Fans of Alton Towers will be pleased to hear that the popular theme park is set to get a brand new attraction, currently being referred to as 'Project Horizon'. Plans for the new attraction, costing £12.5 million, have been unveiled this week but exactly what the attraction will be has been kept 'top secret'.
What we do know however is that bosses of the theme park have submitted a planning application for the new indoor attraction with Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. According to Stoke Live, 'Project Horizon' would be constructed inside a 20-metre high building, situated in the south west corner of the resort.
At the moment, the area - near Farley Lane - is being used as a maintenance and storage yard. Previously, it was occupied by The Mouse ride. But the new plans show the area will soon comprise of a main building, an entrance feature, plaza and queueing area.
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Although details around the exact nature and theme of the ride remain a secret, other information in the plans reveals that the main building would be around 71 metres long and 51 metres wide, with a steel portal frame and dark green cladding. To make way for the new mystery attraction, 27 trees would need to be removed.
This would be along with an additional 11 which are said to be in poor condition. However, the plans indicate that the loss would be 'significantly offset' through new tree planting proposed as part of a landscaping works scheme.
The application also goes into detail regarding the development, which it says will 'provide a new indoor attraction, enhance the visitor economy and contribute to the economic growth of Staffordshire Moorlands district'. Across the two years it has been estimated it would take to build the attraction, around 85 construction jobs would be created.
Once the attraction has been completed, the plans say it would give way to 107 full-time equivalent jobs within the park. Alton Towers also says the attraction will generate £5.1 million in indirect and induced expenditure, along with £2.2 million in off-site expenditure.
The application states: "The design of the new attraction will respect its surroundings both in landscape and heritage terms, and the design approach will seek to meet the expectations of resort guests whilst respecting the heritage of the site and its surroundings including biodiversity and woodland landscape.
"In conclusion, the proposals reflect the aims of both national and local policy and guidance. A large benefit of the proposal is that it allows Alton Towers Resort to continue to attract guests and allows the resort to remain competitive within an increasingly competitively market. In turn, this provides noteworthy economic benefits in the form of tourism and employment."
But the application has attracted a number of objections, with some nearby residents raising concerns over its visual impact, noise and traffic. Alton resident Julian Beattie says: "This development will prove to be a blot on the landscape of the Churnet Valley, no matter what the planning consultants, Lichfields, claim. If built it will ruin the views from Alton, Toothill and numerous other locations."
Another objector James Green, also of Alton, said: "The visual impact on the surrounding area is unacceptable as the proposed building sits above the tree line as seen from multiple highly sensitive locations such as Toothill, Rainroach, Farley Park, and will almost certainly be visible from view points around Alton Castle, St. Johns church and other points in the Town Head area of Alton."
But Alton resident Victoria Hutson supports the application. She said: "I have no objections to the proposed plans and as a person who lives in Alton, I would think this is a great expansion of the current Alton Towers park. The investment in the future of the park shows Merlin Entertainment is not only committed to bringing tourists to our area but also jobs."
A spokesperson for Alton Towers Resort said: "Alton Towers Resort is committed to refreshing and diversifying its offer to ensure that it attracts the next generation of visitors in an increasingly competitive market. This will help secure existing jobs and create new employment opportunities. We are immensely proud of our rural location and this plays a key consideration in how we manage the site and shape plans for the future. The Resort will continue to engage with and support the local community in which we are based."
It is understood that planners at the district council will make a decision on the application in the coming weeks.
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