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New Adventure Park for Tatton Park

BigAl

BigAl

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Forbidden Journey
On the way home today we drove past a sign that said "Save Tatton Park" and "Say no to theme park" under it. When I got home, I had a look at what this was and came across this article from the Guardian:

Residents' fear for Tatton Park adventure park plans
The Save Tatton Action Group has been set up in response to the plans to create an adventure

To the villagers in Cheshire surrounding Tatton Park, the thought of a huge adventure playground being housed there fills them with horror.

They have set up Save Tatton Action Group to oppose the plans to create an outdoor adventure area there, which is the subject of a planning application.

Tatton Park is a huge tourist attraction in the north west, with 750,000 visitors a year. It hosts the Royal Horticultural Society's flower show in July and a number of large scale outdoor events throughout the year.

Bewilderwood is designed for primary school children and will include zip wires, tree houses, jungle bridges, boat trips, marsh walks and storytellings. The plans have been submitted to Cheshire East council by leisure company Bure Valley Adventures.

Residents are concerned by the substantial increase in traffic would impact roads around the region.

A spokesman for the group said: "In complying with the 'Disneyfication' of Tatton Park, the National Trust has disregarded the express wishes of Lord Egerton in that 'this place of historic interest and natural beauty, be permanently preserved for the benefit of the nation' for the hard cash option.

"It's director general's vision in the Trust Annual Report 2010/11 clearly contradicts the current actions of the trust, 'we will never turn our outdoor places into giant adventure playgrounds'. "

Heather Clawson of Mobberley, which is close to where the attraction will be built, said:

"All those who live on the east side of Tatton Park will be blighted by a continual noise, with children screaming and playing, within the theme park, not to mention the addition of loud speakers planned for storytelling sessions.

"I dread to think how loud they will have to be in order for visitors to hear over the noise of the planes on the flightpath."

STAG is trying to raise funds from within the community to get professional, technical and legal help. They fear traffic within and outside the park will increase dramatically and it will affect the tranquility of the park for cyclists and walkers.

They also claim there will be a loss of trees as they are felled and replaced by treehouses and decked walkways. "These habitats, once lost, are lost forever," the group warn.

The group is holding an informal meeting in the Rajar building, Mobberley, at 7pm on Thursday 3 May. All views will be submitted to the council ahead of the planning meeting.

A decision on the plans will be made at the Strategic Planning Board of Cheshire East Council on June 20.

On its website, Bewilderwood is described as "an award winning outdoor adventure attraction for families" set in the Broads National Park in Hoveton.

They say they have been working with Cheshire East council and a team of consultants to develop a planning application to bring the concept to Tatton Park.

Cheshire East council said Bewilderwood is on a previously inaccessible site and a few residents have formed the STAG group.

A spokesperson described it as "an exciting project" that offers visitors a chance to engage with the natural environment of Tatton in a new way. The company will use local natural resources in construction retaining the wild wood as part of the design. "Any comparisons with Disneyland, or other theme parks, are wide of the mark." The spokesperson said there had been a lot of positive interest but if residents have concerns, there's an opportunity to register them as part of the planning consultation.

"Tatton Park is already the premier major attraction in the region with more than 800,000 visitors a year," councillor Jamie Macrae, Cheshire East Council Cabinet member with responsibility for prosperity, has said.

"Our vision is to realise its full potential at national level and raise the visitor to over 1m visitors a year."

The Norfolk project, which opened five years ago, was devised by two businessmen Tom Blofeld and Simon Egan.

park
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Now this all sounds like a very nice plan, but as always, local nimby's have set out to destroy any fun and have set up this website regarding taking action against these plans which can be found here.

I find some of the comments quite laughable, tbh. "Disneyfication"? Seriously? The park already has an adventure play area, they just want to expand it.

As for:

"All those who live on the east side of Tatton Park will be blighted by a continual noise, with children screaming and playing, within the theme park, not to mention the addition of loud speakers planned for storytelling sessions.

"I dread to think how loud they will have to be in order for visitors to hear over the noise of the planes on the flightpath."
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They want to add some speakers like the ones around AT to a story time attraction, not a tannoy system. And the planes aren't very noticeable.

Haha, anyway, discuss this proposal here. The local council will be deciding on whether or not this can go ahead very soon, so the grounds of Tatton Park could be becoming the home for things like this:

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If anything remotely as good as all of this can be brought to Tatton then it certainly gets a thumbs-up from me. It's quaint and all designed to work with natural environments.

