by John Prince
Mayors from across Holderness have come together to look to the future of the region and work to strengthen partnerships between their respective towns.
Cllrs Kristina Richardson, Stephen Prescott and Suzie Wright from Withernsea, Hornsea and Hedon attended the Lord Mayor of Hull and Admiral of the Humber’s civic service.
At the service, they had the opportunity to speak informally about their combined objectives for the civic year ahead, along with the Lord Mayor of Kingston Upon Hull, Cllr Maria Coward.
All three Holderness mayors took up post over the past few months.
Meetings are already underway, and direct communication has been opened with a WhatsApp group for all the mayors to share ideas.
Hornsea, Withernsea and Hedon have each forged their own identities, histories and priorities and, viewed together, they can represent something much bigger than three individual towns.
The wider Holderness area is home to between 55,000 and 60,000 people. Roughly 9,000 live in Hornsea, approximately 8,500 in Hedon and around 6,500 in Withernsea. Combined, the three mayoral towns account for almost 24,000 residents, with the remainder living in the villages and rural communities that bind the peninsula together.
That is not an insignificant number.
If Holderness were viewed as a single urban area, it would rival many of Yorkshire’s better-known market towns in size and influence. Yet too often its communities find themselves competing for attention rather than working together to secure it.
There is a compelling argument that the mayors of Hornsea, Withernsea and Hedon could achieve far more through cooperation than through isolation.
Together they would represent almost half of Holderness’ population and act as a powerful collective voice when working together with East Riding Council, regional bodies and central government.
The issues facing the area do not stop at town boundaries. The region covers roughly 470 square miles, with coastal erosion threatening communities along the shoreline, and public transport links remaining a frustration for residents and businesses alike.
Access to healthcare continues to be a concern, while economic opportunities for younger generations remain limited. It is one of the most sparsely populated areas in eastern England.
Holderness has one of the oldest populations in Yorkshire, with almost one in three residents aged over 65. That brings with it growing pressures on health services, social care and transport provision, but it also reflects communities with deep roots, strong civic pride and a remarkable tradition of volunteering.
The area also remains one of the least ethnically diverse areas in England, with the overwhelming majority of residents identifying as White British or white.
Census figures from 2021 suggest between 97 and 99 per cent of the population falls within that category. Asian residents and people from mixed or other ethnic backgrounds account for around one per cent, and black residents less than 0.2 per cent.
There is potential for the three mayoral towns to lead a common campaign for improved transport links, stronger coastal defences, better healthcare provision and greater investment in tourism and local enterprise.
A united approach to promoting Holderness as a destination could benefit everyone and, importantly, a partnership between the three towns would send a message that Holderness is more than a collection of separate communities, but has shared challenges, shared opportunities and shared ambitions.
Cllr Richardson said: “One of the key objectives I set at the start of my civic year as mayor of Withernsea was to strengthen relationships and build meaningful connections.
“While my initial focus was naturally on Withernsea, it quickly became clear after meeting fellow mayors that many of us share the same ambitions for our towns.
“I truly believe we can always learn from one another, and that we are far stronger when we work together. Many of our communities face similar challenges, but also have incredible strengths.
“By uniting our efforts we have the opportunity to make an even greater difference.”
She added: “Our conversations focused particularly on children and young people, as well as celebrating the unique history and heritage of each of our towns.
“We all agreed how important it is to involve younger generations in shaping the future of our communities. Following the work I’ve recently been involved in with the Riff Raff project, I proposed the idea of a joint exhibition celebrating our towns, and it’s something we’re all enthusiastic about exploring further and raising awareness of the civic, lieutenancy and High Sheriff roles.
“Our first steps have been simple but important – creating a WhatsApp group to strengthen communication initially between the civic leaders of Withernsea, Hedon, Hornsea, Hull and arranging meetings with neighbouring towns, particularly Hornsea and Hedon, whose communities are closely linked with ours.
“I’ve already had the pleasure of meeting some truly passionate and inspirational civic leaders, alongside the Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff, who all share a commitment to supporting their communities.
“I’m excited to continue building these relationships across the East Riding and Humber, helping our towns work together while also putting Withernsea firmly on the map for all the reasons we should be proud of.”
Cllr Stephen Prescott, mayor of Hornsea, said: “It was great to catch up with Kristina and Suzie at the Lord Mayor of Hull’s service, and chat about how our three towns can work more closely together.
“We all share many of the same ambitions for our communities, and there’s plenty we can learn from one another.
“The WhatsApp group is already off to a good start, and I’m looking forward to our meetings to see where these conversations take us.
“Hopefully, it’s the beginning of a strong and positive partnership that can be carried forward beyond our mayoral year.
“We’re also keen to build an even closer relationship with Hull and the current Lord Mayor, Maria, recognising that by working together across the area we can achieve even more for the communities we represent.”
Cllr Suzie Wright said: “Hedon Town Council is happy to work with neighbouring councils to support initiatives that benefit our communities.
“Although this matter has not yet been formally considered by the full council, we recognise the value of bringing partners together to discuss shared aims.
“By arranging a meeting and working collaboratively, we can build stronger networks and ensure a coordinated approach to supporting community causes.
“I was very glad to speak with everyone, and look forward to building on our relationships.”