Future uncertain for historic Scarborough tennis pavilion as calls grow for urgent restoration

Richard Guthrie took on responsibility for the Grade II-listed structure 18 months ago after his business Bramcote Athletics Ltd opened a £1.2m eight-lane running track on land off Holbeck Road in the town.

The Victorian Society listed the diminutive wooden building as one of their top 10 endangered buildings in 2024, and says it needs urgent preservation.

The Arts and Crafts veranda-style bungalow, was built in 1885, just eight years after the first men’s singles championship was held at Wimbledon.

Following concerns that it could be demolished, it was listed in 2017, with Historic England describing it as "one of the earliest surviving lawn tennis buildings in the world."

The government’s heritage adviser raised the case with North Yorkshire Council at the end of last year.

An enforcement officer from NYC is due to make a site visit in the coming weeks.

There have also been claims by local councillor Rich Maw that without investment in maintenance it "won't survive another storm".

But Mr Guthrie said he wasn't aware that anything had “materially changed” and the pavilion had been dilapidated when he took it on.

He said: “All this hysteria about the latest storm making it structurally vulnerable is nonsensical.

“I just find it extraordinary that these people don't even bother to contact me.”

The ceiling and walls in the part of the building that can be seen in daylight – the central hall – appear largely intact to the untrained eye.

But there’s no glass in the windows and open gaps in the brickwork in the forward elevation.

Mr Guthrie said: “My responsibility is to make sure it doesn't depreciate further. It has been dilapidated for 50, 60, 70 years.

“I’ve full intentions when there's suitable means available and we have a definitive, useful plan, it will be fully refurbished."

He said his family had invested in a number of sporting facilities in the town, including the running track, which were making a real contribution to local life. He said: “We just need to determine exactly what we want the building for.

“The athletics track has only been running one full season – we can accommodate almost all athletics apart from the hammer.

“We still haven't established as a model how it should be run most efficiently.” He said he would welcome the Victorian Society and councillor Maw to come and discuss the issues face-to-face.

NYC’s head of development management, Martin Grainger said: “As a council, we have a duty to consider buildings like this in the public interest.

“So we are liaising with Historic England and will continue to do so. At the moment we are looking into the case.

“If working with the owners and our heritage partners does not lead to a positive outcome, the council has statutory powers to secure the structure of listed buildings as a last resort.”