to project. We are not Blackpool or Scarborough and we certainly don’t want to go down that path. “
The Whitby Civic Society and the city council have also opposed the proposals.
At a recent city council meeting, Coun Garath Jackson said: “Representing the West Cliff area, it would not look good within the area and would have a detrimental effect on the buildings and landscape.
“The problems have to do with parking and crowds, the problems with landing at the pier don’t feel right and it’s not the kind of tourist attraction we want in Whitby.
“It would not improve the lives of the people in Whitby.”
The council voted unanimously to oppose the proposal, which has not yet been submitted as a planning request.
Jon Snape, managing director of Big Bang Promotions, confirmed that he was in the “early stages” of discussions with the council.
He added: “The Scarborough Council is itself proactive and is looking forward to what we can offer Whitby.”
The Scarborough Council has confirmed that it has been involved in talks, but said no decision had been made on whether it would move forward.
Nick Edwards, Scarborough City Council Director, said: “We have been contacted by an outside company asking us to consider a draft proposal for a temporary dual line zip line in Whitby as an ’emerging’ attraction for this summer.
“Before making a decision on whether to consider the proposal further, we sought the views of key stakeholder organizations in the city, including the Whitby City Council.”
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Source: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-05-10 12:20:35
