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Flamingo Land: General Discussion

Are we absolutely certain that they aren't going to stick an extra 5 inline twists on the end to claim the inversion record :tearsofjoy:
 
D4n said:
Are we absolutely certain that they aren't going to stick an extra 5 inline twists on the end to claim the inversion record :tearsofjoy:
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Us Yorkshire folk are tight. Wouldn't surprise me if they went down to Thorpe and stole some of the inline twists though.

Edit:


Not sure what these are supposed to show, but I guess it's related to this.
 
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I think some people's expectations are incredibly high. I'd rather have this than the sky rocket rides that the Sea World parks keep on adding. At a time when Merlin have little real competition, visits to UK theme parks are in decline and the whole British industry is dying on its arse, a roller coaster on this scale seems very positive to me. Would I rather have a custom designed ride? Of course I would, but if they've managed to pick up a ride on this scale at a significant discount it is a great investment for the park.
 
Tbf if this really is happening it is absolutely unironically good. Flamingoland getting back on track after a decade of struggling is crucial to challenging Merlin.

If they want to rescue another cheap coaster I can think of one much closer to home, just the other end of the m62 in fact...
 
I'd much rather Mingo get a cheap coaster like this than end up with another Hero...

Those pictures show very little in terms of concrete though, it could just be the rides being moved for maintenance reasons...

If they were gonna buy Knightmare they would've done it by now... I get the feeling something like this will be more viable to the park than a 30 year old coaster...
 
Can't see Knightmare being in a salvageable state at this point, just sat rotting away on the side of the motorway.
 
I'm skeptical, but if it's a Colossus clone with lap bars I will most definitely be making my first ever visit to Flamingo Land.
 
I'd be INCREDIBLY surprised if this was true, but hopefully it does happen. It says something about Flamingo Land though if a Colossus clone would be their best coaster. :p
 
This sounds unlikely, particularly given the suggestion of it opening this year, and as it stands it doesn't take a lot of effort to further discredit the rumour.

Where's the planning application?

With thanks to Rob for his excellent article about planning restrictions at Towers, something I confess to not knowing much about:

  • Ryedale District Council’s Development Plan doesn't seem to indicate that Flamingo Land have any general permitted development rights that might present a means of adding a coaster without seeking planning permission. Indeed, their site's planning section shows a large number of planning applications, including one to move the Corkscrew in 1999. Having first visited the park in 2010, I've no idea whether that location is the same as where Corkscrew was when it was sold, but if so and that's where this coaster is supposedly going to go, it suggests that the location has no GDPO coverage in place.
  • If we assume that this layout would be the same as Altair, Cinecitta World's updated Colossus layout 10-inversion coaster, it'll be 33m tall. Colossus is 30m tall. Even if GDPO rights were in place, they only cover developments up to 25m tall. I can't imagine FL digging a hole to get this in under that limit. A planning application would be needed anyway.
  • The 2002 Ryedale Local Plan's policy TM6 specifically mentions developments at FL, saying that they, "will be permitted provided that the proposals:-

(iii) Would not result in a detrimental impact on road safety, the free flow of traffic on the highway network, or would require changes to the road network which would have a material adverse effect upon the character of the area and where sufficient off-road vehicle parking can be provided;

(iv) Would not have a material adverse impact on the amenities of existing residents;

(v) Would not have a material adverse impact on the character and appearance of any Conservation Area, site of nature conservation value, archaeological or historic importance, or on any Historic Park and Garden;

...

(vii) Would, in the case of Flamingoland, be located within the Development Limits shown on Inset Map No 49 of the Proposals Map and would not have a material adverse effect on long-distance views across the Vale of Pickering. Such proposals must also comply with Criteria (iii), (iv) and (v) above;"

In short, to get planning approval all of the issues that might result from a tall new coaster opening at the park need to be considered; increased traffic from more visitors being drawn by the new ride, views being spoilt by the height of the structure etc. The park will know what it needs to do to keep the council and residents sweet, and if it wants this ride will talk to the planning folks about it beforehand (like Towers do with their developments) to see whether it even has a cat in hell's chance of approval before they bother with an application.


Unless a planning application rears its head, this rumour ought to be treated as bull excrement.
 
I think this could happen, but I doubt it's for this year. This would be great for FL though, the best coaster there easily if it happens.
 