BeWILDerwood's webiste can be visited here.

:)
 
I completely agree with the local residents.

The issue here is about (presumably) public park land being turned over to private developers for commercial reasons. It'd be a different matter if this was built using public money and open to the community, but I presume the developer will be wanting to charge admission fee on what was previously a piece of public park for all to enjoy.

I'm totally against this privatisation of communal and natural spaces.
 
I don't know whether it's a company moving in to take space or just some new attractions that will be being bought to improve the play areas already at the park. The locals seem more concerned with noise and traffic than the actual park, but the surrounding area already has big, roads for traffic to utilise and the project is nowhere near as big as they think it's going to be.

Don't get me wrong, if it is public land being sold to a private company to make money then that's a bad thing. It already coasts £5 to park there (although the parking is council property, not Tatton's/NT's), so I doubt that NT and/or the council would be willing to sell part of their land and the spaces when they are earning money from it all for themselves. I feel that this is simply some small attractions being added to help draw more families into the park.

Also, Tatton hosts many fairs throughout the season. If this new development will see the loss of the rather tacky-looking and reasonably noisy fun fair (located to the right of the current playground on some fields) then that can only be a good thing. These attractions won't be imposing, unlike what's there for a lot of the year.

The only other attraction, besides the grounds, gardens, house and stores is the merry-go-round that's located next to the entrance to the gardens. It looks reasonably old and perhaps more guests will make use of it if there are more families at the park. As well as this, seasonal events at Halloween and Christmas draw a lot of families into the park, so something that can operate all year long will surely mean more money for NT to put towards the upkeep of many of their other sites across the UK. They're always in need of more funds.

:)
 
I've been to Bewilderwood and it’s amazing. A really good kid’s adventure play park which I just wish had opened when I was a little bit younger (although that didn't stop me visiting and having a great time)

If it's anything like the Hoveton version then noise will not be an issue. The whole place is intentionally surrounded by woodland as part of the theme and there’s no loud noises at all (besides that of children playing but if it's replacing an existing park that's a non-issue)

However the Hoveton version is a paid admission place so what Sam has said about removing a public park would be an issue. I remember it being quite reasonably priced and they do sell annual passes but unless all locals are given a free pass Sam's point will still be a valid issue.

However having seen Bewilderwood in person I'm so glad to hear they're doing well enough to open another one.
 
I remember seeing campaigns against this all over Knutsford (about four miles from Tatton Park) yesterday. Surely it's a good thing that a 'theme park', as they so demand to call it, will be opening? Good for the surrounding areas, therefore more money and visitors? Where it is planned to be is no where near any houses- unlike another part of the wood that is backed up by homes.

Despite Tatton Park already having lots of people walking through the gates, surely it'd be better if BeWILDerwood is there, as it'd be a place of interest for younger children, and save them from cluttering up the main walk, which I have heard lots of other visitors complain about younger children being there and running all over the place, somehow ruining their day.

Personally, I think there is isn't really anything to do in Cheshire- what, there's the Crocky Trail, a Secret Bunker near Nantwich, Go Ape in Delemere Forest, Jodrell Bank and that's pretty much it.

But, I certainly wouldn't expect an admission fee- perhaps a small one, but certainly not much over £10.

I'm all for this idea! And was going to post this as a topic yesterday but forgot.
 
Well I've come across the official BeWILDerwood/Tatton project website where they're got their plans for everyone to see:

http://bewilderwoodtatton.co.uk/index.html


Apparently, this development will make use of Witchcote Wood which is a wooded area on the opposite side of the park, away from the Hall and Gardens. The area in question is currently inaccessible so the project isn't removing any land that would otherwise be used by the public. The project aims to conserve the woodland that the attractions will be set in, help to educate guests about the surroundings and what kinds of plants and animals inhabit the area and none of the attractions will be visible from outside of the woodland that they want to use.

You can see from the link I posted above of the area in question that it's away from locals, and if what you say about low noise from the existing attraction is true, then the new development will have a very small impact on those that live near to the site.

The full proposal can be viewed here.

As I've already said, Tatton Park is very easy to access and the surrounding area would easily cope with the new attraction.

Some of the attractions that they'd like to construct look absolutely beautiful and would really suit the surroundings. I really ought to try and visit the existing BeWILDerwood park if it's as good as what I've seen so far and I wish them all the best with this new attraction.


