Scarborough cinema agreement extended
The council has now put it back to the end of January.
The agreement between Scarborough Council and the developers behind plans for a multiplex cinema on the North Bay has been extended.
It was originally due to expire today, but will now run till the end of January and could be further extended until mid-February.
The decision has been made by the authority's Leader, Steve Siddons.
Benchmark Leisure made the request two weeks ago, saying if it was agreed it would pay off an existing loan from the Council, worth £8.5 million, early.
That was to facilitate building the Alpamare Water Park.
Contractually, that sum has another 30 years to be re-paid in full.
A council document states:
_"I_t is most disappointing that Benchmark have failed to provide the Council with substantial reassurance regarding the deliverability of their proposals for the whole of the Sands development during the lifetime of the existing Development Agreement. That being said, Benchmark has suggested that they would be prepared to pay off the full Water Park Loan balance if they are given the opportunity to extend the existing agreement.
For clarity, Benchmark are notified that:
- for the Council to consider any further request to grant a further substantive extension to the Development Agreement, as a minimum this would need to be conditional upon Benchmark repaying the total amount outstanding on the Water Park loan to the Councilon the same date as completion of that Agreement and that in any event any final decision to extend the Development Agreement remains at the absolute discretion of the Council and Benchmark carries out any further work to bring forward proposals to secure asubstantive extension to the existing Development Agreement entirely at its own risk."
Planning permission for the development was first granted in 2015, but a number of issues have caused delays and new plans.
In November 2019, we told you the latest proposals to be approved were for a 6-screen cinema, 53 apartments, 5 restaurants and 4 shops - as well as a bar, gym and 59 car parking spaces.
At that time, developers Benchmark Leisure said they hoped it would be open by Christmas this year, but were very confident it would be ready by next year.
Chief Executive. Roland Duce, said he expected work to start by February 2020, but no construction has been evident.