Scarborough's new cinema: plans change again, with a new Sky Bar and far fewer parking spaces

The long-running saga over plans for a multi-screen cinema in Scarborough's North Bay has taken another twist as the design of the building has been changed once more.
Artist's impression of the new cinema complexArtist's impression of the new cinema complex
Artist's impression of the new cinema complex

Scarborough Council granted permission to Benchmark Leisure Limited to build the cinema, car park and restaurant development on the former Atlantis water park site at Peasholm Gap in 2015 but the scheme has been dogged by delays.

Originally scheduled to open in 2018, that was pushed back to first 2019, then 2020.

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Read here about the latest delay, pushing the scheme back to 2020.

Now, a new set of plans has been submitted to the council which will drastically alter the scheme.

The most recent set of plans will keep the six cinema screens and five restaurant units, though the size of the eateries is reduced.

Added are a gym and sky bar. The number of proposed residential units as part of the development will now be 63, which is 30 more than in the first planning application.

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However, the biggest change is to the proposed multi-storey car park which will lose nearly 200 spaces. Under the new plans, it will have just 109 spaces, with 31 of those for residents of the flats.

The planning document states: “The majority of parking demand generated by the development will be met by utilising the capacity of existing public car parks in the vicinity of the site, which amount to approximately 900 parking spaces.

“A Variable Message Sign (VMS) system will be used to direct visitors to nearby public car parks when the on-site car park is approaching capacity.”

It adds: “The proposed Sky Bar is a new inclusion to the scheme, providing an upper level cafe/bar accompanied with roof terrace that provides views of the Bay.

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“The Sky Bar provides a new evening element to the development, that were not provided in previous proposals.”

The applicant’s report adds that without the increase in residential units the scheme would not be “financially viable”.

Councillors will decide on the plan in the new year.