Multi-million-pound plans for former ski village revealed
Plans for the £22.5m re-development of Sheffield’s former ski village, including a new ski lodge and plans for new mountain bike trails in the first phase, have been revealed.
In December, Sheffield City Council announced Extreme Destinations had been the successful developer for the disused site. A consortium working on the plans have now published them, showing how the site – which was destroyed by fire and closed in 2012 – could look.
This includes plans for a new ski lodge and mountain bike trails, as well as the reurn of the ski slopes, in the first phase. It is hoped that as development makes progress, Extreme’s “five-star destination experience” will incorporate a combination of action and adventure sports facilities, including the possibility of an indoor sky diving facility live music, E-Gaming and Virtual reality hub as well as a restaurants, bars, social spaces, retail and themed accommodation.
Chris Lewis, from Extreme, said: “Our discussions to date have shown the very real potential of this site. We have had many interesting discussions about bringing adventure sports to Parkwood. We are developing a bid for Sheffield City Region funding and having highly positive discussions to bring our plans closer to reality.”
Extreme says it will reveal further plans later in the year, together with the release of Sheffield City Council’s masterplan for the wider Parkwood Springs area, which includes Wardsend Cemetery and the former Viridor site.
Last November, Sheffield City Council appointed a consortium led by adventure sports and TV station Extreme Destinations as the preferred developer to deliver a 48-acre sports, leisure and entertainment solution at Parkwood, following a competitive bidding process.
The agreement between Sheffield City Council and Extreme Destinations, in partnership with leading UK facilities operator Continuum Attractions, will see the development, provision and operation of a world class sports and leisure ‘experience’ complex with exciting and modern facilities for residents, tourists and action sports enthusiasts alike, located in the area of the old ski slope site and surrounding land at Parkwood Springs.
The company has more than 120 sporting ambassadors, including many skiers and snowboarders who trained at the ski village – such as snowboarder Jamie Nicholls.
Councillor Mazher Iqbal, of Sheffield City Council, said: “It’s great to see EXTREME’s plans talking shape after many months of hard work by themselves and the council to get to this point.
“These plans show the huge potential of the former ski village site as a major destination and large visitor attraction. It shows how Ectreme can carry out a phased delivery plan which brings the ski village back into use alongside many other outdoor pursuits. And it also shows how the rest of the site can be developed with the potential for lodges, hotels and other accommodation.”