Good post from Cheese... However, I dont believe that Kumali, which is taller than the 2nd gen 10 looping coaster, required planning permission.

Also planning permission and Flamingoland have not always been on the same page. Anyone remember the big disputes re Cliffhanger and the lighthouse cladding they put all over it. :)

If anyone is in the area and want to have a look as to what's going on with the site, just up from the entrance is a church. Park outside it, go into the graveyard and down at the bottom there is a wall. Stand on said wall with a pair of binoculars and you can see the entire Corkscrew site !!!:smiley:
 
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Update on the coaster rumour situation; according to Pierre on CoasterForce Forum, photos have been posted into a Flamingoland Facebook group showing that a kiddie roundabout has been removed and that there are now ground markers leading from there to the old Corkscrew site:
Pierre from CoasterForce Forum said:
I’ve lifted these from a Facebook user on the group “Flamingo Land Nostalgia Appreciation Group”. Kiddie roundabouts removed and what appear to be ground markers leading to the old corkscrew site. I still think July isn’t happening but something is...
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Very exciting!
P.S. Here's a link to Pierre's post, as it would seem that the files are not showing in the quote: http://coasterforce.com/forums/threads/rumoured-coaster-flamingo-land.43277/page-3#post-1052384
 
Sorry for double posting and bumping the thread yet again, but I have additional news regarding the rumoured development:
  • The Runaway Mine Train and Cycle Monorail have now both been removed. A spot similar to the Runaway Mine Train's footprint has been cleared close to Zooom!, but I am unsure whether the Cycle Monorail is being relocated.
  • These two removals along with the previous removal of the children's roundabout have left a rather large area open for development.
  • The same area has many markers along with noticeable groundwork now taking place. This work spans from the old Corkscrew site to the former kids area; the total area of the groundwork and the markers runs parallel to Velocity and is approximately 211m long according to Google Maps. Altair at Cinecitta World (a Rev. B Intamin 10 inversion coaster, similar to what this is rumoured to be), has a 200m long footprint using the same tool, to put things into perspective.
  • Alongside this, the Intamin 10 inversion coaster in Malaysia is reportedly still sat dormant waiting to be shipped elsewhere.
Even if the Intamin 10 inversion coaster is not what's coming, it definitely seems as though something fairly substantial is on its way within the next year or so. I'm uncertain about whether this will open for July as rumoured, but I could definitely see 2020 or possibly even the final months of 2019 depending on construction speed.

To prove that I'm not plucking rumours off the top of my head, here are some sources to back up my info:
  • Leon from CoasterForce Forum said:
    Long time lurker on here but first time posting , Was at flamingo land on Sunday for one of the zoo days and i can confirm there is a lot of digging going on and lots of interesting markers around the old corkscrew site and velocity. I can not confirm that this is for the rumoured intamin inversion 10 coaster or not but something big is defiantly going on the marking peg placing can only be for a coaster and the bit i find interesting is they digging what looks like footers running parallel to velocity break run. could this be where the inline rolls could be going ( colossus) as this would be the first thing you see when entering the park ? i may be totally wrong but just wanted to confirm something is happening July this year ? not a chance , next year maybe ......
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  • http://forums.coasterforce.com/threads/rumoured-coaster-flamingo-land.43277/page-5#post-1053834

Stay tuned... the next few months could get very interesting at Flamingo Land! Even if it's not an Intamin 10 looper we're seeing here, it definitely looks like something fairly major; a park wouldn't typically clear an area that big without some sort of intent, in my eyes. But what do you guys think?
 
Lech is brilliant and seems like it should be within reach of a park like 'mingo, but a 10 looper is a step up in scale so assuming the costs would be vaugely similar I'd go with the Intamin. On the other hand a Lech clone in the UK would add more variety to our overall coaster line up than Colossus 2.0 would.

I'm officially updating my opinion on the likelihood of thist happening from skeptical to hopeful. My one concern is that it could prove such a big deal to prospective visitors as to draw enough people away to kill off LWV. I wouldn't want to trade Ultimate for a better Colossus.
 
For a second I had my hopes up thinking Flamingo Land would be getting a Bermuda Blitz - which would instantly be the best coaster in the UK.

A Colossus clone would be a good idea if we didn't already have the original in the same country, although this one does have the potential to be better if the train isn't as rough. Either way, it's looking like a return trip to Mingo might be needed next year. It's been a while since they last added anything of substance so this is long overdue.
 
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