Redcar and Cleveland Council is under pressure to reconsider its stance over the prospect of a new 5,000 seater indoor arena to be built on land at Coatham.
An online petition set up by the firm behind the plans, Coatham Arena Limited, has reached 3,419 signatures at the last count in the space of a couple of days.
Meanwhile, Redcar MP Jacob Young said he was “disappointed” the local authority did not deem the site to be suitable and both parties needed to find a way to overcome the sticking points.
The council’s cabinet member for economic development, councillor Christopher Gallacher said last week that, based on the information it had been provided with, it was not satisfied the proposed site was suitable or the development viable going forward.
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The local authority outlined a number of concerns, including whether the proposed building and associated infrastructure could effectively physically sit on the site; the impact on surrounding homes from a visual and noise perspective; the overall cost of delivering the arena and how it would be funded and operated; whether it was value for money and the potential of public funding being needed to assist with its delivery.
The old Coatham Bowl, which hosted concerts and sports events over a number of decades was demolished in 2014.
Mr Young said the idea of a privately funded area at Coatham would be a “fantastic compliment” to the Government’s Town Deal, which is investing £25m in improvements to Redcar.
He said: “Without knowing the full details, it’s disappointing to see the local authority no longer views this site as suitable.
“In my view there is no obvious alternative site, so it’s clear the council and Coatham Arena Limited need to come together again and see if the problems the council has outlined can be mitigated against in order to keep the prospect of an area alive.”
The petition on the change.org website started to support the construction of the new facility is aiming for 5,000 signatures.
Posting on the website, Paul Lindsay said: “Redcar needs investment, especially from local people who care for the area.
“Proposing to build a crazy golf course instead just shows a total lack of vision from the council.”
Kelly Brearley added: “Redcar needs this.
“Would bring revenue for the town which quite honestly is dying and has been for years.”
One of the directors of Coatham Arena Limited, Steven Green, a local businessman, said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a real difference to the local area and that’s why the public want this so badly.
“If they are ignored there will be uproar and we – the public – will look to change who is in power [at the council] and the structure by which decisions are made.”
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Cllr Gallacher said the council was happy to work with those behind the project to explore the potential of alternative sites in the borough to try and find a suitable site for an arena.
But another director, Frankie Wales said an alternative site put up for consideration by the council, which he described as being “near to Middlesbrough”, failed to score highly in a professional assessment that was carried out.
He said: “To find an alternative site to the one where the Coatham Bowl stood for decades and has remained derelict ever since is unlikely and we question the motives of the council in offering to help us identify other locations.
“Many local authorities would be only too eager to welcome private investment of this magnitude but Redcar and Cleveland Council obviously have a different agenda.”
Coatham Arena Limited had been seeking a “concessionary lease” of the council-owned land for the build, he said.
He also said while “any Government grants would be welcome to encourage private investment”, it was not a requirement for the council to fund either the capital or revenue elements.
As things stand, the council has switched its attention back to its own plans to regenerating the seafront area at Coatham, which Cllr Gallacher said had been paused for eight months.
Planning permission is in place on the land wanted by the arena developer for a hundred space car park, while also in the offing is a new £6m, 42-bed hotel, a 18-hole adventure mini golf course and children’s play area.
Cllr Gallacher said work would begin in April on the latter two elements.
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