Scarborough’s Alpamare water park set to reopen at the end of July

It comes a month after North Yorkshire Council bosses approved Flamingo Land as the site’s new operator.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the authority’s assistant director for property services, Kerry Metcalfe, said: “Work is ongoing at Alpamare and with Flamingo Land to get the water park ready for reopening at the end of July.”

Gordon Gibb, Flamingo Land’s chief executive and owner, said it was “an exciting new venture” for the company.

The council took control of the site last year when developer Benchmark Leisure Ltd went into administration.

Alpamare opened in Scarborough’s North Bay in 2016 with the help of a £9m bail-out loan from the now-defunct Scarborough Council.

Developer Benchmark still owed the authority £7.8m last year but there will be “no further payments” of the loan.

Reacting to the news, Shirley Smith, president of the Scarborough Hospitality Association, said she was “delighted” and believed Alpamare’s reopening would have “a really positive impact on local hospitality businesses, and in turn benefit the whole community”.

“Many folks visit the town specifically for the water park but stay to eat and shop locally so the wider impact is very positive,” she added.

Since the site’s closure last year concerns have been regularly raised that a new operator would price out locals, something which residents have said was previously also an issue.

Speaking at a meeting in May, Coun Rich Maw said: “The focus on tourism alone has failed and we need an affordable ticket price to ensure that locals have access all year round.”

Ms Smith also called for “additional local benefits such as the introduction of a residential discount or off-season rate to ensure locals are able to keep visiting throughout the year and hopefully ensure its future”.

She told the LDRS: “For a resort that relies so heavily on tourism, it is great to see this wonderful attraction re-opening and we hope that it is the first of many good news stories, for the town, in the coming season.

“We wish the new operators of Alpamare every success.”

Flamingo Land did not immediately respond to a request for comment.