Robin Hood's Bay: Improvement Scheme (Hansard, 28 January 1987)

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Skelmersdale)
No, my Lords. Proposals for improvements to Robin Hood's Bay Bank Top are being considered by the North York Moors National Park Authority in conjuction with North Yorkshire County Council, as highway authority, and Scarborough Borough Council. The Countryside Commission is not involved. This is an initiative by the responsible local authorities and is not a matter in which the Government would wish to intervene.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that this village, one of the most beautiful in the country and of great historical importance, is unique, and that there is a great feeling among the residents, as witnessed by organisations like the Residents' and Ratepayers' Association and the Fylingdales Preservation Society, that the actions of the national park are liable both to spoil the vista from the top overlooking the bay and to damage the economy, which I am glad to say is rapidly picking up as people move back to live in the village and start businesses there? Is this not a case in which a bureaucrat has been interfering with the wishes of the local residents as expressed at a public meeting last October, when, by 88 votes to 13, the plans put forward by the national park committee on 7th January were rejected?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, I understand that Robin Hood's Bay is the most popular resort in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and that the local economy depends heavily on tourism. I also understand that, subsequent to the consultation about which the noble Lord has just spoken, the revised scheme—revised to take account of comments made during the consultation—was approved by the national park, the borough council, the parish council, and the local amenities society. I think that all concerned have behaved in an exemplary fashion.

Lord Hunt
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that I, too, am familiar with the situation at Robin Hood's Bay following a number of visits? Would he accept that in addition to the information about the procedures that he has explained, the North Yorkshire County Council has consulted far and wide? I have the plans here. There has been full consultation not only with the local amenity and voluntary bodies but also with local residents. The procedures are entirely democratic.
Would the noble Lord accept that the role of the national park committee is purely advisory in making recommendations to the county council? Would he 1329 accept that there is an urgent need to re-plan car parking and other facilities at Bank Top above the little town, in view of the fact that something like 500,000 visitors visit this beauty spot every year?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, my answers to the noble Lord are yes, yes, and yes. I am pleased that he has backed up my last supplementary answer.

§ Lady Kinloss
My Lords, is the Minister aware that the scheme for improvements, as it now appears, is the result of discussions with all interested parties? Is he also aware of the need for modernisation of the toilet facilities including provision of toilets for disabled people? There is no such provision for the disabled at present, as I saw for myself when I visited Robin Hood's Bay last Sunday?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
Yes, my Lords, I am aware of these facts. Indeed, I can tell the House that the councillors of Fylingdales Parish Council have written to the Scarborough Borough Council expressing dismay about the way that the views of the Residents' and Ratepayers' Association objecting to the scheme have been represented in the press as the views of the whole community.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, I am not suggesting—

Noble Lords
Question!

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
I am not suggesting that what the Minister said should, in any way, reverse the decisions taken. What I am asking the noble Lord is whether he will look into this matter in view of the fact that strong opposition has been expressed by the local community, by the local residents? Unfortunately, his original Answer did not take into account the fact that a public meeting was held and that the result, as I said, was a vote of 88 to 13 against the proposal, and that far from taking that into consideration—

Noble Lords
Order!

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
Is the noble Lord aware that the national park committee officer stated that it was an unrepresentative meeting and that no account need be taken of it? All I am asking—

Noble Lords
Order! Speech!

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
All I am asking the noble Lord is whether he will look into this question, which appears to be a matter of a bureaucratic overriding of local opinion?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, when I am asked a Question of this sort in your Lordships' House I review all the available papers on the particular case. I therefore looked at this case with great care, knowing that I would be answering a Question today from the noble Lord. As I have said, my conclusion is that the authorities in question have behaved in an exemplary fashion. They have taken account of the consultation procedure, and they have changed their plans. The 1330 revised plans are now well known locally, and I do not think that this is a matter on which the Government should intervene.

The Earl of Halsbury
My Lords, would the Minister agree that when it comes to tops and vistas—I choose my vocabulary from the noble Lord, Lord Hatch of Lusby—visitors are much more likely to be interested in Maid Marians than in Robin Hoods?

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, in this case they are also interested in cliffs.

§ Lord Leatherland
My Lords, may I ask the Minister whether he agrees that we should leave wild places alone? And naturally included in wild places, of course, is your Lordships' House.