FLAMINGO LAND WITHDRAWS PLANNING APPLICATION FOR LOCH LOMOND RESORT AND WATERPARK

 BY GABRIELLE

Theme park and zoo operators, Flamingo Land, has officially withdrawn its planning application to develop a £30 million leisure and entertainment resort on Loch Lomond.

The site, known as Lomond Banks, would have featured a waterpark, alongside a 60-bedroom apartment- hotel, a 32-bedroom budget hotel and over 100 holiday lodges. There would also be a boat house, leisure centre, craft brewery and restaurant on the site.

The application for the development was met with local disdain, with more than 57,000 objections being made against building the site.

Lomond Banks’ director, Andy Miller, commented on the withdrawal from the project.

“We’ve been working hard with all parties, including the National Park Authority, for more than two years to ensure all information relating to the proposed development was made readily available.

“We know the national park recognises that the majority of what we propose fits in with the LDP [local development plan].

“It is therefore surprising and disappointing that their recommendation report raises previously unidentified concerns and highlights the need for new additional information,” said Miller.

“Our priority now is to fully understand concerns, gather the necessary information and dispel some of the myths that continue to circulate around our ambitions for the site.

“It is only at this point, we will consider re-submitting our plans to ensure decision makers will be able to take a fully informed decision on this important application,” Miller added.

THEME PARKS HAILED AS FUTURE OF YORKSHIRE’S ‘STAYCATION’ SCENE

BY GABRIELLE

Construction has begun for a new Gulliver’s Valley attraction near Rotherham in Yorkshire. The £37million project is being built in five phases over a period of 15 years.

The first phase of the Gulliver’s Valley development is due to open in 2020. The regenerating of the Pit House West site next to Rother Valley Country Park, will be a huge theme park designed for families.

The site will include an indoor water play zone, themed areas throughout the park, free-range self-catering woodland lodges and treehouses, a family hotel, a woodland adventure centre, an indoor climbing centre, outdoor gyms, and Gully’s dream village, amongst other unique features the ambitious new theme park will comprise of.

Yorkshire’s budding attractions’ industry is being hailed as contributing to the county’s blossoming staycation scene.

As the Yorkshire Post notes:

“Yorkshire is a popular destination for visitors seeking a thrill with Flamingo Land, Lightwater Valley and Alpamare Water Park all located in the region.

Alongside the new Gulliver’s Valley project, plans are also in motion to build Future Park, a new £250million food and leisure attraction near Knaresborough in North Yorkshire.

Plans are also due to be submitted by the Yorkshire property developer Fallons, to construct a new eco site, dubbed as to become one of Britain’s “most significant cultural and energy-efficient attractions to be built in the 21st century.”