Developers are due to be urged to come forward with initial plans to transform a series of sites in Scarborough’s North Bay amid proposals to bring a wave of new investment to the seaside town.
Locations which are owned by North Yorkshire Council have been identified for potential redevelopment in the area.
The sites are seen as providing an ideal opportunity for future development and are aimed at bringing fresh investment to Scarborough while helping to boost the town’s vital visitor economy, which is already worth £561 million each year and employs more than 5,600 full-time staff in the area.
Members of executive will consider plans on Tuesday next week (4 February) for a marketing exercise to ask developers how they would transform the locations that have been identified for investment.
The executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, whose responsibilities include economic development and the visitor economy, said: “Scarborough is one of our most popular destinations on the coast, and we want to help ensure that there is the investment in the town to benefit both local communities and visitors alike.
“We believe these sites in the North Bay offer real potential to help to drive forward the local economy.
“We will consider the proposals carefully to ensure that any market testing attracts the right sort of developer to provide the right kind of schemes for the town.”
The sites which have been identified include the former Atlantis Waterpark, the former Marvel’s amusement park and the land that was previously the location of the Kinderland children’s activity park.
The other sites include land where the town’s former indoor pool was based alongside its off-street parking while there are plans to maximise the potential for footpaths that weave around the North Bay.
The Alpamare Waterpark, which North Yorkshire Council took control of in December 2023 when the previous operator went into administration, and its off-street parking have also been identified as one of the sites.
The Alpamare site is currently run by Malton-based Flamingo Land, which has signed a 12-month lease after re-opening the attraction in July last year and has expressed an interest in extending the deal for a further year.
A report to the executive has stressed that a waterpark should remain as one of the long-term attractions in the North Bay.
The proposals would see the market testing launch in the middle of next month (February) and continue for between four and six weeks. It is hoped the exercise would allow the council to engage with private developers and gain an understanding of market interest and the potential for future development for the sites.
The responses received from developers would be assessed and used to inform the council’s approach for the sites, with updates presented to elected members later this year.
Deputy leader, Cllr Gareth Dadd, whose responsibilities include the authority’s finances, said: “The North Bay area of Scarborough does provide exciting opportunities for the town, and its future development would bring benefits for both residents and visitors.
“The sites which have been identified could also have major financial benefits for the council if they are redeveloped and we will consider the options which are available for the approach to the market testing when the executive meets next week.”
The report to the executive has outlined plans to bring high quality development to create a clear identity for the North Bay area and provide a contrast to the more traditional “seaside town” nature of the resort’s South Bay.
The ambition would be for development to complement existing attractions in the area, including the Scarborough Open Air Theatre, the North Bay Railway and Peasholm Park.
Under the plans for the market testing exercise, developers would be asked to provide a 1,000-word brief outlining projects which they have been involved in.
They would also be asked to identify the potential for the sites and whether they would be interested in taking on more than one location for redevelopment.
The market testing would ask for views on the inclusion of the Alpamare Waterpark site within the package of sites, and whether the council should also look to broaden the redevelopment plans to other locations in the town for longer-term partnerships.
The chair of the Scarborough and Whitby area committee, Cllr Liz Colling, who represents the Falsgrave and Stepney division in Scarborough, 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 make sure that any development in the town is beneficial for residents too.
“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.
“This would help to ensure that the younger generations of our residents can remain in the town where they grew up and embark on a career here.”
Keighley firm appointed to fit out new Darley Street Market
Bradford Council has appointed local firm R N Wooler and Co Ltd to complete the fit out of two of the floors at the new Bradford city centre Darley Street Market.
The company, which is based in Keighley, will be working with the traders on the fit out of the fresh food and the non-food floors at the new state of the art venue.
They will be producing drawings based on individual trader requirements, prior to starting work on site to deliver the final fitout of these stalls which will be located on the middle and lower floors.
R N Wooler and Co Ltd have experience working on markets, having carried out the refurbishment works to Keighley Market several years ago. They have also been involved in the transformation of the former Odeon building into Bradford Live.
The new Darley Street Market building is set in a 4,000 square metre prime city centre location and has three trading floors that will welcome independent traders, as well as creating a cultural space for live music, arts and entertainment.
The top floor will be a modern food and drinks hall with bar area, stage and large screens for events. This floor also has a terrace balcony overlooking the 1,000m2 open air market square.
The middle floor will have a wide range of fresh food stalls including butchers, bakers, fishmongers, greengrocers and delicatessens.
The ground floor is where the non-food stalls are, as well as two cafes which open out on to the market square. The square features a big screen and can hold around 500 people for events and concerts. It also has a series of interlocking umbrellas, which can be used to create an undercover area for pop-up market stalls and events.
