Shortlist for sports village project

Scarborough Council has been inundated with more than 400 responses to a major public consultation that ended on Monday.

The public’s views were sought on three development documents which will pave the way for the sports and leisure village.

The need to boost sports provision has been a long-running issue, amplified when Scarborough FC’s 128-year history ended in June 2007 because of crippling debts.

The sports village will provide a base for the fledgling football team, Scarborough Athletic FC, which has been forced to conduct “home” games at Bridlington.

Senior council officials have confirmed an existing shortlist of six developers will be whittled down to just three by the end of 2011. Detailed plans will then be submitted by each of the companies to the council at the start of 2012, before the preferred developer is selected in the autumn of next year.

In September last year, the council launched the bid to recruit the developer to oversee the creation of the sports village on the Weaponness Valley site, which is owned by the authority.

To finance the scheme, two other council-owned sites – the former McCain Stadium in Seamer Road, which was the home of the now defunct Scarborough FC, and the Filey Road Sports Centre – need to be sold off. Development briefs are being drawn up for all three sites.

Scarborough FC became a casualty of £2.5m debts and a failure to agree terms on lifting restrictions preventing the sale of the McCain Stadium to house-builders.

The successful bidder appointed to transform the Weaponness Valley site will be allowed to develop the stadium site and the Filey Road Sports Centre to recoup the cost of building the sports village.