Flamingo Land Could Run Scarborough's Alpamare Waterpark Even if It's Sold

Specialist consultants say there are a range of models possible for the future operation of Scarborough's Alpamare water park, with the current operator potentially remaining involved.

North Yorkshire Council has officially launched the search for a new owner to take over the Alpamare water park and wellness centre in Scarborough.

Specialist leisure property consultants Newmark and Stripe Leisure have been appointed to market the freehold acquisition of the North Bay attraction, alongside the potential to acquire five adjacent development sites.

The move follows a turbulent period for the water park, which the local authority took over after its original developer, Benchmark Leisure Ltd, collapsed in late 2023.

Currently, the site is being operated by Flamingo Land, which stepped in to reopen the venue in July 2024 on a short-term lease set to expire at the end of October 2026.

Richard Baldwin, a director at Stripe Leisure Consulting, says there are a range of models possible for the park's future operation, highlighting that the current operator could remain involved.

Richard Baldwin said:

"Obviously there is an operator in place at the moment. So, if a party came forward that didn't want to operate it, I'm sure there's a negotiation and possibly a form of extended operating agreement that that could be put in place.

Alternatively, that party may be an existing operator of a similar facility or a complementary facility, and they may well want to operate it themselves.

So, I think we're not pigeon holing ourselves into saying one outcome is suitable and certainly the council are going to leave themselves open to assessing all serious and bona fide proposals."

The council is offering the opportunity to acquire several surrounding land parcels to make the deal more attractive to potential investors. These include a large 4.7-hectare plateau formerly used as an amusement park, alongside a gateway site that previously held planning consent for a cinema and restaurants.

The sale is being targeted at existing water park operators around the world, as well as companies looking to diversify their leisure portfolios.

Richard Baldwin said:

"I've sold quite a few unique and interesting leisure assets from theme parks to piers, to lidos, to visitor attractions. This fits into that mould, so it's really spreading it out as far and wide as possible through a marketing campaign and also a bit of targeting as well. So we do know who operates water parks in the UK at the moment. We know who operates water parks in Europe, and we know who operates water parks in North America and actually globally. So we've put it to pretty much all of those parties as well.

We've also got a reasonably extensive list of people or companies looking for leisure assets to diversify portfolios that they might already have and this sort of fits into that stall as well."

The purpose-built indoor water park first opened in 2016. It features a large wave pool, a children's splash and play area, four significant waterslides including the Snow Storm and Black Run, outdoor pools, and a café. It also boasts a modern wellness suite complete with saunas, steam rooms, and treatment areas.

Gary Fielding, North Yorkshire Council's corporate director of resources, explained the local authority's approach to the sale.

Gary Fielding said:

"Alpamare is a well-established part of Scarborough's vibrant visitor economy and has the potential to drive much broader economic benefits. We are looking to secure a sustainable, long-term future for the venue and we recognise that to support this some bidders may propose incorporating one or more of the vacant plots within the North Bay area. We will listen to all interest and consider options carefully based on those criteria."

The sale is intended to align with the council's strategic master plan for the long-term regeneration of the North Bay area.

There is optimism that a deal could be reached by the time the current operational lease with Flamingo Land concludes in the autumn. For now, Alpamare continues to operate under its current agreement while the search for a new visionary custodian gets underway.

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