Future of Scarborough Spa and Whitby Pavilion Under Scrutiny

The future of how Scarborough Spa and Whitby Pavilion will be run is set to be debated later this month.

Scarborough Council has confirmed that its cabinet will look at its contract with Sheffield City Trust (SCT), also known as Sheffield International Venues (SIV), which runs the seaside venues on behalf of the borough authority.

Last week, Sheffield City Council told Sheffield City Trust, which it subsidises, that it must end its loss-making contract with Scarborough Council “as soon as possible” before it will commit to further funding.

The city council has said it will not cover losses for contracts SCT has with other authorities going forward and wanted the agreements terminated “at minimum cost”.

It follows decisions by the city council to give up to £16.6 million to SCT this financial year, which is £11.6 million more than budgeted for.

It was revealed, during a scrutiny meeting in Sheffield, that the organisation has loss-making contracts in Scarborough, despite being a Sheffield-based organisation.

SIV has run the Scarborough Spa and Whitby Pavilion since 2012 but following the impact of the pandemic it “mothballed” both venues in July.

Asked about the comments from Sheffield City Council, a spokesman for Scarborough Council would only say “a report will be taken to cabinet on October 20″.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that the council may look to bring the venues, which employ more than 50 people locally, back in-house to run.

It could also look to find another partner to operate the Pavilion and Spa on its behalf.

In response to the directive from Sheffield City Council, Andrew Snelling, chief executive of SCT, said:

“We are continually reviewing the activities we are able to offer based on the latest Government guidance and are working closely with Scarborough Borough Council to review all potential solutions that ensures the sustainable future of Whitby Pavilion and Scarborough Spa.

“As is currently the case with a large number of events and hospitality venues across the country, the inability to hold large-scale events due to Covid-19 means that along with Sheffield City Hall and FlyDSA Arena, Scarborough Spa and Whitby Pavilion are not currently financially viable.

“Due to the unexpected and significant impact on the usual business operating model of Scarborough Spa and Whitby Pavilion, we are in discussions with Scarborough Borough Council to review all options that secures the future of these two much-loved venues.

“Our relationship with Scarborough Borough Council stretches back to 2012 and we continue to work closely with all partners during this period of uncertainty to ensure the sustainability of Sheffield City Trust and our venues, for our staff and customers.”