North Bay Night Club or Family Water Park?

A premises license application by Alpamare UK Ltd has been made to Scarborough Borough Council (SBC) for the planned North Bay Water Park attraction. The content of the premises license application has come as a shock to residents in Scarborough’s tranquil North Bay. The Water Park attraction borders a residential housing estate built on the former Burniston Barracks site.

Planning permission for the North Bay Water Park attraction was granted on the 16th August 2012 by councillors on the Planning Committee. A £9million loan facility was later agreed for Benchmark Leisure Ltd to begin construction of the long-awaited attraction on the 9th September 2013 by full council.

A year later, there has been no movement.

The decision notice for the planning application was quite explicit regarding the opening times that were agreed for the Water Park:

“No customer shall be permitted on the Water Park premises as shaded in green on plan BL/Sands 111 between 2330 and 0730 hours. Furthermore, no customer shall be allowed on other parts of the Water Park premises after 2200 hours and before 0900 hours and the water rides shall close 15 minutes before the last customer leaves.”

“Reason: In the interests of residential amenity and to comply with policy H10 of the adopted Scarborough Borough Local Plan.”

The premises license application asks for:

A: Films (indoors & outdoors) Monday – Sunday – 08:00 – 02:00

Planning permission was granted to Benchmark on the condition that the water park would open at 9am and close at 10pm. Why 2am?

B: Indoors Sporting Events (indoors) Monday – Sunday – 08:00 – 02:00

This indoor sporting event license is required when more than one thousand people will be attending an event. Why 2am?

C: Live Music (indoors & outdoors) Monday – Sunday – 08:00 – 02:00
D: Recorded Music (indoors & outdoors) Monday – Sunday – 08:00 – 02:00
F: Anything of a similar description to C, D or E above (indoors & outdoors) Monday – Sunday – 08:00 – 02:00
This is typically required by bars and nightclubs, which could explain the reason they want a license until 2am. Outdoor music for eighteen hours a day, seven days a week, which is every waking hour for most residents, doesn’t sound very pleasant for those living near to the proposed water park attraction.

E: Performance of Dance (indoors & outdoors) Monday – Sunday – 08:00 – 02:00
This event license is required when more than 500 people will be attending an event with professional dancers. Will the family water park be turning into an exotic dancing venue after hours?

Sale by Retail of Alcohol (on & off sales) Monday – Sunday – 08:00 – 02:00
Alpamare want a premises license to serve alcohol until 2am knowing that Benchmark were granted planning permission to build on the condition the venue closes at 10pm.

Provision of Late Night Refreshment (indoors and outdoors) Monday – Sunday – 23:00 – 02:00
Alpamare want a license to serve hot food and drink, for consumption on or off the premises, from 11pm until 2am in the morning. Benchmark were granted planning permission on the condition that the venue closes at 10pm!

Judging by the premises license application, Benchmark and Alpamare appear to have different ideas how the new North Bay Water Park attraction is going to be run. Alpamare appear to have plans to run the Water Park attraction until 2am in the morning, possibly as a nightclub or exotic dancing venue!

If Alpamare are granted a premises license until 2am by the Licensing Committee, Benchmark will need to vary the terms of the planning agreement, which means the North Bay Water Park attraction will need to go back in front of the Planning Committee before they can open until 2am legally.

Objections should be made to the Licensing Services department at Scarborough Borough Council before the 12th September 2014.