The executive committee of North Yorkshire Council (NYC) have approved a “soft marketing plan” to decide the future of important sites on Scarborough’s North Bay.
The controversial plan will attempt to attract interest in sites like the Alpamare Waterpark, the former Atlantis Waterpark and Marvel’s amusement park, the former indoor pool and the Northstead Gardens.
Many of these sites have been derelict for years and the Alpamare’s future has been in doubt since owner Benchmark went into administration in late 2023, leaving an unpaid loan to Scarborough Borough Council (SBC) of some £9 million. The same company were behind the failed Sands Development, also subject to a huge council loan.
The former indoor pool site was previously sold by SBC to a local developer to build a “four star plus” hotel, later overturned by NYC.
In 2022 SBC unveiled their ‘adrenaline sports strategy’, hoping to bring £20m investment through the establishment of inland surfing centre, alongside a climbing, BMX and skating centre. Nothing has since materialised, the plan described locally as a mere pipe dream.
With the abandonment of the so-called Argos site development, deferral of the West Pier plan and still unresolved alternative use of the former Futurist site, closed in 2014, this added to a catalogue of indecision.
There has also been no progress on the zip line site previously announced on the North Bay, which seems to have been abandoned.