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2024: General Discussion
- Thread starter Craig
- Start date
AT86
TS Member
These fields on the left? Yes they are the grass overflow car parks used during super peak dates.
djtruefitt
TS Team
And they certainly did use the fields on the Saturday as I saw cars leaving!
As for the stage I imagine it’s better to take it down and store it safety for the next 4 months, saves it getting weathered and damaged during the closed season. Probably also easier that way to give it a good clean and check its all good for next season.
It is a shame it won’t be going in fountain square as I enjoyed the Christmas entertainment in there, but there we go.
As for the stage I imagine it’s better to take it down and store it safety for the next 4 months, saves it getting weathered and damaged during the closed season. Probably also easier that way to give it a good clean and check its all good for next season.
It is a shame it won’t be going in fountain square as I enjoyed the Christmas entertainment in there, but there we go.
siralgenon
TS Member
Good clean?! Good one.
Squiggs
TS Team
The stage will have been taken down because it's a requirement of its planning permission.
Technically, I think the council will have always considered it a breach of the planning permission leaving it up in one location all year - given the original permission was for the stage being moved during Winter. This was implied in the original decision notice, but was not stated explicitly.
However, when the stage's permission was extended earlier this year, the council introduced a specific clause stating that the stage had to be removed from the lawns by the 15th November, and cannot be reinstated before the 1st March, 'in the interests of the conservation of heritage assets'.
Technically, I think the council will have always considered it a breach of the planning permission leaving it up in one location all year - given the original permission was for the stage being moved during Winter. This was implied in the original decision notice, but was not stated explicitly.
However, when the stage's permission was extended earlier this year, the council introduced a specific clause stating that the stage had to be removed from the lawns by the 15th November, and cannot be reinstated before the 1st March, 'in the interests of the conservation of heritage assets'.
Steve74
TS Member
I mean some of the planning clauses the council inflict on Towers occasionally work in their favour but how on earth taking down a stage during the closed period be 'in the interests of the conservation of heritage assets'? No-one bar the staff will even know it has been taken down and put back up!! A completely pointless exercise. All that does is costs Towers more money. But of course it ticks a completely useless box on a piece of paper somewhere, so it's worth it 
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Dave
TS Founding Member
I mean some of the planning clauses the council inflict on Towers occasionally work in their favour but how on earth taking down a stage during the closed period be 'in the interests of the conservation of heritage assets'? No-one bar the staff will even know it has been taken down and put back up!! A completely pointless exercise. All that does is costs Towers more money. But of course it ticks a completely useless box on a piece of paper somewhere, so it's worth it
Because if it never gets taken down Towers could start to make an argument that it can become a permanent fixture. This ensures that in law it’s always seen as temporary and therefore the lawns can return to their original state.
AT86
TS Member
It’s also just part of the deal right? If you do something as audacious as building a theme park in a conversation area, with multiple grade listed buildings, structures and gardens and a designated site of biological importance - then having to navigate the complex rules that come with this are just part of what you sign up for.
In the scheme of running Alton Towers, taking down a stage and putting it back up 5 months later is pretty negligible cost and effort wise.
In the scheme of running Alton Towers, taking down a stage and putting it back up 5 months later is pretty negligible cost and effort wise.
Move the hospitality suite to the games bunker (or next to it)
Finally trade the removal of spinball for planning for a new indoor show arena filling the entire space akin to Efteling theatre
I don't think they would get rid of spinball, it has recently had a new control system
I am curious if they could keep spinball, I think that hospitality suite is quite large and it could definatly hold the stage, it would just be the seating area (which could be spinball, if they turn that area into a permanent event space like the lawns during scarefest/october fest, although I am not sure it would be big enough) I am curious of any alternative positions the stage could show to, the lawns but it would be the side closest to the lake, and would probably cause congestion on the path toward the smiler.
Edit: also the top of the stage (the entire arch in one piece) is currently stored in the mutiny bay covered seating area, went to go to the toilet and saw it in there with no entry fences.
djtruefitt
TS Team
Here a look at the lack of stage yesterday.
djtruefitt
TS Team
Interestingly Bianca seems to have deleted her Instagram recently. Not sure if that’s a sign of her moving on soon or she’s just fed up of people moaning on there.
Bert2theSpark
TS Member
I get the feeling that individuals like Scott and Bianca were offered a job role of “institutional overhaul” at Merlin, expecting some sort of institutional dysfunction, only to find out how ingrained a lot of the corporate rot was entering the job.
Then also to have the double of whammy of Cost of Living dropping attendance and turnover, at a time that they needed a lot of capital resources to steer the ship over the mid-term without any immediate short-term return on that capital investment.
If you can’t make long term plans through the chief exec or the park managers, it begs the question who is making long term attraction, infrastructure, maintenance, retail, f&b, accommodation decisions.
At the moment it feels like marketing and finance. Or arguably middle management at the parks themselves.
Not great, as they don’t have their hands on the purse strings, experience, strategy or perhaps interest in making those kind of decisions.
At the moment it feels like marketing and finance. Or arguably middle management at the parks themselves.
Not great, as they don’t have their hands on the purse strings, experience, strategy or perhaps interest in making those kind of decisions.
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Dave
TS Founding Member
I think the issue is Blackstone et al control the purse strings and ultimately are very reactionary.
Best case scenario is Kirkby take full control as they are mostly invested through pension funds which are a longer term investment strategy. Or another pension fund buys out Blackstone.
GooseOnTheLoose
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Ug Bugs
Possibly the latter, more likely that you don't want a singular person fronting all updates for the brand as a whole. Her Instagram was a way to communicate changes and updates to the park, which really should have been done through Alton Towers' own channels.
Her LinkedIn profile is still up and running, and providing similar updates. I think she's here for a few more years yet.