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Council Debating Alpamare Alcohol Plan

Councillors will decide whether alcohol can be served from 8am at Scarborough’s Alpamare water park.

An application to serve alcohol from 8am to 10pm, seven days a week, at the Alpamare water park is set to be decided by councillors on the authority’s statutory licensing sub-committee next week.

Members of the public have objected to the proposal and suggested that the time limits for serving alcohol should be limited.

Alpamare reopened last month after North Yorkshire Council gave Flamingo Land a contract to run the £14m park which had been shut since its former owners went into administration.

The waterpark has several indoor and outdoor pools, slides, a spa, restaurant, bar and associated facilities.

While Flamingo Land is the operator of the water park, the licensing application was submitted by North Yorkshire Council in June.

Councillors on the licensing sub-committee will meet on Tuesday, August 13 to discuss the application.

Several objections to the “irresponsible” plan were submitted by residents who raised concerns about antisocial behaviour and public safety.

According to a council report, alcohol would only be consumed within the red line shown on the plans and would be prohibited in the children’s area, wave pool, flumes, or changing rooms.

Alcohol would also only be sold to people who had bought a ticket to the water park, drinks would not be served in glassware, and the premises would operate a Challenge 25 policy.

Local resident Esther Morrison, who objected to the plan, said:

“With the best will in the world, even if Flamingo Land is able to achieve and maintain the staffing levels needed for public safety, those staff are unlikely to be old enough or experienced enough to handle customers under the influence of alcohol.”

“It is insane and irresponsible to contemplate allowing alcohol to be served at Alpamare.

“But if it is served it should not be before noon, there should be a unit consumption limit, and it should only be served and consumed in a dedicated area.”

The report states that there would be “specific supervision of areas where alcohol may be consumed” and all staff engaged in the sale of alcohol will receive the appropriate training.

Another local objector David Knowles said he planned on using the facility for “fun and fitness” with his grandchildren.

He told the council:

“I think in the interests of public safety these timings are excessive.

“It is a family facility, […] do you really want drunk mums and dads in a swimming complex?”

The council took control of the site last year after the collapse of Benchmark Leisure Ltd, which struggled with rising energy costs.

Alpamare opened in North Bay in 2016 and the company was given a £9m loan from what was then Scarborough Council.

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