Alton Towers set to axe almost 200 workers as revenue slumps after ride accident
ALMOST 200 jobs are set to be axed at Staffordshire theme park Alton Towers after takings were hit following a serious rollercoaster crash at the venue in which five people were seriously injured.
It is the second major jobs blow to the county is the space of a week following the announcement by excavator manufacturer JCB that almost 300 production workers are set to lose their jobs because of declining sales in China.
The theme park’s owner, Merlin Entertainments, had warned in September that the business had been impacted severely by the accident on The Smiler rollercoaster in June.
In a trading update that month, the company said it had seen “significantly reduced visitation” following the accident, adding “as anticipated, this has continued over the summer peak season, exacerbated by relatively poor weather in the UK in August, resulting in like for like revenues in the Resort Theme Parks Operating Group declining by 11.4% year on year.”
The theme park is understood to be cutting the jobs as part of a restructuring of its operation in time for next year’s summer season.
The company told the BBC that the move would mean the loss of up to 190 employees.
The theme park employs around 1,000 permanent staff although this can double during the summer months as a result of seasonal workers being taken on.
It is thought savings may also be made as a result of the company, which also operates the National SeaLife Centres and the Legoland theme park, not filling vacancies and redeploying staff elsewhere.
The company said the decision to axe the jobs had been a difficult one but it had been made to ensure the long-term viability of the business.
It said the theme park made a significant contribution to the local economy and there was also a need to protect that and the future of the remaining employees.
