New surf school and café planned for North Yorkshire coast

A proposal to build a new surf school and café at Cayton Bay is being considered by Scarborough Council.

Plans for the demolition of existing buildings and construction of a new surf school, surf shop, storage space, café, and toilets at The Point, Cayton Bay have been submitted to Scarborough Council.

The application, submitted by Paul Tomlinson for the Secret Spot Surf Shop, is for the erection of new facilities at their site located north of Filey Road and owned by the council. Cayton is about four miles south of Scarborough.

According to the plan, the current site is exposed and the buildings are made of “low quality” materials and are “not site-specific or contextual”.

The applicant proposed several designs but said its preferred option would be made of a “high-quality durable standing seam system” with earth sheltering that would be created from the soil and material on-site “to create a level build”.

Internally the building would be “modest in its fit out” with reclaimed and recycled materials to be used throughout the design of the surf store and café.

The authority’s tourism service said it was “very supportive” of the application as it supports the council’s multimillion-pound adrenaline and activity sports strategy.

Cayton Parish Council also said it “fully supports the modernisation” of the surf school which it says promotes tourism in the area. 

It added that the expansion of services “can only enhance the immediate area”. 

Car park concerns

However, while the Highway Authority had no objections, the parish council raised concerns about the size of the planned car park and said it “once again requests that SBC considers the use of their field adjacent to the property as a car parking area”

Scarborough Council’s ecologist and biodiversity officer also recommended an ecological assessment to assess the presence of protected species such as bats in the buildings which are proposed for demolition.

So far, more than 40 letters of support have been received by the council from members of the public in Scarborough, Bridlington, and Leeds. 

One of the many public supporters, Carol Smith said: “This new surfing club build will not only be better for existing members but it will also encourage visitors to the area. I give it my wholehearted support as another great venue for everyone to be able to use and enjoy.”

Another public consultee, Aliesha Bell, said: “This school has given an immense amount of support to surfing students and the surfing community for years. 

“I feel with the addition of a café it will be just what Cayton Bay needs for surfers, cold parents of surfers, locals and tourists alike.”

The application is currently pending consideration by the local planning authority.