Bowls club gets new site as Scarborough Council announces town will become centre of sporting excellence

Collaboration between property developer Broadland Properties Ltd, independent school Scarborough College and Scarborough Borough Council will lead to the development of an international competition standard athletics track on the former Bramcote School playing fields to the south of the town centre, as well as six state of the art tennis courts and bowling facilities nearby, on land between Deepdale Avenue and College Lane.

Broadland Properties Ltd is Scarborough Borough Council’s preferred bidder to redevelop the council’s old sports centre site on Filey Road for housing, but it has also committed to developing facilities for athletics and tennis on the other two sites as part of its investment proposals. Scarborough Borough Council will facilitate the provision of brand new bowling facilities next to the tennis courts.

A low-density development of high-quality executive housing is proposed for the land on which the old sports centre and adjoining bowling green are currently located.

The new, "state of the art, bowling facilities" proposed for land between Deepdale Avenue and College Lane, which is owned by the council but managed by Scarborough College, will provide a new home for Scarborough South Cliff Bowls Club.

The new adjoining tennis courts will be constructed to national competition standard and will transform the provision of tennis facilities in the borough.

The tennis courts and the athletics track planned for the former Bramcote School playing fields site will greatly enhance the provision of sporting facilities for Scarborough College and its students.

The sites will also be accessible for use by the local community and visiting groups.

Richard Guthrie, Director of Broadland Properties Ltd said:

“I’m absolutely delighted that the council has chosen our bid for this site. As a company and a family, we are spoilt to live and work in the Scarborough area and as such are committed to the town and its continued success.

“This project is going to roll out a housing development, the character of which the town has not seen in a generation or more. It is going to bring back the much needed and much missed suitable tennis facilities to the heart of the town and together with all of the above, it’s going to add to the town’s growing plethora of outstanding wider sports and leisure associated opportunities, with the development of an IAAF accredited oval 400 metre running track. Regional, national and international records are going to be broken on Scarborough ‘turf’, by Scarborough heroes.”

Cllr Derek Bastiman, leader of Scarborough Borough Council said: “We have been in competitive dialogue about these hugely ambitious plans for many months, but due to the stringent procurement process, we have been unable to go public with them until now.

"We have been fully aware of the local concerns for the future of Scarborough South Cliff Bowls Club in recent weeks so we hope today’s announcement will eradicate those concerns and show that we are committed to delivering excellent sporting facilities for local use.

“We are absolutely delighted to be working with Broadland Properties and Scarborough College on the plans, which signal the start of a new legacy for sporting excellence in Scarborough. We admire the Guthrie family’s passion for the borough, which mirrors the council’s ambitious agenda and we can’t wait to get started on taking these plans to the next stage.

“Together with the recently opened Scarborough Sports Village and the brand new squash facilities under development at Scarborough Rugby Club, we truly believe Scarborough will become the best place in the UK, if not Europe, for sporting facilities, for the size of the town.”

Charles Ellison, headmaster of Scarborough College said:

“Scarborough College has a rich and long-standing reputation for sporting excellence and the development of these new world-class facilities is a further major step in cementing our position as one of the UK's leading independent schools. Furthermore, the college has in recent years developed its relationship very positively with the wider community of Scarborough through the shared use of its sports hall and AstroTurf, and an extended community partnership in relation to athletics, tennis and bowls will further strengthen the college's intertwined relationship with the town, which has been nurtured for more than 120 years.”

Tony Campbell, chairman of Scarborough South Cliff Bowls Club, said:

“It is well known locally that we were campaigning to retain our green not only to secure the future of the club but also to preserve its unique setting.

"However, from the club’s point of view, the site now offered for provision adjoining the proposed tennis courts, is a very acceptable alternative.

"It is a short distance from our current site, within the conservation area and is very accessible to our membership; certainly a situation where the long-term sustainability of the bowling club can be assured. We look forward to working with the council and its partners on this exciting project.”

Harry Forkin, chairman of Scarborough Athletic Club said:

“This is brilliant news for Scarborough and we very much welcome the planned investment in track and field facilities, something which we’re confident the town will benefit hugely from.

"To encourage greater participation in athletics and nurture the next generation of athletes, the facility will need to be accessible to children from all schools across the area and we hope this need will be taken into account as the exciting plans are progressed.”