Plans to redevelop the site of Scarborough's former indoor swimming pool could be a catalyst for a wider redevelopment of the North Bay.
That's the hope of North Yorkshire Council which is preparing to issue a tender document offering the site for redevelopment as a luxury hotel.
Regeneration Officer - Alex Richards - says it will be the first time the new authority has taken on such a scheme.
The plan to redevelop Scarborough's former indoor swimming pool site into a luxury hotel is going to be taken forward though a tendering process rather than a direct sale of the land.
The council says it has considered a number of options for the progression of disposal of the site and delivery of the resulting hotel including:
- Direct sale
- Open market sale
- Development agreement/Collaboration Agreement
- Joint venture – including the option of retaining the site as part of a wider development package for the North Bay masterplan area
Nick Harne - the council's Corporate Director for Community Development - says in the end they have decided to progress the scheme by using an open market competitive tender process to identify a development partner.
Nick says the approach may take a bit longer than a direct sale of the land but offers greater control over the redevelopment.
The council say the process offers a transparent land transaction to be achieved through an open market process adding:
"Whilst the development agreement process requires greater input and resource it enables the Local Authority to specify the detail of what it wants to achieve through the partnership, for example the type / standard of hotel it wants, any requirements around skills and training and even the sustainability credentials of the building. The specification within the development agreement will of course influence the overall development appraisal and the level of capital receipt payable for the land."
A report presented to local councillors last week said:
"There is a clear strategic need for a new high-quality hotel in Scarborough and the site of the former Indoor Swimming Pool was identified as suitable for this in the North Bay Masterplan. Expedient delivery of the scheme will provide direct economic benefits through job creation, hospitality sector diversification and growth, and additional spend within the economy whilst concurrently adding a tangible track record and momentum to delivery of the wider Masterplan"
The council's Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee last week gave it's backing to the proposal.
A report recommending a competitive tender to procure a development partner for the site will now need to be approved by North Yorkshire Council’s executive committee
Council officers have stated that they want the site to be “on the market by the end of the summer”.
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