Plans for 5,000-seat arena on empty land scrapped

The arena was proposed for land on the site of the former Coatham Bowl entertainment venue

Plans for a 5,000 seat indoor events arena on the site of a historic music venue have been scrapped due to a lack of funds.

Developers Coatham Arena Ltd (CAL) had hoped to build the new entertainment venue on land off the old Coatham Bowl concert hall in Redcar, Teesside.

The group said it had hoped Redcar and Cleveland Council or the Tees Valley Combined Authority would contribute financially to their plans for the arena, which would host music and sports events.

However, in a statement, the CAL said "private investors are unwilling to take on the full financial risk during the planning stage of a project unsupported locally in the short term".

The group said: "We are deeply disappointed that this transformative project will not go ahead in Redcar.

"We wish the council well with whatever future plans they pursue for the site."

The council could still develop the vacant land as part of a continued regeneration of Coatham and the coastal area.

Speaking at a council scrutiny committee meeting, Andrew Carter, an assistant director of growth and enterprise, confirmed the lease option had expired, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He said: "At some point in the future we will go back to the market and do a tendering exercise for that land."

The former Coatham Bowl – later renamed the Redcar Bowl – once hosted some of rock music's biggest names such as Chris Rea, Whitesnake, Slade and Ozzy Osbourne, as well as international darts tournaments and other events.

It eventually fell into disrepair and with numbers visiting the venue on the decline it was demolished in 2014.