Alpamare, Atlantis and Marvel's: Three North Yorkshire attractions set for revamp

Ideas for three North Yorkshire tourist attractions are set to be unveiled next month.

Key sites such as the defunct Atlantis Waterpark and Marvel's amusement park, the old Indoor Pool, Northstead Gardens, and Alpamare waterpark are earmarked for redevelopment. The transformation of Scarborough's North Bay attractions aims to enhance the local economy and provide "significant financial returns" to North Yorkshire Council, Yorkshire Live reports.

The council's executive is poised to greenlight a 'soft marketing testing exercise' at its February 4 meeting, which could spark "a wave of new investment". Many of these locations were part of a development agreement with Scarborough Borough Council (SBC) from 2002, but that deal has expired, leaving NYC with "unencumbered freehold ownership of the sites".

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This initiative follows nearly two years after the former SBC ratified its North Bay Masterplan, branding it a "once in a generation" chance to rejuvenate the town's North Bay. After public consultation, the masterplan was designed to attract "more than £100m of investment" by drawing more visitors, securing private funding, and adding attractions.

In 2022, SBC also introduced an 'adrenaline sports strategy', aiming for an "inward capital investment" of £20m to establish an "inland surfing centre", alongside a £2m investment in a climbing, BMX, and skating centre. These ventures are projected to yield up to £1.2m in economic benefits each year.

Nevertheless, North Yorkshire Council's latest redevelopment strategy omits any reference to former regeneration initiatives. The phrase 'success is of utmost importance' echoes throughout the proposal. The document posits that NYC's unoccupied plots present an "ideal opportunity for securing development and growth within the Scarborough locality" and recommends utilising them to bolster "development that is complementary to these adjacent existing uses".

The council reclaimed ownership of Alpamare waterpark after its developer, Benchmark Ltd, entered administration in late 2023, with Flamingo Land currently operating it on an annual lease.

Alongside Alpamare and these empty spaces, the council also holds freehold interests in several "notable and pivotal sites" in the North Bay region, which encompass the Miniature Railway, Open Air Theatre, and Peasholm Park. Council officials emphasise that the "continued operation and success of these sites is deemed to be of the utmost importance".

Despite potential concerns about visual impact, councillors gave the green light last summer for a divisive planning application for a 2,100ft (650m) zip wire attraction in North Bay. Since the approval, Big Bang Promotions (BBP), the entity behind the zip wire scheme, has yet to provide updates on the advancement of their plans.

A report by the authority reveals that a soft market testing exercise will be conducted to determine "whether there might be developer interest, and additional benefits, in including a wider package of development sites when the council ultimately goes out to market to secure development partners".

As part of the proposed market testing initiative, developers would be invited to submit a 1,000-word brief detailing their vision for the potential of the sites and their interest in managing multiple locations for redevelopment.

Coun Liz Colling, chair of the Scarborough and Whitby area committee, said: "This is set to be the first step in identifying potential developers for these sites which will hopefully lead to investment to benefit our local communities in the town."

"While the visitor economy is a huge part of Scarborough's economy, we need to ensure that any development in the town also serves the interests of residents."

"This is about the future of Scarborough and potentially bringing new job opportunities and careers to the people who live here and in the surrounding area."