UK seaside town attracting 3.8m tourists branded 'rundown' despite beloved beach
A once roaring seaside town once crowned England's 'most beautiful' has been hit with a barrage of complaints.
Situated on Yorkshire's idyllic coastline, and just a stone's throw from the stunning cliffs at Flamborough Head, lies the popular resort of Scarborough. The town, which has been welcoming holidaymakers since the 17th century, saw its popularity boom in 1845 after it welcomed its first railway line, connecting the historic city of York to the coast.
Famed for its Blue Flag beaches, unique castle ruins, and world-class attractions including Alpamare Waterpark and Sealife centre - Scarborough ticks all of your coastal must-haves. Here, you'll find rows of flashing arcades, acclaimed fish and chip shops, and plenty of souvenir shops to pick up a stick of rock or two.
According to Visit North Yorkshire, a whopping 3.8 million visitors flocked to the town in 2023. While this may seem an impressive figure, it actually marks a 6.7 per cent decrease compared to the year before.
At the same time, it appears Scarborough's prestigious reputation has taken somewhat of a tumble. On TripAdvisor, the town has received a plethora of one-star reviews - with many arguing it has met its decline.
"The town itself is littered with dog poop absolutely everywhere you walk," one traveller fumed back in 2024. "All you see is kebab shops, takeaways, and hairdressers amid the many many closed down shops and run-down areas. How can Scarborough be this run down and filthy when half an hour down the road is Bridlington - which is incredibly clean, tourist-focused, plenty of parking, lots of clean public toilets which were constantly being cleaned by an attendant?"
Another person agreed, writing: "What has happened to Scarborough? We were saddened to see the amount of street litter and c***** shops-there was nothing good on offer except one little gem of a fossil shop on the way into town. Why did people stop caring about this place, and the locals that live there: why aren't they giving their council hell about the state of the town? It was almost like a dumping ground, we've never seen some much rubbish, including dead wild life on the street."
Just two weeks ago, a third traveller penned: "Caught the bus from Whitby. It took an hour [and was a] pleasant journey. As soon as we got off of the bus wish we'd got back on. Scarborough [is] very tired and rough/ run down. We stayed an hour [then] walked to harbour and caught the bus back to Whitby."
Despite the fierce criticism, there's no denying Scarborough's beaches are still worth the visit. The North Bay Beach has kept its Blue Flag status, making it one of the best in Europe for cleanliness both on the sand and in the water. "Unlike South Bay, most of the North Bay Beach is away from the road, with the chalet-lined promenade running from 'the corner' to the Sealife Centre," Visit Scarborough hailed.
Back in March, North Yorkshire Council revealed almost £20 million of government funding had been allocated to Scarborough as part of a 10-year plan to transform the seaside resort. Over the next decade, £19.5 million will be pumped into the town to 'support regeneration, create job opportunities, and improve health and wellbeing across the town'.
"The chance to use such a significant amount of funding in Scarborough will bring wide-ranging benefits not just for communities in the town, but also far wider across the region," hailed North Yorkshire Council's leader Carl Les. "Scarborough is one of our biggest towns here in North Yorkshire, and there is real potential to bring a new era for what is among the country's most popular seaside destinations. The fact that the scope of the Plan for Neighbourhoods has been broadened to the previous incarnation of the scheme gives us an even greater chance to transform Scarborough for residents, businesses and visitors."
Previous public consultations, which reached more than 1,600 people, found key priorities included reviving the town centre to be cleaner and 'more attractive' as well as improving bus services and creating better public spaces. However, projects are not slated to be rolled out until spring next year.
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