Yorkshire seaside town could become 'destination of choice' for adventure sports

Scarborough Council is exploring plans to spend £20m on an inland surfing centre and £2m on a climbing, BMX, and skating centre.

It said that if the plans are approved, Scarborough could become a “destination of choice” for thousands of visitors who want to enjoy "adrenaline experiences and adventure sports" all year round.

The plan also sets out potential locations for the various activities across Scarborough, Whitby, Filey, Danby, Robin Hood’s Bay, and Cayton Bay.

It ties in with the recently approved North Bay masterplan which sets out an ambitious proposal for attracting hundreds of thousands of additional visitors to the area each year through new “adrenaline experiences” and “four-star plus” hotels.

Alongside the public consultation, the council has also published an 88-page feasibility study titled 'Adrenaline', which sets out the strategic roadmap for the project.

Lincolnshire-based Mulhall Leisure Consultancy was hired by the council to conduct the study.

There is an estimate that a £2m investment – half of which would come from the council over 15 years – in a BMX, climbing, and skating centre could attract more than 110,000 visitorsa year, create 10 to 15 jobs, and bring a “total economic gain” of £540,000 per year.

Similarly, the proposed £20m inland surfing centre is predicted to attract 100,000 visitors a year and create 50 to 60 jobs, with an estimated gain of £500,000 a year.

The study found the project could attract up 277,000 visitors to Scarborough each year, from the UK and abroad.

During a survey, 90 per cent of businesses and 84 per cent of people who took part said the current adventure sport and adrenalin experiences on offer need improvement.