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New Shrek and friends Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

evilcod

evilcod

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http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/7323

Merlin Entertainments has submitted a planning application to Lambeth Council to convert part of County Hall into a new visitor attraction.

The new venue would occupy some of the space until recently used by the London Film Museum which closed its South Bank branch just before Christmas.

The name and nature of the new attraction – which could open to the public in 2015 – have not been disclosed in the planning application documents for reasons of "commercial confidentiality".

However, a letter to Lambeth Council from Iain Rhind of planning agents Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners reveals that the proposed attraction "will be the first of its kind worldwide and will complement and enhance the existing attractions at County Hall".

Documents submitted with the planning application show that the new attraction is expected to draw 600,000-700,000 visitors a year, with a capacity of 400 visitors an hour based on groups of 40 visitors entering the tour every six minutes.

The tour will include 10 shows/rooms each lasting approximately six minutes, including a simulator ride in the Rotunda space.
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Very interesting, anyone got an idea what they could be planning here?
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

They might as well rename the building 'Merlin Hall' and be done with it. :p

In all seriousness, this is an interesting proposal, but from the info in the article, it seems a bit similar to the Dungeons.
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

Place your bets, people!

I'm going to guess it'll be a simulator, combining Varney's Wheel of Fortune and Varney's Fish Tank in to one super attraction... The Merlin Entertainments London Fish Eye! "See through the eyes of a tuna in this exciting under sea adventure!"
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

It'll probably be a Discovery Centre or sommat... Only Midway brand possible unless it's a brand new one...
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

evilcod said:
http://planning.lambeth.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=externalDocuments&keyVal=MY49Z2BO67000

For those of you who love a good planning application, quite a few attached documents but still very secretive.
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Ooh, thanks for this.

Interesting that it starts off with a ride, and that they're moving the entrance for SLLA to where its exit is in order to put the entrance for this new attraction where SLLA's current entrance. Could cause a bit of confusion for guests in the initial few weeks, but I wouldn't envisage this being a problem in the long run.
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

Potentially a planetarium / journey into space?

But the green signage is weird, perhaps a jungle simulator or god knows really...
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

So that'll be 4 Merlin attractions just 5 mins away on the tube for me? Interesting.

I'm guessing it'll be a Legoland Discovery Centre. Would be cool to see something completely new though.
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

LDC doesn't match at all with the description of 10 rooms, 6 mins in each though. Unless it's an entirely new take on the LDC concept.
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

evilcod said:
LDC doesn't match at all with the description of 10 rooms, 6 mins in each though. Unless it's an entirely new take on the LDC concept.
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I never realise this as I've never been to the one in Manchester. So I had no idea how long you'd spend in each of its rooms. It could be a new take though as you say.
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

If they were going to open a planetarium, surely they would just reuse the Tussauds dome for it's intended use?
*sigh* A guy can dream.

Interesting that it says you spend six minutes in each room. That makes it sound like an actor led attraction, a la Dungeons.
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

LDC Manchester has a 2 room introduction 'Lego factory' the remainder of the attraction is open plan to explore as one would a theme park or museum.
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

Definitely sounds actor / scene led rather than something to explore yourself. Equally due to the fact it has a very specific number of guests per hour.

The inevitable use of worlds first makes me think it's a new brand too.
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

It should be rejected purely on the grounds of the secrecy.

Surely people have a right to know the exact nature of the attraction being proposed so that they are fully informed and can raise anything they find objectionable with the council?
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

Meat Pie said:
It should be rejected purely on the grounds of the secrecy.

Surely people have a right to know the exact nature of the attraction being proposed so that they are fully informed and can raise anything they find objectionable with the council?
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Get ready for the all-new Merlin's Sexxxatorium - Cumming 2015.
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

There's not a lot that you can gleam from the plans.

However, it does mention that the 'shell' of the simulator ride will be clearly visible to visitors, who will enter through the "historic" Rotunda hall.

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The use of the Rotunda's architecture (pictured above in its current use) could suggest this might be a theme based in-part around an old building or a museum.
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

Plastic Person, I more meant in the terms of what types of rides so that there is some idea as to the extent of disruption/traffic impacts caused by the delivery of the parts, potential aesthetic impact on the existing historic rooms, or any of the other mundane everyday concerns... :p

But that said, I do now want to see a Merlin Sexxxatorium come to fruitition...
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

Whatever it is, I'm going to write to the council and object to these plans.

That area of the South Bank has become an utter nightmare ever since Merlin moved the Dungeons their. Right at the heart of the city, pretty much 200m away from the very epicentre of the country, Merlin have turned the beautiful waterfront into a congested gauntlett.

While bad before, since the Dungeons, the congestion in that area has become intolerable, including all the paraphernalia that goes with it, the food stands and the actors and the ticket sellers and whatever other rubbish they have cluttering up that area.

It is already bad enough, and it cannot be allowed to get any worse, unless they take steps to relieve the congestion. Moving the entrances of the Dungeons and the Aquarium indoors for example, into a grand 'Merlin lobby' would at least go some way to relieve this beautiful area of the capital from being the tourist-infected clogged up nightmare that it is today thanks to Merlin Entertainments.

Edit: I see the planning docs mention the relocation of the Aquarium entrance, but go into no details.

Edit 2: Scratch that, the Aquarium entrance is staying where it is - opening onto the South Bank. But it'll be rethemed and a new Fastrack entrance put in where there is currently a window. Yippee.
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

I doubt the council will care about conjestion, ever since the eye opened that part of the south-bank has been horrid as street vendors and street theatre swarmed in there to take advantage of the crowds.
 
Re: New 'unknown' Merlin Attraction for County Hall London

I've submitted an objection to this planning application, and I strongly urge anybody who cares about this area of London to as well. It's not that I don't want to see this attraction open. I am happy to see it open, but only on the condition that Merlin do something to mitigate the congestion and the clutter that this will worsen.

Here's what I wrote:

That area of the South Bank has become an utter nightmare ever since Merlin Entertainments moved the London Dungeons there. Right at the heart of the city, pretty much 200m away from the very epicentre of the country, Merlin have turned the beautiful waterfront into a congested gauntlett.

While bad before, since the Dungeons, the congestion in that area has become intolerable, including all the paraphernalia that goes with it, the food stands and the actors and the ticket sellers and whatever other rubbish they have cluttering up that area.

It is already bad enough, and it cannot be allowed to get any worse, unless they take steps to relieve the congestion. Moving the entrances of the Dungeons and the Aquarium indoors for example, into a grand 'Merlin lobby' would at least go some way to relieve this beautiful area of the capital from being the tourist-rammed clogged up nightmare that it is today thanks to Merlin Entertainments.

This area of London has become a misery. I may not live in London, but I am a frequent visitor and it is my capital city. You should not be letting this huge company get away with whatever they want without forcing them to take steps to mitigate the congestion outside by moving the attraction entrances into the building.
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