I certainly have no objections to a new hotel on the West Cliff but what I do have objections to, and I have raised these verbally with councillors, is the loss of car parking.

Parking is already a huge problem and one which is getting noticeably worse.

We have had countless promises regarding park and ride, resident parking etc and these seem as distant now as they did 10 years ago.

There is a good argument for extra bed spaces in Whitby (this is probably why planning are passing so many applications for guest houses/hotels to be converted to flats?) but if we can’t get to grips with the problem of parking we shall soon start to see visitor numbers dropping and the adverse knock-on effect that will have on the town.

It’s a well known fact that resorts not too far from us are having millions spent on them in order to attract more visitors.

I am sure like Coun Clegg stated there has been interest shown.

However, I am also sure that if a condition of planning being granted was they could not have private parking so like the vast majority of West Cliff accommodation they would have to use on-street and public car parking then most if not all interest would disappear.

If the reasoning is there’s no need for us to worry because in the event of the car park going for development we would get extra places elsewhere on the West Cliff, then why haven’t we already utilised these areas?

Finally I would ask that until we get on top of the problem of parking let’s not see any existing parking spaces disappear.

Bob Stevens, The Langley,

Royal Crescent, Whitby