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Oakwood Discussion

Matt N said:
I think going after Oakwood specifically in this regard would be unfair. Theme parks being reliant on lowly paid roles is industry-wide, and to be honest, I don’t think it’s only theme parks that do it; it’s the whole hospitality industry. Oakwood/Aspro were not exactly an outlier in this sense.

I don’t think anyone is saying that the NI and minimum wage increases are the sole cause of Oakwood’s demise, but I can certainly believe that they could have been the straw that broke the camel’s back after many years of stagnation. If you’re just about managing, as Oakwood had been for a number of years, any rise in expenses could be the difference between just about staying afloat and going under.
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Don’t get me wrong it isn’t just aimed at Oakwood I just think it illustrates to the problem that the minute theres a move to anything approaching a fair wage you start seeing companies failing.
 
That's the problem when you make wages a political object. Who in the right mind would ever promise to get rid of it.

In any event, don't see wages or National Insurance being critical here. Unless the ride was terminal without it, re-tracking Megafobia made little sense.

The place is a victim of geography and ineffective ownership and management. I would fear for Pleasurewood Hills as well - many many similar warning signs.
 
I highly, highly doubt the NI rise played a significant factor in Oakwood ceasing operation - it’s just a convenient scapegoat. The place has been on a death spiral for years with abysmal attendance figures and poor management, combined with a massive CapEx expenditure that didn’t pay off in the form of the Megafobia retracking.

It’s incredibly sad but I really don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that it’s come to this.
 
A statement from Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan
I am deeply saddened by the news that Oakwood Theme Park will be closing.

This is a huge blow for the dedicated staff, the local community, and the tourism economy of Pembrokeshire.

For over three decades, Oakwood has been a beloved attraction, bringing joy to generations of families and visitors from across Wales and beyond. It has been a key employer in the region and a vital part of our tourism offer, and its closure will be felt keenly by many.

My immediate thoughts are with the staff who have lost their jobs and their livelihoods. I urge Aspro Parks to do everything possible to support their employees at this difficult time, including exploring redeployment opportunities within their wider business.

This closure highlights the pressures facing the tourism and hospitality industry. There are significant economic challenges as the industry changes and continues to recover from the pandemic. It is crucial that we work together to support the sector and safeguard the jobs and attractions that are so important to our communities.

I will be engaging with all relevant stakeholders to assess the impact of this closure and explore what can be done to support the local economy in the wake of this decision.

If you have been affected by this closure and need support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with my office.
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Well, that's another part of my childhood confined to the scrapbook of history.

Very sad to lose Oakwood, I had my fears when I heard Aspro were taking over as they've never been a company who invest heavily.

The only hope would be for someone like zip world to take over and make it an adventure park of some sort with Megafobia a pay per ride attraction.
 
Well this one hits hard, even if the writing was on the wall.

Been lucky to visit Oakwood a few times, once in the late 90’s and twice more around the mid 2010’s. Probably should’ve visited more recently, but too late now.

The biggest casualty will be Megafobia, which was an iconic ride and also my first wooden coaster too. I also enjoyed other offerings from speed, drenched and their after dark events. I remember nutty Jake’s on my first visit too.

Such a massive blow to both the U.K. and overall industry, especially with what rides we will lose. This really is a bleak time for the U.K. park industry at the moment.
 
Matt Creek said:
Such a massive blow to both the U.K. and overall industry, especially with what rides we will lose. This really is a bleak time for the U.K. park industry at the moment.
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Because of Oakwood's sudden demise (after at least a decade on life-support) and now being permanently denied two excellent roller coasters, the world economy being shakey, and Merlin possibly in crisis as a company, I now might as well pay Alton Towers a visit this year when it's still in its current half-decent state and when it too could go into a genuine decline like Oakwood did after facing serious competition (they say Ireland's Tayto Park upgrading and renamed Emerald Park was the beginning of the end for Oakwood, like Universal UK could be for Altons).
 
