Redcar & Cleveland Council: terms agreed to secure site for £70M Coatham arena project

A proposal for a 5,000-capacity arena on Redcar seafront cleared an important land hurdle in January 2024 when the council agreed terms for an option to lease the former Coatham Bowl site.

The agreement was with Coatham Arena Limited, the private company promoting the £70 million project. It created a route towards a 125-year lease option and allowed the developer to prepare a detailed planning application.

A new venue on a site with music history

The old Coatham Bowl brought live music to Redcar for four decades before its demolition in 2014. Its stage hosted acts including The Pogues, Fairport Convention, Chris Rea, The Proclaimers, Ozzy Osbourne, Slade and Whitesnake.

The new proposal was broader than a concert hall. Plans described a year-round venue for entertainment, sport, conferences, exhibitions and social events, with a permanent visitor attraction included in the building.

Coatham Arena Limited chairman Frankie Wales said the agreement provided the foundation needed to move into planning, with an ambition at that time to open in 2028.

Private finance and public land

The developer said the £70 million construction cost would be privately funded. The council would receive rent, business rates and other income if the scheme proceeded. The proposal also included a replacement car park for the Majuba Road amenity.

Research cited by the project forecast an annual benefit of more than £42 million to tourism, employment and local businesses. That was a projection attached to the proposal, not money already generated, and depended on the arena being approved, financed, built and able to attract the expected events.

Council leader Alec Brown said the scheme could bring hundreds of jobs and thousands of visitors. Supporters also saw the chance to restore a large entertainment venue to a part of Redcar already associated with live performance.

Agreeing lease terms did not grant planning permission or guarantee an opening date. It was nevertheless a necessary step: without control of the site, the developer could not credibly advance detailed designs and funding.

Viewed in its January 2024 context, the news was progress on a substantial ambition, with several major tests still ahead.

Archive source: Capacity, lease, funding and projected-impact details were checked against The Tees article originally published on 12 January 2024. The original date and featured image are preserved.