Back in February Fans64 told our readers that club 2000 would be demolished. This story was then then picked up by the Scunthorpe Telegraph a few days later and made headline news. Reading the article back then it sounded like the club would remain until 2012, but with the closure of Yorkshire Forward who provided ongoing maintenance costs it would seem its demolition will start on the 23rd of August. The council plan to demolish the building, and then to block pave the area where it stood, to provide a larger area for public events, the first one planned for the 18th November for the turn on of the Christmas Lights. Personally I think this is a real shame and more efforts should be made to put it to good use. It seems such a waste to spend Yorkshire forward money purchasing a property from a private owner, and then to level the area without coming up for a positive use for it. Sadly the demolition of this building seems to be based on a financial decision made by the council. I'd be interested to hear reader's comments on this, and suggestions what it could be used for. We seem to be spending a lot of money on a new health clinic just a few hundred meters away in West street, could this building not have been converted to provide similar services? I know the council is revising the use of the markets, could this building not have been used for that considering the number of stalls on the market and the fact that the farmers and French markets occupy the square, this would give traders an opportunity to integrate with the specialist markets more? I think its a very sad day when we are forced in to taking actions such as this due to funding cuts, its proof of cuts hitting Scunthorpe and impacting upon our environment and services. However, I do think that in this case the council have made a good decision, saving the council tax payer money. I'll get down there later with the camera and take some final pictures before the bulldozers move in and level more of Scunthorpe. updated : 21st Aug Its interesting to see how the current council is now the scape goat for this one. In fairness is left them cleaning up what sounds like a decidedly dodgy deal between the former owner and the previous Tory council. Admittedly there is a lot of animosity towards the new baths, personally I'd have been in favour of a refurbishment / extension of the existing facilities, not the total destruction and rebuild of a much larger venue, which may well not be supported in Scunthorpe. In all sincerity I hope I am wrong about this, but as impressive as the new baths hall looks. I'm seriously concerned that Scunthorpe will not end up attracting the acts and crowds it is hoped it will. However, considering that the previous Tory council were responsible for closing it as they could not find the money for maintenance and refurbishment, I am nothing short of speechless when it turns at that at the time they were closing the baths they could find �800,000 to buy their mate's failed business! Any estimates on what the demolition costs are going to be? I'd be interested to know. LINKS



Original Article on VISITSCUNTHORPE.COM by FANS64



Evening Telegraph picking up our original story in February



Press Release on NLC Website



Mark Kirk's Blogg on the matter