After months of planning and speculation construction has finally commenced today (1st August) on the Alton Towers Enchanted Village.
The project will see the resort expand its overnight accommodation options by offering a range of new facilities, targeted at the family market. The development is set to include:
- 61 double lodges (compared with 150 lodges on previous applications)
- 10 two-storey treehouses
- Play areas (9 were proposed in the last application)
- A restaurant
- Parking facilities
- Associated service buildings
The project has been through several revisions in its time, with the original proposal citing the fields used as overflow carparks at peak times as a location. This would have seen the lodges set aside from the existing resort hotels, meaning anyone wishing to use facilities such as the Waterpark and Spa would have to travel across the carparks to access them.
However, since the initial proposal Alton Towers submitted revised proposals, this time with a slightly smaller development, located in the fields beside the Alton Towers Hotel.
Planning permission was granted with little objection from the local authorities and parties concerned, and since then the park have constructed a show-lodge within the grounds of the theme park, in order to promote the development to potential visitors.
As of today the fields next to the Alton Towers Hotel (Which in the past have played host to several Scarefest attractions, including the Field of 1000 Screams), have been fenced off, and ground clearing appears to have commenced.
Though there is little to see at this stage it is expected that major construction will be underway shortly, in preparation for the proposed 2015 opening date.
TowersStreet will be here to keep you up to date as this exciting project unfolds, through our Facebook, Twitter, and bustling TowersStreet Talk Forums.
