EAST Riding Council has committed to spending millions of pounds pressing ahead with the regeneration of Bridlington.

In the past six years, £50 million has been spent transforming the town. And the cost of delivering the Bridlington Area Action Plan will be another £30 million.

The work is being handled by Bridlington Renaissance.

Funding for regeneration schemes was coming via regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, which is now being disbanded.

After yesterday's East Riding Council cabinet meeting in Bridlington, the leader of the authority, Councillor Stephen Parnaby, said: "For many years, we have been working with our partners Yorkshire Forward on Bridlington regeneration but, with the imminent abolition of the agency, the council will take the lead role and drive the regeneration process forward."

He assured people in Bridlington there would be no dilution of the work.

The development of the action plan, in particular a town centre scheme and improvements to the harbour and marina, has reached the stage of final public consultation, which will run from October 4 to November 14.

Plans will then be submitted to the Secretary Of State for public examination to take place next year.

East Riding Council says money for the action plan work will come from council funds, as well as money generated by the developments.

Head of Bridlington Renaissance John Lister said: "The council will develop plots of land and they will then be sold on. The value of the development is £160,000, but we're not spending that.

"It's a housing, retail and office development that will generate 2,000 jobs."

Representing Bridlington South ward, Councillor Geoff Pickering said he was in favour of Bridlington being regenerated, but questioned the way it was being funded.

In a submission to the cabinet meeting, Mr Pickering wrote: "The cabinet has approved a number of notable extensions to the lifetime of the Bridlington Renaissance Project, but without reassessment of the delivery needs and mechanisms.

"Despite the cabinet's continued support, the council's aims for the town's economy have not been realised. In any other environment, this would trigger a thorough investigation, not another extension.

"There has not even been a basic skills assessment of the posts involved to ensure we have the right job descriptions and right capacity to move forward, instead, an unquestioned extension of all contracts.

"This does not represent best practice and is not a financially responsible position. This report is authored by officers who have a vested interest in maintaining their jobs."