Fresh questions have emerged over the future of Scarborough’s Alpamare water park after Flamingo Land confirmed its involvement with the site had come to an end.
“As of midnight on October 31, our journey operating Alpamare Scarborough came to an end,” the theme park operator announced this weekend.
The development comes as North Yorkshire Council continues work on a planned sale of the attraction ahead of its expected reopening next year.
The company thanked the Scarborough community for its support during its time at the attraction, adding: “It has been our pleasure to welcome you all through our doors, share in your family memories and be part of such a vibrant town.”
The announcement follows the expiry of Flamingo Land’s lease agreement at the site on October 31.
North Yorkshire Council took control of Alpamare following the collapse of former operator Benchmark Leisure in 2023 and subsequently entered into a lease agreement with Flamingo Land, which reopened the attraction in July 2024.
In September, the authority revealed that a successful bid had been received following the sale process, although the preferred buyer has not yet been publicly identified.
At the time, the council said the bidder intended to undertake refurbishment works, including improvements to the facility’s energy efficiency, before reopening the attraction during the first quarter of 2027.
Kerry Metcalfe, assistant director for commercial, property and procurement at North Yorkshire Council, said the successful bid would pave the way for private sector investment while allowing the authority to avoid future operating costs and liabilities.
With Flamingo Land’s lease now expired, questions remain over the next phase of the site’s transition to new ownership.
NYC said the sale is progressing and stressed in September that the transaction had not yet been completed and that further details would only be released once contracts had been exchanged and the sale finalised.
The water park forms part of a wider regeneration vision for Scarborough’s North Bay, where council leaders have repeatedly stated they want to see a water park remain a long-term attraction.
Flamingo Land said it wished the venue “all the very best for the future”.
The council has not yet publicly identified the preferred bidder or announced when contracts are expected to be exchanged, although officials previously said they hoped the facility could reopen during the first quarter of 2027.
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