THE Battle of Saltburn has erupted at a seaside town linked to the outrageous movie – with locals raging over “mysterious yellow circles”.
Starring Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Oscar contender Saltburn has divided opinion.
Some viewers have stormed out in disgust after seeing the notorious “bath scene”, which is too graphic for The Sun to describe.
Director Emerald Fennell has revealed that she came up with the name Saltburn after having a vision of someone licking a bathtub.
But the film shares its name with the North Yorkshire seaside town of Saltburn – where locals have been outraged by an altogether different drama.
Local decorator Gemma Booth, 36, was walking along the promenade in Saltburn when she noticed some “weird yellow circles”.
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Two weeks later, she was shocked to hear that workmen had been digging up the pavement where the circles had been painted.
Baffled, Gemma sent “hundreds of emails” to find out what was going on.
She found out that the local council was planning to build a car park in the middle of the promenade.
The council had not consulted or even notified locals about the plans, which would have virtually split the much-loved promenade in half.
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Gemma then teamed up with other locals to stop the council digging up the promenade.
She told The Sun: “No one knew anything about it at all.
“I sent hundreds of emails, I looked through council cabinet minutes.
“I sent off God knows how many freedom of information requests.
“The council said that it planned to build between 100 and 170 parking spaces on the promenade.
“But I measured the space they were digging up out and it could have fitted a maximum of 28 cars.
“It was rather alarming.”
Gemma and a group of other locals campaigned around-the-clock to force a U-turn.
The decorator missed out on work to help run the campaign as a “full-time job“.
She said: “It was financially tough. Taking part in the campaign wouldn’t have been possible without all the other locals joining in.
“People care about where they live.
“People from very different backgrounds, of different ages, with different political views all stepped up.”
PINCH OF SALT
The council had initially mooted plans for a car park in 2017, before work started in August last year.
But a petition organised by the campaign was signed by more than 1,800 locals, forcing the council to think again last month.
Councillor Carl Quartermain said: “Having received hundreds of comments and having received multiple messages directly and indirectly during this period, I hit pause on the project.
“I was not confident the public had been consulted adequately.
“The feedback received revealed doubt over the popularity of the plan.
“The majority of Saltburn residents who took part do not want to see these changes made.
“This was echoed by the majority of Saltburn businesses and by visitors.”
Gemma was briefed off-the-record about the U-turn and told to keep it to herself until the official announcement.
Laughing, she said: “It was horrible – I wanted to shout the news from the rooftops!
“It was amazing when we were finally able to share the news.
“We spent the day taking photos and then going to the pub to sing and dance.
“Finally telling everyone was so satisfying. We put our hearts and souls into it.”
QUEEN OF THE PROM
Gemma and her fellow campaigners are not done yet – saying they restore the promenade’s Victorian railings and lights.
“The promenade is such a wonderful space. People can bring their dogs and pushchairs there.
“It’s open for people with disabilities and is a safe place for women to walk
“Whenever you go you ending up stopping to have a chat or making a friend with someone.
“It’s vital for many Saltburnians’ mental health.
“Saltburn is a wonderful place and this has brought joy to the community.
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She added: “Saving the promenade is the best Christmas present I could have hoped for.
“It took some fighting but we eventually pulled through.”
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Harry Goodwin