:)
 
*sigh* I really am sick of the NIMBYs that ruin everything in this country. They seem to want to keep us held back in the 1940s or somethng. It's no wonder we don't have high speed rail like the rest of Europe..... But that's a different rant.

When I come to power as supreme overlord, the first thing I will do is remove any right to protest buildings and development. If you own the land you should be able to build whatever the hell you want on it.
 
While I don't disagree with you Diogo I think some restraint may be needed ;)


After looking at the plans this seems like it will have nearly exactly the same format as the other BeWILDerwood. Guests enter at an entrance which is quite far away from the play park, followed by a winding walk into the woods before reaching the main woodland play area. Although I’m glad to see it’s not a like-for-like clone as it looks as if all the equipment is unique and there’s a train ride instead of the swamp like boat ride at Hoveton's version

I honestly can't see what's to complain about. Judging from the previous version it will be a very well presented children’s play park which tries to promote the natural surroundings it's built in. I can't think of a better attraction to build in a place like this but they seem to be treating it as if it's some traveller’s funfair.
 
Sam said:
I completely agree with the local residents.

The issue here is about (presumably) public park land being turned over to private developers for commercial reasons. It'd be a different matter if this was built using public money and open to the community, but I presume the developer will be wanting to charge admission fee on what was previously a piece of public park for all to enjoy.

I'm totally against this privatisation of communal and natural spaces.
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Tatton Park isnt public land so its hardly a loss in that respect, seems oddly nimbyish to me. These things are completely natural and fun for families... dont affect the environment and are good for the economy.
 
Dave said:
Sam said:
I completely agree with the local residents.

The issue here is about (presumably) public park land being turned over to private developers for commercial reasons. It'd be a different matter if this was built using public money and open to the community, but I presume the developer will be wanting to charge admission fee on what was previously a piece of public park for all to enjoy.

I'm totally against this privatisation of communal and natural spaces.
Click to expand...

Tatton Park isnt public land so its hardly a loss in that respect, seems oddly nimbyish to me. These things are completely natural and fun for families... dont affect the environment and are good for the economy.
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The reaction from the locals doesn't surprise me. They're mostly stinking rich nimbys, just like the ones down south that hold Chessie back. People complain for the sake of complaining. :/
 
Edit: Just seen Dave's post. According to Wiki, it's owned by the National Trust, so it is public land to a degree. At the very least, it's land that is owned by a charity for the benefit of the public, that'll be taken over by a profit-making private enterprise.

DiogoJ42 said:
*sigh* I really am sick of the NIMBYs that ruin everything in this country. They seem to want to keep us held back in the 1940s or somethng. It's no wonder we don't have high speed rail like the rest of Europe..... But that's a different rant.

When I come to power as supreme overlord, the first thing I will do is remove any right to protest buildings and development. If you own the land you should be able to build whatever the hell you want on it.
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This is nothing to do with NIMBYs. It's about private developers taking over public land and charging admission fees for it. It's disgraceful if that's what's happening, unfortunately the initial article doesn't make it clear exactly what's going on.

We have planning restrictions and meetings for a reason - to stop people and companies throwing up any tacky old crap and turning the built environment of the UK into a place of ugliness. They're extremely important. If you want the kind of society without all these restrictions, go live in America where huge corporations throw up vile buildings in beautiful places willy-nilly.

Oh, and I assume if you're so against planning restrictions, we won't be seeing you riding Nemesis against? You're a man of principle... right?
 
Sam, there's no need to worry, the land is owned by National Trust and what's being proposed is far from unsightly or in any way going to have a negative impact on the surroundings and its setting. Just check out the plans and you'll see what I mean.

:)

Edit: Also, I think Diogo's post was more tongue-in-cheek. 'Supreme Overlord Diogo' sounds pretty terrifying wonderful, if you ask me! :p
 
The purpose of The National Trust is the conservation of architecture or man-made landscape of especial importance or beauty. They should be maintaining the grounds of their beautiful old houses as they were originally intended. They're not in the theme park or visitor attraction industry.

Maybe preservation, heritage and conservation aren't 'cool' but that's what the National Trust is for and that's what it should continue doing, without resorting to the Disneyfication of its property.

Edit: Another problem I have with it is that it's cookie-cutter entertainment. It's copy and paste. It's just taking what's worked elsewhere, and plonking a very similar version somewhere completely different. Instead of localised, ground-up development, it's just flown in by helicopter and dropped down development. It's the adventure playground equivalent of a McDonald's chain restaurant.
 
