Whitby West Cliff : Beach Access Audit

Whitby West Cliff : Beach Access Audit

20/07/2026

Whitby West Cliff Beach is the only beach awarded Blue Flag status along NYC’s 67 km of coastline.

We are very concerned that this internationally recognised accreditation is at risk following the closure of the Cliff Lift and the removal of the temporary bus service serving the Promenade
enabling ALL residents and visitors access to this beach. The only beach access highlighted by the council is the ramp from the lower Promenade to the beach, but not from West Cliff North Terrace etc to the lower Promenade.

Whitby Community Network CIC members have carried out a Whitby West Cliff beach audit to
assess how accessible the beach now is. We have used the audit form found on the “The Beach
Access Project” a UK-wide initiative to map, evaluate, and improve the accessibility of beaches and blue spaces and to propose solutions.

We appreciate there are no UK Beach/Blue Space access standards, however for a major tourist resort, “the jewel in North Yorkshire’s crown”, we would like to see a vision of “North Yorkshire leading national innovation in health and well-being as the home of the UK’s first Coastal Landscape led Natural Health Service delivery,” for both residents and tourists. We also see an opportunity here, to invest in the traditional seaside holiday providing more water-based activities for people of all abilities.

Whitby faces significant health and disability challenges, concentrated in the most deprived areas such as West Cliff and parts of the Esk Valley, with above national and county averages. (source: IMD ONS 2025). It has also one of the fastest ageing communities in North Yorkshire with around 50% of the population over 55. This together with the lack of green space in Whitby and our reliance on Tourism surely highlights the need to make the best use of our natural resources, including protecting, maintaining and enhancing our beach and sea access for both health and pleasure.

The audit has been returned to The Beach Access Project website:
https://beachaccessproject.co.uk/ with the following conclusions reached with regard to the key
components needed to enhance access for all:

1. Accessible parking and beach access: without the Cliff Lift or parking on the Promenade,
   suitable accessible parking is not readily available. There are also no public bus services to the West Cliff, only the Tour or P&R buses which are basically for tourists. NOTE: no accessible parking is identified on the Promenade, however as there is no other means of access for disabled people, cars are now being used to access beach huts. To ensure public safety we recommend this major walking route along the Promenade, part of the Cleveland Way/King Charles III England Coast Path, is kept vehicle free, at least during given time periods. Until the Cliff Lift is repaired we would recommend a vehicle similar to the Wheelchair Access Vehicle Melex 3-series, Seating x 6 passengers, or 4 + wheelchair (used by National Trust and perhaps similarly hired from Enterprise), could be used, located and run from the Beach Management Centre to provide access for the less mobile.
2. Accessible toilets and changing facilities: a Changing Places Toilet is not available, and the Beach Management Centre is in need of total refurbishment or a rebuild to expand and upgrade facilities.
3. Appropriate access onto the beach and down to the water: only one ramp is accessible, but only as long as the base is covered by sand, the surface of the ramp is uneven, and the railings do not extend to the bottom of the ramp. There is no temporary beach matting and the surface of the sand to reach the sea can be wet, dry or mixed, depending on the tide, so difficult to access for some. Only one beach wheelchair is available (although not on site at present), based at and hired from the Whitby Surf School during the summer season.
4. An accessible area/space on the beach to relax: no accessible area/space on the beach, although due to tides this could be difficult to provide, but a covered space on the Promenade could be allocated, or a temporary canvas shelter-type covered platform.
5. High quality multi-formatted information: very limited information available at present and most is out of date, either on existing signage or on the various web sites. NYC website is out of date and lacking relevant accessibility information. In particular the increased dog signage highlighting “No dogs allowed” has led to verbal abuse for residents with sight issues taking their service dogs on the beach. The extended beach hut area, leading to a reduction in dog walking beach space has also increased the beach access issues with many stepped accesses in poor condition, unsuitable for the less mobile with dogs.
   https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/leisure-tourism-and-culture/beaches/beach-locations/beach-locations/whitby-beach
6. Support to access the beach and the water: seasonal Lifeguards are available during given hours and are willing to help, but they have not received training for dealing with people with disabilities. It is uncertain what the Beach Manager’s duties are, however the centre was closed on two of our three visits to take photographs and opening times are not displayed.
7. Access to water activities e.g. swimming, paddleboarding, surfing: Whitby Surf School advised they could offer access to water activities for disabled people, but at present this is in conjunction with the Wave Project at Scarborough who can provide equipment, but suitable changing/shower facilities etc are not available.

We are interested in working with any authorities and businesses to make this beach fully accessible and to maintain its prestigious Blue Flag status. We are concerned this area (Cliff Lift & Beach Management Centre) has not been considered as part of the Town Investment Plan, as it can deliver both resident and visitor benefits. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Whitby Community Network CIC