Jump to content

Parks, Rides And Coaster News


MikeC

Recommended Posts

Published on Sunday 9 December 2012 06:00

A MILESTONE has been reached in the £118 million project to transform a former opencast coal mine into the UK’s first Chinese theme park.

Rotherham Council has completed the sale agreement and head lease for the Visions of China project to leisure organisation China Vision Ltd and regeneration specialist MCD Developments.

The scheme is proposed for the former Pithouse West colliery site, north of Rother Valley Country Park.

The site had been earmarked for the £350million YES! Project leisure development but property company Oak Holdings pulled out of the scheme.

A council spokesman said: “The scheme represents a capital investment of over £100 million, with significant benefits to the local economy and supply chain.

“In addition there will be significant tourism and leisure benefits for the region and beyond.”

MCD Developments needed the agreement to be signed to allow it to access funding for the project, which will see an ‘authentically-built and landscaped Chinese environment’ created.

Attractions will range from oriental lakes and gardens to a China Town retail street, a Shaolin temple and cultural centre, theatre, children’s fantasy land, restaurants, an oriental spa, pavilions, a pagoda and a hotel.

The park aims to attract 1.5m visitors each year – including some of the growing number of Chinese students in South Yorkshire.

Developers are led by Peter Moore, who helped establish Centre Parcs, and Stephen Byrne, chief executive of Birmingham-based MCD Developments.

Rotherham Council’s overview and scrutiny management board agreed that the decision was urgent and could not reasonably be deferred.

Visions of China was first announced in August 2011 and the scheme is set to create 580 jobs – 200 in the construction phase and 300 once it opens.

Mr Moore, a former marketing director at Alton Towers and chief executive of the Visions of China consortium, said: “I believe it will be, no doubt, one of the most exciting projects British tourism will have seen for decades.”

A date has not yet been set for when construction will begin and a full planning application must be submitted.

Outline permission for leisure development has already been approved.

http://www.thestar.c...-park-1-5208606

Never thought we'd hear from this project again to be honest but Mr Moore seems to be confident, I know the proofs in the pudding but this all sounds rather dull and more like a glorified outdoor shopping complex to me.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So just a few coaster updates, a sort of best of the best of coasters opening in 2013.

The first of many, a new ten looping roller coaster at Hopi Hari. A modified Colossus with a smoother looking first drop and chunkier supports.

Posted Image

Opening in Italy at Cinecitta World is another ten looping roller coaster, no pictures thus far of this project.

http://rcdb.com/11082.htm

And at Chonqing Safari park in China is yet another ten looping roller coaster, which, yes you guessed it is a Colossus clone.

http://rcdb.com/11055.htm

At Vialand, a brand new park opening in Turkey, an Intamin LSM coaster has been announced. Little is known about it thus far, we know it will be 164 foot tall and 68 miles per hour launch. But thats it.

Posted Image

In Denmark, Juvelen has been announced for Djurs Sommerland.

Posted Image

A company which has exploded into life for 2013 is Mack, particularly their version of the launch rollercoaster. So far four LSM coasters have been announced by the company for 2013, mainly going to parks in Asia. The exception is Storm at Etnaland which has already ran with guests and looks fantastic.

Posted Image

Just today, Mack have announced more new rides including another Mack youngSTAR heading to a park in China.

So what about Maurer who have been relatively quiet recently. Only a sky loop and a spinning ride have been announced called Undertow. It is unknown if this will be a X3000 model.

For 2013, Gerstlauer's are still selling well. SW7 will be the European highlight.. well we hope. Elsewhere, spinning coasters, bobsleds and family rides have been purchased in Germany, Austria and Mexico.

And thats all for now. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haven't seen anything about this around here. But Gerstlauer opened their first inverting, indoor, launched (24mph... wow ;) ) spinning coaster in late July this year in Japan, it's located at Tokyo Joypolis. The launch is tire propelled although the ride does also have a standard chain lift too. The inversion is an in-line twist.

The ride has Over The Shoulder Restraints, surely lap bars would have been possible too... :P

(This is in Japanese)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That video just made me very jealous that we don't have SegaWorld anymore - it brought back a lot of memories of that old London Classic.

Never heard of a spinning launched inverted coaster before. Yes it's not very fast but it looks a lot of fun. Perhaps they're seeing how it takes off before they start speeding it up and increasing the intensity of it as I would imagine all of those things would be quite intense/ epic on the body if it goes above a certain speed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

News is going around that Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach have purchased Whirlwind from Camelot.

From others' reviews I've heard it's a bit of a naff coaster, but I think it'd do the Pleasure Beach good. I visited the Pleasure Beach in August and it's got a nice selection of fairground classics with a few familiar theme park rides there too with the Wooden Coaster, Tivoli Orbiter and Fabbri Evolution being their strongest rides at the moment, in my opinion.

The Evolution is one of those love it or hate it rides, lots of time spent hanging upside down or laying on your front or back. Unusual experience. Unsure where Whirlwind is going to go at the moment? I did notice there was some space near the south end of the Pleasure Beach by the Waltzer and back of the Wooden Coaster, could be going there...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just heard from another forum that New Pleasureland, Southport may have purchased some of the ex-Camelot attractions; and that there's a crane on site at Camelot at the moment deconstructing the Fabbri Evolution 'Excalibur 2' ride. Unless the Thorpe 'Evolution' turns out to be this. :ph34r: Lol no I jk.

Would make the most sense for this to be going to Southport seeing as it heavily relies on funfair showmen pulling up there when they have some free time of nowhere else to go if they need some extra Business, would do Southport good to get a few more permanent attractions!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...