North Bay developers Benchmark have been working closely with top international architects to deliver what Scarborough council hope will give the North Bay its "wow factor".

The leisure facility is to be part of the £150 million Sands development which aims to transform North Bay into a major tourist attraction.

Facilities will also include holiday apartments, restaurants and the re-development of the Open Air Theatre.

Councillors listened to a presentation about the "vision" of the North Bay by the council's Sands project manager, Colin Eastwood at a Town Hall meeting.

Mr Eastwood said: "We are looking for an iconic structure. Something that will give that wow factor."

Cllr Norman Murphy, who represents the Northstead ward, became quite agitated throughout the meeting and questioned where the money was coming from to build the waterpark.

Mr Eastwood said it was possible Benchmark would be taking a bank loan to finance the new facility.

Cllr Tom Fox, leader of Scarborough Council said the present economic climate had forced the programme to be restructured and it was now necessary to prioritise the development of the water park.

He said: "There is a determination to bring this forward. Funding will be an issue but the attitude is to support it."

The meeting centred around ideas and plans for the whole of the North Bay area.

Mr Eastwood talked about working with the private sector to revamp Peasholm Park, to make it into an attraction which would suit both tourists and visitors.

But he said: "We need to keep the beauty of the area but make it more attractive and more popular."

Speaking after the meeting Cllr Dave Billing, chairman of the Scarborough urban area committee, said: "There has been a certain amount of understandable scepticism about the future development of an indoor water attraction.

"People have seen the apartments go up and it's only natural that they ask when they will see work start on the water park."

Cllr Fox said: "The council has been working closely with Benchmark in recent weeks in regards to the intended development of the former Atlantis swimming pool site.

"The council has already indicated in principle that it would want to run the principle visitor attraction when it is completed and I am confident detailed plans will be submitted in the near future."