Flamingo Land's bid for Scarborough's Futurist theatre

If plans are approved, the theatre will be demolished and replaced with botanical gardens and a rollercoaster

The company behind the takeover of a North Yorkshire theatre has been revealed.

Scarborough Borough Council announced Flamingo Land was the proposed bidder for the town's Futurist theatre.

If successful, the developers will demolish the sea-front theatre to build a rollercoaster, botanical gardens and cave-themed attraction on the site.

But the Scarborough Town Action Group said it was appealing against the plans.

The council decided to close the theatre late last year following a report published in June 2013, which said the site was "beyond the point" of refurbishment. The final curtain came down on the building in January this year.

Scarborough's Futurist Theatre

• The Futurist was built on the site of the Arcadia Theatre and operated until January 2013

• It opened in 1921 and screened its first film, which featured a musical violin interlude, in 1927

• Acts appearing there over the years include The Beatles, Shirley Bassey and Ken Dodd

Campaigners, who wanted to retain the 1920s-built Futurist as a theatre and cinema, said they were disappointed by the decision.

Flamingo Land, previously only known publicly as 'Bidder B', is a large visitor attraction in Malton, North Yorkshire.

'Flamingo Land Coast' is the working title of the proposed re-development of the Futurist site.

Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Regeneration, councillor Derek Bastiman, said the plans were "in their infancy" and there were still many months of negotiations to be had.