On 30th December 2020, one day before the Benchmark & Scarborough Borough Council current agreement for the Sands Development was due to end, the Leader of Scarborough Borough Council made an executive decision “to extend the long stop date of the Sands Development Agreement with Benchmark to 31 January 2021”.
It is understood this extension was given due to legal issues at the Borough’s Cabinet meeting of 14th December 2020.
“.. subsequent to the publication of the report, officers had received legal correspondence from solicitors acting on behalf of Benchmark disputing the expiry. This correspondence had just been received, and in view of this, officers were unable to comment any further at this time. The Chairman, Councillor Siddons then advised that since this matter was now subject to legal professional privilege and in view of the fact that the report did not require a decision of Cabinet, it was not appropriate for Members to comment on the report at the meeting, so he would not be inviting questions and comments from Members.”
Council Leader Steve Siddon’s said at the time of the Executive decision: “Benchmark Leisure made the request two weeks ago, saying if it was agreed it would pay off an existing loan from the Council, worth £8.5 million, early. That was to facilitate building the Alpamare Water Park. Contractually, that sum has another 30 years to be re-paid in full.”
Of note – “any final decision to extend the Development Agreement remains at the absolute discretion of the Council and Benchmark carries out any further work to bring forward proposals to secure a substantive extension to the existing Development Agreement entirely at its own risk.”
And – “Subject to the appropriate information being provided by Benchmark the 31 January 2021 –a report will be presented to February Cabinet to consider any further extension.”
Meanwhile as the discussions over the Sands Development continue and the future of the North Bay is left in the balance, local residents might be interested in the Right to Regenerate as follows:
North Bay Action Group 