New Whale Bone Arch could cost up to £60,000

Replacing the famous Whale Bone Arch in the port town of Whitby could cost more than £60,000.

North Yorkshire Council has said that after plans to replace the structure with real whale bones were abandoned, replicas could be costly depending on the materials used.

The council noted it had 'exhausted' all options to source genuine bones.

Members of Whitby Town Council are now set to discuss the report's findings.

The popular landmark has stood at the top of West Cliff for more than 170 years, but despite being replaced in 2002, the structure is deteriorating.

Current options include coating the bones in glass-reinforced plastic, sourcing plastic replicas, and using a stainless steel replacement, with costs ranging from £20,000 to £60,000.

The most expensive and durable option would be to cast replacements in bronze, according to a report by the council.

The bronze would have "an indefinite lifespan and a patina that will develop over time – this option would also do away with the timber bottom fixing that exists currently, and they would appear to sit directly on the ground", the council said.

The cost of the bronze replicas would be approximately £60,000.

Coating the existing bones in plastic would cost £30,000 but would not be a long-term solution as they would continue to decay.

Replicas carved from a hardwood would likely have a lifespan of around 100 years and would cost in the region of £20,000.

Meanwhile, replicas made from stainless steel mesh, similar to the existing sculptures sited around Whitby town centre as part of the Heritage Trail would come with a price tag of approximately £30,000.

All options to source genuine replacement bones had been "exhausted", according to the town's mayor Sandra Turner.

The last replacement bones came from Whitby's twin town of Barrow in Alaska after a worldwide appeal.

The whale was said to have been killed legally by the state's native Inuit population in 1996, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

North Yorkshire Council said it had received "no response from representatives in Alaska, and even if some were to be offered, there are ethical and legal challenges".

The report notes that the Whale Bone Arch is owned and managed by the town council and the town council is being consulted as a local stakeholder representing community views.

However, decisions regarding replacement, design, procurement, or funding rest with North Yorkshire Council, it added.

Members of Whitby Town Council are set to discuss the report and findings at a full meeting tomorrow.

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