The closure of Whitby’s historic swing bridge has effectively cut the seaside resort in two. And traders on its east side aren’t happy. Stuart Arnold takes a trip to a divided town.

IT’S been at the heart of Whitby since 1906, but the steel swing bridge carrying traffic and pedestrians across the River Esk has been closed since last Wednesday when it jammed in the open position at the height of the summer season.

Replacement parts for a worn-out gearbox are due to be flown in from Italy, and Scarborough Borough Council – which maintains the bridge – hopes it can be repaired and back up and running by Friday evening.

On the day I visit, a woman in a high-visibility jacket, presumably from the council, is stationed at the entrance to the bridge and explains to passers-by how they can get across the river. A sign says: “The bridge is closed due to an unforseeable failure of one of the bridge arms.”

Another states: “Please note that all businesses and attractions are open on both sides of the river.”

With fingers crossed, the woman says: “If we are lucky, Friday it will be fixed.”

Most holidaymakers walking along the harbourside appear slightly bemused about the lack of a bridge crossing.

They peer curiously in its direction, while concentrating on mouthfuls of fish and chips as they do so.

Meanwhile, the Libby and the Esk Belle II boats steadily ferry passengers to and from the east side of the town and sights such as Whitby Abbey.

As I linger waiting to see which boat I can catch, a pale youth with a goatee beard and hoodied top appears from steps leading down to the river and says a boat – his dad’s – is now boarding.

I clamber onboard and inbetween a mouth full of sandwich, Barry Rogers, the skipper of the somewhat ironically named Stoney Broke, explains how he only began ferrying passengers across the river on Monday.

The boat’s normal job is to carry anglers on chartered trips out to sea, but it has been pressed into action as a ferry because of the bridge closure.

Mr Rogers is charging £1 to get over to the other side of the town, although his mate quickly hands me back my pound coin without explanation once I’m onboard.

Mr Rogers says: “We have not got any anglers this morning so what do you do? We are just trying to earn a few quid.

I would be much rather having a laugh and a joke and swearing as much as I can out at sea, but people have to be paid their wages.”

I ask him about the bridge and he says: “This is the first time in 25 years that I have seen the bridge in this condition.

It is Scarborough Borough Council. They don’t want to spend any money in Whitby.”

On the eastern side of the town, the historic cobbled streets look reasonably busy, but they’re not thronged with holidaymakers in the way you might expect.

Kevin Dixon, who sells Whitby jet from his shop, says his trade is down 50 per cent.

He is another who believes the borough council isn’t serving Whitby as well as it might when it comes to the bridge and is sceptical that it will be back in action on Friday.

Mr Dixon says: “Things do break down and go wrong in life, but the council should have had the spare parts and been organised from the start.”

Vanessa Fowler, who runs Honeyz Bath Products, was one of the first business owners to tackle council officers about the bridge and has helped co-ordinate the traders’ response, which led to meetings with local councillors and officers.

She also says takings are down – about half on the same week last year. Mrs Fowler, along with other traders, say that the bridge is now open and closed far more often than it used to be – partly because of a new yachting facility built on the marina – and that it is effectively not fit for purpose.

She says: “It was built 100 years ago to carry a 15-tonne traction engine. It also used to open only about three times a day, far more now. It’s peak season for us now and this is not good. We want a contingency plan from the council.

What is their plan if something else breaks?”

Simon Wilson, of Hippy Hippy Shake milkshakes, describes the east side of the port as “one huge cul-de-sac”

at the moment. He says: “We have taken the old bridge for granted and assumed that Scarborough Borough Council has been doing its job...

They have just let us down.”

Earlier this week, the council said it was working “extremely hard” to fix the problem.

Mr Wilson says the council has a footbridge in storage, but it has said it “takes too long to put up”.

On the way back, queues for a free shuttle bus and the ferries appear to have trebled in size. At the queue for a ferry, people wait patiently without grumbling.

Meanwhile, cheery boatmen chug off into the distance.

This time I pay on the way back, into a jar stuffed full of notes and pound coins.

With reports that some boat owners are earning up to £5,000 a day, they, at least, aren’t in a rush to see the bridge fixed.