York and North Yorkshire’s mayor has reiterated his commitment to improving transport links with the coast and investing in creating affordable homes.

Four months after his election as the first mayor of the combined authority, David Skaith has said he is working towards securing a half-hourly train between York and Scarborough and supporting new housebuilding projects.

In an interview with the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Mr Skaith added that supporting the development of a skilled workforce that met the needs of employers in the region was also a priority.

The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority was launched in February this year and the mayor was elected in May with responsibility for a regional investment fund worth £540 million over 30 years.

Mr Skaith said: “With a mayor, we have the rural, but we also have the coast, and that puts us in a really unique opportunity with the diverse ranks that we have and can really look to support.”

He also addressed the county’s housing crisis and the “real shortage of homes and homes that are not fit for purpose”.

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Last week Persimmon Homes Ltd revealed its plans to build a new “village” of 1,400 homes and a school south of Cayton and Eastfield in Scarborough

However, many residents have said they are increasingly concerned by large housing developments that leave small towns and areas with increasingly stretched or non-existent healthcare and other public services.

Mr Skaith told the LDRS: “We can’t be building dormant communities.

David SkaithDavid Skaith

“We need to create the opportunity for people to buy a house and also to have opportunities around their work, their school provision, all this kind of stuff.

“We have to move away from this – just building a house and then walking away from it is what got us into this mess we’re in, I suppose, and we have to think completely differently about how we’re doing it.”

Amid the announcement of an operator selected to run the new cinema at Scarborough’s Brunswick Centre, the mayor also highlighted the importance of supporting year-round economies in coastal towns.

Mr Skaith said: “It’s really about giving people opportunity.

“So much is always geared around money and driving the economy but we really need to be giving people opportunity and looking at community spaces for people to come together, and particularly for young people and teenagers to have that place.”