TedShatner10 said:
they say Ireland's Tayto Park upgrading and renamed Emerald Park was the beginning of the end for Oakwood, like Universal UK could be for Altons
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I think that's fairly unlikely, Oakwood and Emerald Park are in totally separate countries divided by water, they're not really aiming at the same markets at all. There might have been a handful of enthusiasts that chose other parks such as Emerald Park over Oakwood for a weekend trip I suppose. But really they were aiming at families visiting the area for their holidays and adding a day at Oakwood to their trip, or groups of friends visiting from Swansea, Bridgend and other nearby population centres. The rising costs of holidaying in the UK compared to abroad have certainly impacted the local tourist trade. But also the park just wasn't good enough in the latter years to encourage people to spend their money there. Those of us in Wales and the South West who could make the day trip just didn't see value for money when we could pay the same money and travel the same distance to go to a better park in England.
 
TedShatner10 said:
... (they say Ireland's Tayto Park upgrading and renamed Emerald Park was the beginning of the end for Oakwood, like Universal UK could be for Altons). ...
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Who are they???
Citation required.
Every opinion is sacred, but really.
Oakwood died because a small park in another nation changed its name?
Alton is going to fail because Universal may turn up in a decade?
Wow.
Stretching credibility a little there.
 
It failed because it was in such a poor state and was never properly invested in by Aspro, no other reasons IMO.

It broke my heart to see it so run down on my last visit there 7 years ago, so much so we never went back.

It's still the only UK park where I've genuinely felt some of the rides might not be safe.
 
MaxPower said:
It failed because it was in such a poor state and was never properly invested in by Aspro, no other reasons IMO.

It broke my heart to see it so run down on my last visit there 7 years ago, so much so we never went back.

It's still the only UK park where I've genuinely felt some of the rides might not be safe.
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There was an incident with Bounce last year as well
 
Whilst just part of a number of causes of its demise, the main being lack of investment, Tayto / Emerald park will have had an impact on Oakwood - even though it seems unlikely being in a different country. Before Tayto park, throughout the summer there were coach loads of visitors to Oakwood because there were set trips set up where you’d get the ferry across, coach to Oakwood for the day and then back. I remember there being large numbers of Irish visitors in After Dark season. Then I guess there is no point when there is suddenly a similar park opened up in your own country.

Not the death knell, but certainly a loss for the park to not get coach loads of visitors.
 
Can’t recall the last time I went there, probably over 10 years ago, it was the year before bounce closed as while on it the ride e stopped several times while we were on it.

There was only one food outlet, spooky 3D area was very run down, one guy running all three tubes on the water chutes, was so poor and felt unsafe that I didn’t feel like going again.

I did consider it though last year on a visit to my folks back in Wales to see if things had improved, but given its location and the frustration of trying to drive around Wales these days with their erratic speed limits I couldn’t be bothered.

Will be a big blow for that park next to it - bluestone I think it was called….
 
GaryH said:
Will be a big blow for that park next to it - bluestone I think it was called….
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That's the problem - it isn't. My cousin, an ex-ride op at Oakwood, still lives in Pembroke. Been to Bluestone numerous times with his young daughter, Folly Farm and other holiday parks in South Wales. Hasn't gone to Oakwood once with her. The quality and quantity of family activities in South Wales has improved as Oakwood has declined.
 
I didn't realise quite how large Bluestone was these days, nor how successful. It's perhaps a good barometer for how far the UK theme park industry has fallen that, in the late nineties and early noughties, the success of Oakwood was the foundation for that future development. In contrast, now the park seems to be history while the lodging and spa is thriving.
 
Leigh said:
I highly, highly doubt the NI rise played a significant factor in Oakwood ceasing operation - it’s just a convenient scapegoat. The place has been on a death spiral for years with abysmal attendance figures and poor management, combined with a massive CapEx expenditure that didn’t pay off in the form of the Megafobia retracking.

It’s incredibly sad but I really don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that it’s come to this.
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You say that about NI rise, but a quick question to ChatGPT and you get this answer:
For an employee aged 21 or over working 40 hours per week (approximately 160 hours per month) at the new NLW rate, the monthly wage will increase from £1,830 to £1,954, resulting in an additional cost of £123 per month for the employer. The employer's NICs for such an employee will rise from £147.95 to £230.54 per month, an increase of £83. Overall, this means that the cost per employee will increase by £209 per month, or £2,508 per year.
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(taken from here)

So you're looking at about £2500 extra a year for a full time employee on minimum wage. Of course will be higher if they are paid more. Multiply that by the number of employees in a business and this change really becomes a very important factor and less of a scapegoat, especially for smaller businesses.

If anyone who knows different about the NI raises, feel free to correct me!
 
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