Below the market square is a large underground area for trader deliveries, additional storage and waste handling and recycling.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “We’re delighted to be able to announce that we’ve appointed local firm R N Wooler and Co Ltd to work with traders on the creation of the stalls on the middle and lower floors based on their requirements. They did an amazing job on Bradford Live and it’s great to have them involved in another of our flagship regeneration projects.
“The new market will be a real game changer for the city centre, providing a much-needed connection between the improvement work which has taken place at the top of town on the North Parade area as well as the new public spaces and traffic-free areas at the lower end of town which make it easier and safer for pedestrians.
“The new Darley Street Market fits into our plans for City Village, which will create a healthy, sustainable and community-friendly neighbourhood with 1,000 homes, three community parks, retail, and office space.”
Gareth Wooler, Director at R N Wooler and Co Ltd, said: “We’re thrilled to be appointed to work on the fit out of the new Darley Street Market. We’re a Bradford district business based in Keighley, so it’s fantastic to be working on such an incredible building and with local traders to produce market stalls that meet their requirements, which will also be serving local people and visitors to the district.”
Harworth predicts good financial results after strong year
The Chief Exec of land and property developer Harworth says the company is confident of its ability to reach a £1 billion EPRA NDV target by the end of 2027.
In a trading update on the back of a strong performance in 2024 Lynda Shillaw said: “We have an extensive platform to scale the business, owning and controlling a sizeable land pipeline, capable of delivering 33.6 million sq. ft. of Industrial & Logistics space and 31,264 new homes, and we remain well positioned in structurally undersupplied sectors that are fundamental to the UK’s economic growth.
“With low debt and high available liquidity, we are well placed to take advantage of opportunities whilst remaining resilient through the near-term macro-economic uncertainty.
“The consistency of Harworth’s performance over time continues to highlight the agility and resilient nature of our business model, and our team’s expertise in identifying and driving significant latent value from the portfolio.
“We continue to make solid progress in delivering our strategy and are confident in our ability to continue to drive both strong returns and long-term value from our landbank and development activities.”
Robotics software platform company secures £4m investment
University of Sheffield spinout BOW (Bettering Our Worlds), a robotics software platform company, has secured £4 million.
Law firm names new associate director
Yorkshire law firm Berwins has appointed estate planning specialist Paul Colman as an Associate Director.
Paul specialises in supporting those with complex estate planning needs and has a track record of delivering effective solutions in an accessible way.
MD Danielle Day said: “As a firm, we know the impact that deep expertise can have on the lives of those we support. Paul has that in abundance, and he combines that with an ability to condense complex legal concepts into accessible solutions.”
Paul will take on leadership on the firm’s estate planning work, working alongside department head, probate specialist, Derek Hellawell, who said: “The creation of two centres of excellence within the Life team, one focused on estate planning and one on estate administration, is designed to enhance the client’s experience” added Derek.
“It means that clients will have direct access to leaders in their respective fields and will help to maintain the high levels of care Berwins is renowned for delivering.”
Demolition marks start of redevelopment I Boston town centre
Demolition of the old B&M store and the Crown House building in Boston town centre marks a major milestone in the Rosegarth Square redevelopment project.
The project, led by Boston Borough Council and funded by £14.8m from the Government, aims to transform the area between the River Witham and the bus station.
Demolition began with the safe removal of asbestos, which is expected to be complete this week. Contractors Lindum will then dismantle the B&M store, followed by Crown House. Planning permission was granted to replace Crown House with a mixed-use development featuring ground-floor retail units and upper-storey apartments.
Lindum Group Co-chairman Freddie Chambers said the entire demolition process should be completed by the end of March. “Lindum has been working with the council for more than a year to help bring forward the Rosegarth Square scheme.
“Initially, we were appointed to help with the public realm development,” he said. “But as the council’s masterplan progressed, and it purchased the B&M and Crown House buildings, our team assisted with the design and planning stages of the wider scheme.”
“We’ve been on-site since January, carrying out preparatory work. It should take until the end of March to complete the demolition and then construction of the new building will begin.”
The entire redevelopment is expected to take up to a 18 months to complete.
Yorkshire Water names seven contract partners for projects worth £850m
Yorkshire Water has appointed Barhale, Galliford Try, Glanua, Kier, Mott MacDonald Bentley, Tilbury Douglas, and Ward & Burke as contract partners to a non-infrastructure works framework involving projects worth £850m between now and 2030.
They will provide civil engineering, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control and automation and building capability and expertise to the utility as it increases investment in clean water and wastewater networks across Yorkshire.
