historical heritage contribute to the local
economy, the town does suffer from the economic constraints of its remote
location, ongoing changes in the fishing industry, relatively underdeveloped
transport infrastructure and limitations on available land and property. As a
result, tourism and some forms of fishing remain the mainstay of its economy.
It is the closest port to a proposed wind farm development in the North Sea, 47
miles (76 km) from York and 22 miles (35 km) from Middlesbrough.
There are transport links to the rest of North Yorkshire and North East
England, primarily through national rail links to Middlesbrough and road links
to Teesside, via both the A171 and A174, and Scarborough by the former.
According to the 2011 UK census, the town
had a population of 13,213, a decrease on the 2001 UK census figure of 13,594