Plans have been submitted to the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council to make changes to the Courtyard Tavern area, referred to as it’s original name of Ingestre Court/Courtyard within the documents:
“Alton Towers Resort: Ingestre Court Restaurant
Proposed new restaurant and servery, conservation works to existing building fabric and internal alterations to existing kitchens, stores and bar”
The existing Tarpaulin canopy will be replaced with a new canopy, and a glass railing system will be added to make the seating area more enclosed whilst retaining the sight lines from the entrance archways surrounding the courtyard.
The changes will see the former Courtyard BBQ area removed, an installation noted as unauthorised within the documents. The outlet has already been standing empty for two seasons.
“Impact of the Proposed Development
The removal of the existing unauthorised servery will open up the courtyard whilst improving the historic character and appearance of the existing building, refurbishing the existing canopy structure will encourage more users to visit the area”
There will be a number of changes to the external access doors and windows in the area, including the reopening of a former closed off doorway. Based on the plans as they are available, the former Pirate Show stage will be removed, as will the wooden structure in the corner of the courtyard.
The proposals will result in significant changes to the existing Courtyard Tavern, with much of the internal bar space given over to the new servery and its queue. The bar remains but as a walk through unit serving the current beer garden as well as the courtyard. A pop-up bar is also proposed, which would convert an old store room and be accessed from the inside of the Courtyard behind the Pasties/Pancakes/Hot Dog servery.
Several of the planning documents refer to the new development as a Smoke House Restaurant. The Smokehouse, similar to the one that opened at Chessington World of Adventures in 2016, was mentioned as a potential replacement for The Flume station in the first set of SW8 plans to be released. The eatery was removed in subsequent revisions, and the Courtyard development would seem to provide the perfect alternative.
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