Scarborough Borough Council has announced that the proposed bidder for the redevelopment of the site of the Futurist theatre in Scarborough is Flamingo Land, the hugely successful theme park near Malton.

Flamingo Land, previously only known publicly as "Bidder B", is the largest visitor attraction in Yorkshire, which attracts more than 1.5 million visitors annually. It now has its eyes set firmly on developing a similar success story on the Yorkshire coast, with the working title Flamingo Land Coast.

Flamingo Land is partnering with the Yorkshire based property development company GMI Estates to progress the project. GMI Estates is part of the GMI group of companies which has extensive experience in development and construction.

Details of Flamingo Land’s concepts were first released last month in a report to the council’s Cabinet, which set out that the development would be a premium visitor attraction showcasing and displaying three distinct environments consisting of "subterranean, on the coastline and sky".

Key elements of the attraction would include: a glass roofed botanical garden, a high octane, adrenaline fuelled roller coaster, a 55 metre lighthouse structure and Space Shot Tower, which propels customers 55 metres into the sky, an elevated sea view bar, restaurant and function space, a walk through aviary and a new town square for Scarborough.

Following the publication of the report, there was some public concern about the credibility of bidder B and its ability to deliver a first-class visitor attraction worthy of the prominent seafront site. Therefore to quash any detrimental rumours and to help raise public confidence in the council’s decision to accept bidder B as the proposed developer, Flamingo Land agreed to its identity being revealed today.

Councollor Derek Bastiman, Scarborough Borough Council Cabinet member for strategic planning and regeneration said: “We’re delighted that we’ve been able to announce Flamingo Land and GMI as the identity behind bidder B. The prominence of the proposed development site on Scarborough’s south bay seafront is an ideal match for such a popular and highly successful family entertainment brand and we are very confident that, in Flamingo Land, we have a partner with the ability to deliver and drive up public confidence in the project.

“It is important to stress however that the plans are very much in their infancy and there are many, many months of negotiations and formal processes to go through before construction can be guaranteed. What we do already have though is a very strong commitment and dedication from Flamingo Land’s team to work in partnership with us and GMI to progress this important project for the borough.”

Gordon Gibb, of Flamingo Land Limited said: “Scarborough is my home town so it gives me great pleasure, both personally and on behalf of Flamingo Land Limited, to be associated with developing a major visitor attraction on the old Futurist site”.