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Lightwater Valley

Craig said:
Oh without a doubt some investment would need to come with it, but there's plenty of holiday parks that don't have a lot in the way of facilities and manage just fine. In the wider area Ripon is only a short drive away, and the park is right on the doorstep of the Yorkshire Dales. Treetop Trails, Jurassic Golf and having the pub in the wood showed they were on their way to developing activities outside of the park itself before the place started falling backwards again.
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I do think something along the lines of an adventure park. You could have activities the rides and the holiday village. But I very much doubt they can afford it or get planning permission.
 
JAperson said:
I do think something along the lines of an adventure park. You could have activities the rides and the holiday village. But I very much doubt they can afford it or get planning permission.
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Yup that sort of thing would be ideal for the area but that's where the last application fell down. The scale (as in the number of lodges) required to make all the additional investment in facilities and staffing to make it a "proper resort" worthwhile wasn't there, since the original number of lodges they submitted for planning permission was flatly refused.
 
Craig said:
Yup that sort of thing would be ideal for the area but that's where the last application fell down. The scale (as in the number of lodges) required to make all the additional investment in facilities and staffing to make it a "proper resort" worthwhile wasn't there, since the original number of lodges they submitted for planning permission was flatly refused.
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I thought one of the owners had managed to get permission after spending a lot of money trying to do it and then couldn't afford to build it?
 
JAperson said:
I thought one of the owners had managed to get permission after spending a lot of money trying to do it and then couldn't afford to build it?
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Yup, they got permission for 106 lodges and a housekeeping building in the end I believe it was. The original application was for 204 caravans, 136 lodges and an expansion of the pub, which they really needed to make a real go of it and have the numbers for the additional investment it'd require.

My guess would be the substantially reduced number of units in the new application and the protracted and no doubt expensive initial application that was refused (it went to public inquiry in the end) meant that it just wasn't viable enough of an investment based on the number of people it'd bring to the park.
 
Craig said:
Yup, they got permission for 106 lodges and a housekeeping building in the end I believe it was. The original application was for 204 caravans, 136 lodges and an expansion of the pub, which they really needed to make a real go of it and have the numbers for the additional investment it'd require.

My guess would be the substantially reduced number of units in the new application and the protracted and no doubt expensive initial application that was refused (it went to public inquiry in the end) meant that it just wasn't viable enough of an investment based on the number of people it'd bring to the park.
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Such a shame. It's almost like the local council want the place to close.
 
JAperson said:
Such a shame. It's almost like the local council want the place to close.
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The local council gave then permission for over a hundred accommodation units and housekeeping.
They already had the pub in the wood.
They didn't build the accommodation, they closed the pub in the wood.
None of that is the fault of the council, neither was the closing of all the thrill rides.
The issue has been a complete lack of action when permission was given, a problem created by the company, not the council.
The park has lacked decent investment for decades, the last capital projects were the pirates bit...two pirate ships in one area anyone...and angry birds playground...neither dragged in new punters.
They are victims of covid certainly, but they have been poorly managing their own decline for years.
Bring back the strawberry farm.
 
rob666 said:
The local council gave then permission for over a hundred accommodation units and housekeeping.
They already had the pub in the wood.
They didn't build the accommodation, they closed the pub in the wood.
None of that is the fault of the council, neither was the closing of all the thrill rides.
The issue has been a complete lack of action when permission was given, a problem created by the company, not the council.
The park has lacked decent investment for decades, the last capital projects were the pirates bit...two pirate ships in one area anyone...and angry birds playground...neither dragged in new punters.
They are victims of covid certainly, but they have been poorly managing their own decline for years.
Bring back the strawberry farm.
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Yes they gave permission for considerably less lodges than what they wanted most likely making it unprofitable to build them.
 
I don't think it's necessarily fair to pin the blame solely on the council. It's their job to uphold planning law, the quality of the local environment and listen to all residents views across the county. There were some very valid concerns made during the planning process, and to be fair it was a very large number being planned for a location which would have gone from having zero accommodation to 340 units. Just because they're a large employer doesn't mean they get carte blanche to do what they like because it equals jobs.

Perhaps LWV back then should have avoided putting their eggs in one basket and considered further options for increasing revenue from day guests as welll as starting with a smaller scale accomodation development?
 
Craig said:
Perhaps LWV back then should have avoided putting their eggs in one basket and considered further options for increasing revenue from day guests as welll as starting with a smaller scale accomodation development?
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The thing is there's not really a lot else they can do is there. They are a theme park and that's what they are known to be. The only thing I think they could add is some form of adventure course. Something like a GO Ape. As much as adding accommodation would have made a lot of sense they needed the right amount to make it worth while. The council was just upholding planning law and I get that it was more of an offhand comment about the council which started the conversation.
 
I did Belle Vue...it died, lack of investment.
And Granada Studios.
Morecambe next, then Camelot.
All were a good day out, and then the rot sets in, sometimes literally.
Investment stops, filler attractions take the place of decent ones, crowds drop, income drops, downward spiral, park closes.
 
rob666 said:
They had an adventure ropes course briefly...paid extra, an expensive failure if I recall.
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That was built and operated by a third party, when they pulled out the park bought it for a miniscule amount, it's now part of the entry price, it's actually pretty fun. It's less extreme than something like Go Ape, but also more free form and less faffy.

I'd say wait and see on the whole thing. There are a multitude of sins that have occurred at Lightwater, but the blame can be shared pretty far and wide. Where I think you can't stick it is on the people who are operating the park today.

The decision on the ride removals, the closure of the Ultimate and the lack of progress on the holiday village are all things that can be undone if the new owners want that to happen.

Wait and see.
 
AT86 said:
‘Mum! Can we go to Disneyland?’

‘No, we have Disneyland at home….’



What’s that ringing noise? Oh yeah, that’ll be the Disney lawyers on the phone ;)
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Wow that's amazingly bad! Also their idea of Halloween decor seems to be a crude cardboard cutout of a pumpkin stuck to a bin-bag! Think I could've done better at home in about five minutes :D
 
Bump!

Just found out that the Schwartzkopf Wildcat that was Raptor Attack is being relocated to Cotaland in the US for 2022. Shame it has left but at least it isn't being scrapped! :)
 
Skyscraper said:
Bump!

Just found out that the Schwartzkopf Wildcat that was Raptor Attack is being relocated to Cotaland in the US for 2022. Shame it has left but at least it isn't being scrapped! :)
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You're welcome laddie. RCDB says 2021 but I imagine it will be 2022
 
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