BeWILDerwood is kicked into long grass

AMBITIOUS plans for an outdoor adventure park attraction at Tatton Park in Cheshire look set to be shelved after councillors vetoed a loan to the company behind the scheme.

Cheshire East Council decided against providing funds for Norfolk company Bure Valley Adventures’ bid to bring its BeWILDerwood concept to the 1,000 acre estate near Knutsford.

The project, which was originally tabled in 2013, was part of a plan by the local authority to boost visitor numbers and reduce the reliance on public subsidies.

Now, the authority says its ‘Tatton Vision’ projects have already boosted visitor numbers and added new sources of income to help manage and conserve the historic estate.

New ideas under consideration include further development of the Stableyard’s restaurants and shops as a ‘destination’ attraction, improved infrastructure for outdoor events, outdoor activities for families, improvement and expansion of the farm and other accommodation options.

The authority says work on proposals to extend and improve a number of Tatton’s existing offers will continue now the Council’s Cabinet has decided against providing a loan to Bure Valley Adventures.

It appears councillors were put of by the considerable up-front investment required for BeWILDerwood. Costs for the project had continued to rise, requiring the council to review the funding as part of its planning for a new capital programme.

Cllr Peter Raynes, the Council’s Cabinet member in charge of finance, said: “As part of a review of our capital programme, Bewilderwood was considered alongside other ambitions, including the development of Alderley Park as a hub for the life sciences sector and investment in recycling technology to reduce our landfill bill.

“Bure Valley Adventures asked us to lend considerably more than originally envisaged. As a result, we reconsidered the project and decided that, at present, there are other more pressing priorities for the capital we have available for investment.”

Investment to date has already reduced the operational cost to Cheshire East from around £1m to £400,000 while protecting the park’s £9m per year contribution to the local economy.