Cash crisis ends Tropicana plans

The Tropicana's lido has lain unused for many years

Plans to redevelop the derelict Tropicana building on the seafront at Weston-super-Mare have fallen through.

North Somerset Council and the developer blame changes in European law coupled with the economic climate for the decision to abandon the project.

The council said the decision would not have any financial penalties for the council-tax payer.

"We now need to consider less ambitious proposals for the site," said deputy leader of the council Elfan Ap Rees.

Prime site

In a statement the council said: "The final straw was new government guidance that would have made proposed modifications to the development agreement with Henry Boot impossible to implement without going back out to a full European tender."

The building has been empty since 2000. This latest scheme for the Tropicana is the second to fall through.

Previously there had been plans for a hotel at the site, but they were shelved.

"It's frustrating but this is a prime seafront leisure site and there must still be an opportunity for it to contribute to the town's future," said councillor Ap Rees.

"Whether these will include swimming facilities will depend entirely on the soundness of the business cases put forward, as national government and local budget pressures mean that North Somerset Council is extremely unlikely to ever be in a position to fund or subsidise such a venture.

"However what we can do is look sympathetically at new proposals," he said.

The Tropicana's heyday was in the 1960s.