The utility will undertake its largest ever environmental investment programme in the AMP8 period, with plans to invest £8.3bn across the business recently approved by Ofwat, the water industry’s regulator.
Rachael Fox, head of programme delivery at Yorkshire Water, said: “We’re looking forward to working with our chosen partners as we embark on an ambitious investment programme from 2025. There’s a big challenge ahead – not only to meet new regulatory requirements, but to meet customer expectations too – and effective collaboration will be key to our success.”
Former logistics firm boss joins Community Foundation in trustee role
David Price, former MD of Price Express Transport Ltd, has joined the Board of South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation as a trustee.
David established his business in 1979 from his parents’ home. Over nearly four decades, he grew Price Express Transport into a successful logistics company operating in a niche market across the UK, before selling in 2015.
He holds ‘The David Price Charitable Fund’ with SYCF, which supports local charities aligning with David’s passion for helping young people back into work, education or training and projects reducing social isolation amongst older people.
David said: “I’ve spent my lifetime living and working in South Yorkshire, so when I sold my business just over ten years ago, I wanted to find a way to help more disadvantaged people in the region.
“Through a personal fund, South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation has enabled me to achieve that. But I wanted to do even more, so I’m absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to help make a bigger difference by becoming a trustee.
“SYCF is a unique organisation which does some incredible work, particularly supporting the real grassroots groups in our region. I’m proud to be a part of the team.”
Two join Eddison’s in transport planning team
Property consultancy Eddisons has expanded its transport planning and design team by appointing two graduate transport planners.
They are Sheffield Hallam University graduate Rhiannon Cowan and Hanna Wyn Jones, from the University of Liverpool.
Associate director Mark Cleary said: “We are really pleased to welcome our new transport planners Hanna and Rhiannon to the team. Eddisons prides itself on continuously attracting and developing the best young talent and their enthusiasm and fresh thinking are essential to the firm’s ongoing success.
“In the past couple of months alone, we were delighted to see our clients gain planning consents for three particular projects across the North West and Yorkshire that we provided transport and infrastructure advice on, and it’s great to be starting 2025 with momentum and a busy pipeline of work for the coming months.”
Eddisons’ transport planning and design team were integral to service station operator Moto’s recent successful application to redevelop its Barton Park Truckstop at junction 56 of the A1 motorway near Darlington. After consent was given by North Yorkshire Council last month, the facility is now set to be redeveloped as a full motorway service area, built on brownfield land.
South Yorkshire firm wins $7m funding to boost business in Africa’s DRC
Pay-per-use battery rentals company Mopo, which operates in Sheffield, has secured funding of $7m from British International Investment to expand its operation to reach a million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It will use the funds to enhance access to sustainable energy for millions in urban and rural African communities which suffer from unstable or absent grid infrastructure.
The company’s batteries provide power for lighting, phone charging, and DC appliances, and the larger MOPOMax, designed to power larger 230V appliances, replacing petrol generators or serve as a battery swap solution for e-motorbike taxis. Customers rent, return, and replace these MOPO batteries on a pay-per-use basis at MOPO’s solar-powered hubs managed by local agents.
This approach enables families and small businesses to access affordable electricity without the need for costly upfront investments in equipment or the need for consumer debt burdens. Furthermore, it provides a cleaner and significantly more cost-effective alternative to carbon-based fuel generation.
MOPO CEO Chris Longbottom said: “Our mission is to create a high-impact, sustainable solution that empowers households and small businesses by providing access to electricity without the burden of costly upfront equipment purchases. The partnership with BII aligns perfectly with BII’s mandate to finance initiatives that drive social and economic development. Together, we aim to make clean, affordable energy accessible to those who need it most, fostering growth within the communities we serve.”
Currently less than17% of the DRC’s population has access to electricity, ith the World Bank ranking the DRC among the 10 least electrified countries globally.
Mr Longbottom added: “We recently achieved a significant milestone, surpassing 23 million rentals across Sub-Saharan Africa, with the DRC emerging as one of our key growth markets. With a population exceeding 100 million and over 80% lacking access to electricity, the need in this country for our service is both compelling and substantial. This financing from BII marks the beginning of what we envision as a long-term partnership, enabling us to accelerate our ambitious growth strategy in the DRC and make a transformative impact on the lives of millions by delivering reliable and affordable energy solutions.”
Chris Chijiutomi, Managing Director and Head of Africa at BII, said, “Imagine a battery, that can power everything from phones to fridges, lights and larger appliances, enabling businesses even in the most remote locations, to thrive when the supply of electricity is non-existent or unreliable. This is why backing energy access is a key priority for BII to drive sustainable economic growth, particularly in Africa’s frontier markets including DRC.”
