Town's fish quay to be brought back into use

A fish quay that has fallen into disrepair will be brought back into use by a major investment programme.

North Yorkshire Council has approved in £600,000 in funding for the mooring facilities in Whitby.

The quay, on the west side of the outer harbour, is currently not operational because of its poor condition.

It was previously used by commercial fishing vessels to land their catches.

The work will include the replacement of 10 steel piles and oak fenders which will be delivered from a marine-based barge.

Repairing the fenders will bring 200m (600ft) of mooring space back into use and assist in achieving harbour income targets, according to a report by officers.

Speaking at a meeting on Tuesday, Councillor Mark Crane, executive member for open to business, said: "Some work needs to be done on Whitby Fish Quay. It does need underpinning, and this is a very welcome sum of money to improve that.

"It's a well-used quay by fishermen and tourists – whenever I go to Whitby I see any number of tourists throughout the year, so it is important for the fishermen and the fishing industry and I welcome this further investment in our coast."

The £660,000 funding will come from an "in-year revenue underspend" in the authority's environment directorate, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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