THE vision for Scarborough’s sporting future has been unveiled.

Scarborough Council bosses have revealed plans for a new 2,000 capacity football stadium on the former Weaponness Valley coach park.

The ground would be the base for a multi-million pound cutting edge sports complex in the town complete with a 25-metre swimming pool and multi-sport facilities.

The moves could finally pave the way for the demolition of the former Athletic Ground, in Seamer Road, with 150 new homes expected to be built on the site.

And council chiefs have also banished doubts about the future of the Filey Road Sports Centre, confirming it will remain open until the completion of the sports village.

Read more at Scarborough Evening News

THREE organisations in Scarborough are celebrating after securing Arts Council funding for the next three years beginning 2012/13.

The funding, which was announced yesterday, has been made available for the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Crescent Arts and the National Student Drama Festival.

Crescent Arts will receive £70,000 each year, which is 58 per cent up on last time.

Director Stuart Cameron said: “It’s really the difference between us being able to survive in the long term or not.

“It’s a huge vote of confidence in what we’re doing here.”

He added that he believes Scarborough as a whole had done very well for arts funding, saying: “It absolutely demonstrates a recognition of what is happening with the arts in Scarborough and the fact that they want to keep that going.”

The money will go towards supporting and promoting contemporary visual arts in Scarborough and beyond.

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WORK to build a much anticipated family waterpark in Scarborough is planned to start in June 2012.

The park, which is expected to attract 400,000 visitors a year, has been on the agenda as part of the North Bay’s Sands Development since it was first proposed in 2002.

However, following the submission of a new Masterplan for the project, developers say a water park is the next priority and have set a completion date of November 2013.

The first phase of the Sands, which included the waterfront apartments and the Open Air Theatre, was completed by developers Benchmark.

Since phase one was finished Benchmark has been taken over by new owners who are taking a new approach to the scheme.

Read more at Scarborough Evening News

A Scarborough street is bucking the recession blues to herald a retail renaissance.

Bar Street – once called Scarborough’s answer to York’s Shambles – has battled against shop closures and falling sales to regain its status as a thriving thoroughfare.

The street recently welcomed new outlets including Guitar Galleries and the Little Fruit Shop to bolster trade alongside more established businesses such as Boddy’s Cafe and Via Herba.

During the height of the credit crunch, the street – home to several privately owned businesses – saw traders move on as profits declined.

However, the area is now beginning to shows signs of financial fruition, a fact testified by Tracy Harrison of the The Little Fruit Shop who said business had been brisk since moving from their long-familiar stall in Westborough in October last year.

Read more at Scarborough Evening News

SCARBOROUGH’s historic Futurist Theatre could receive coveted listed status next month.

Government bosses are currently poring over the venue’s application as the campaign to resurrect the building grows in stature.

However, plans to introduce a charitable trust to oversee the running of the theatre remain deadlocked - with efforts to rectify the situation hamstrung by financial constraints and a key decision on land surrounding the Foreshore Road building.

The situation will be discussed by Scarborough Council officials next week.

But Patricia David, who set up an alternative task group alongside Diane Tasker and Colin Bainbridge into the Futurist’s ultimate continuation, said the delays in effecting any changes was frustrating.

She said: “There has been a massive log jam for listing applications and the earliest a decision will be made is next month.

“But English Heritage have been very helpful in finding out what stage the application is at and how long it could take.

“We are all extremely hopeful over listing.”

Read more at Scarborough Evening News

RENOVATION work is underway on Scarborough’s historic North Marine Road cricket ground.

This year will see the ground host the 125th anniversary of the ever-popular annual cricket festival, which has attracted some of the finest players in the sport’s history to the town over the years such as Don Bradman, Geoff Boycott and Ricky Ponting.

Last August it was announced it will definitely host first-class county action for the next decade following confirmation of an exclusive deal with Yorkshire Cricket Club after months of protracted negotiations. The venue, which has previously attracted criticism for the standard of its facilities, is undergoing a number of improvements including a makeover of the pavilion, alterations to the ticket office and pavilion windows, and demolition and replacement of the existing toilet block on the east terrace. There will also be a new shop adjoining the new toilet block.

Read more at Scarborough Evening News

A CONSULTATION period on plans for two separate supermarket developments in Scarborough has been extended to the end of next month.

A consultation period on plans for two separate supermarket developments in Scarborough has been extended to the end of next month.

Tesco and Assura Properties have submitted plans for a supermarket in Dean Road and Sainsbury’s has proposed an expansion of its Falsgrave store.

The extended consultation period will now allow the views of those people who attend an urban area forum meeting specifically about the Tesco plan – organised in conjunction with the urban space group – to be taken into consideration.

Pauline Elliott, Scarborough Council’s head of regeneration and planning, said: “Any written comments we receive before the consultation deadline will be included in the reports that will be considered by councillors when they come to take the decisions on the two supermarket planning applications in April.

Read more at Scarborough Evening News

SCARBOROUGH’S 2011 tourism season has been given a boost as £10 million is pumped in to Welcome to Yorkshire.

The tourist board has secured the funding from regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, which is set to close in March 2012.

Bosses at Welcome to Yorkshire say the investment means the continuation of high impact marketing campaign and the development of festivals and events as well as support for the many thousands of tourism businesses across the county to develop their product and skills.

It will also be used by Welcome to Yorkshire to help develop a new funding model beyond 2012, after Yorkshire Forward is disbanded.

Scarborough Council’s tourism manager Janet Deacon, who has recently been appointed an area director for Welcome to Yorkshire, explains what the funding will mean for Scarborough.

She said: “It is fantastic news for Scarborough that the funding has been secured as it will allow Welcome to Yorkshire to continue to undertake the large campaigns to attract people to Scarborough. It also means Scarborough will continue to be promoted national and internationally, along with the rest of Yorkshire, as a place to visit.”

Read more at Scarborough Evening News

TESCO will not have to assess the impact of their proposed new Scarborough superstore on surrounding residents and the environment before submitting a planning application.

It has emerged that Scarborough Council, who stand to make £10 million from the sale of the land off Dean Road, has told the supermarket giant they will not have to complete an Environmental Impact Assessment.

Under law, an Environmental Impact Assessment is required for major developments which “are likely to give rise to significant environmental effects”.

During the process, information is collated and assessed before a decision is reached on whether a project should go ahead.

It is up to the council to decide whether a development of the type Tesco are proposing would fit the criteria that would require an Environmental Impact Assessment.

Scarborough and District Civic Society argued strongly that an assessment should have been completed, citing the proposed store’s size, design, proximity to listed buildings and residential areas and its potential to increase traffic and noise.

Read more at Scarborough Evening News

COMMUNITY groups in the Scarborough area have been invited to enter a TV Lottery funding competition that could see them winning up to £60,000 to improve their communities.

The Jubilee People’s Millions is a Big Lottery Fund scheme run in partnership with ITV open to groups with ideas for community-based projects that improve places or the lives of local people.

The deadline for entries is 4 February 2011. Details of how to apply can be found on www.biglotteryfund.org.uk or by phoning 0845 10 20 30.

Via Scarborough Evening News