The attractions aren't Disney-esque though. They aren't about being "cool" at all! :p They're built to accommodate the surroundings and they're designed to educate guests about the wildlife in which the attractions are set. They're not big and they don't stand out, they blend in. Each attraction is made from sustainable resources and will be done in a way that it can all be removed at some point in the future and the woodland can return to what it was.

The National Trust make use of other areas of their parks already, so I don't see why they can't make use of this area either? As I've said, they already have a merry-go-round that has been there for many years, a big play area and a big gravel car park. None of those features were there when Tatton was lived in, so are they bad things as well? There's also the old hall which they turn into a scare attraction at Halloween as well.

They are making use of what they have so that they can earn more money to maintain other sites around the UK. An example of where this money is being put is Nether Alderley Mill just outside Alderley Edge. For years I've sat and watched it go unloved. It's a beautiful old building that's so small that most just drive straight past it; unaware of how great it is for such a small thing. At one point, I'm sure they were considering not having the place open to the public because of the state it was in. However, this year, the Trust have been able to give it some much needed maintenance (it's now covered in scaffolding completely, so it's going under a big restoration project). I'd much rather see the Trust make use of their untouched areas of land, so long as it doesn't harm their sites in any way, to gain some extra funds, rather than to see gems like Nether Alderley Mill rot away.

:)
 
Sam said:
Edit: Another problem I have with it is that it's cookie-cutter entertainment. It's copy and paste. It's just taking what's worked elsewhere, and plonking a very similar version somewhere completely different. Instead of localised, ground-up development, it's just flown in by helicopter and dropped down development. It's the adventure playground equivalent of a McDonald's chain restaurant.
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No it's not. As I noted in my previous post it is not a clone of the existing BeWILDerwood. It has the same basic format but that's only because it uses the same IP. The one that I've been to was designed with the Norfolk Broads in mind. The wood it is built in has a swamp like river running through it so they’ve designed it so that guests can enter the park by boat along this river. The new development however has a woodland walk which presumably uses the existing pathways of that particular woodland.

Also preservation, heritage and conservation are principles which are encouraged by BeWILDerwood's theme and make up the educational part of the park. If they are going to stick to these principles I doubt they'll turn around and build shipping container central.

The only issue I can genuinely see is that the land is now being used for profit. I personally don't have an issue with this because looking at the site plan the actual area being used by the park is fairly small. The rest of the site is remaining exactly the same. This isn’t really any different to some of the stately homes near where I live where you can wonder around the grounds for free but have to pay to enter. It’s also nowhere near as expensive as Merlin’s Warwick Castle.
 
Another law I would pass is the instant, on-the-spot execution of NIMBYs and anyone who defends them.... Sam.
 
Tim said:
The only issue I can genuinely see is that the land is now being used for profit.
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But even so, the National Trust runs each property for profit because they need to be able to maintain thier sites and pay their staff, and this new development will really help the group to continue what it's doing. And the land wasn't used and couldn't be used before, so the fact that it is going to be used in such a way that the natural beauty of the site can remain and the guests can be entertained and educated is really great. Little kids don't really enjoy the Hall, stores or Gardens that much, so this new addition will mean that there's something for everyone.

I wonder if pass holders will get some sort of discount for this attraction? ;)

:)
 
There's a difference between NIMBYs and

1) anyone who objects to any planning permission, ever. Even for reasons other than genuine NIMBYism, such as concern over heritage or the environment.
2) the planning process itself.

By your logic you would be fine, if I bought all the land around your house, with me erecting a massive hundred foot wall in a circle round your house, blocking out all the sunlight forever. But hey! We're sick of those not-in-my-back-yard people right? If it's my land, I should literally be able to build anything I want on it!
 
Sam said:
Edit: Just seen Dave's post. According to Wiki, it's owned by the National Trust, so it is public land to a degree. At the very least, it's land that is owned by a charity for the benefit of the public, that'll be taken over by a profit-making private enterprise.
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The National Trust is a Charity but it doesn't make it's properties public space, they have to run at profit and this will be a completely un-obtrusive activity for families that uses natural resources. The NIMBY don't care about maintaining the park... they don't want it to attract the extra guests and clogg up their roads, doesn't matter what they where planning.

If all charitable trusts property is public space i'm off to have a look at the Free-Masons lodge down the road :D
 
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