Leisure and entertainment company investing £2m in e-karting track
Gravity Active Entertainment has won planning approval to construct a £2m e–karting experience at Xscape Yorkshire, Castleford.
This will add 24,000 sq ft to the existing venue and create another 50 jobs.
Xscape Yorkshire is Gravity’s first UK site which opened in 2015 as a trampoline park and has since added Gravity Aerial Adventures, a sky coaster that suspends riders 70 feet from the ground; a free–falling experience; the Leap of Faith and Gravity Rocks, a climbing wall for both children and adults.
The latest construction is Gravity’s second GT e–karting track, following the success of its first track at Gravity Southside, Wandsworth, opened in August 2021.
Designed by racing experts, it offers high powered karts on a multi-layered track that includes the latest safety features and ability to deactivate the karts remotely and control top speeds at the flick of a switch.
Gravity operates 17 sites in the UK and is expanding into Europe with a venue in Leipzig, Germany. The business now employs 600 people, having increased its workforce from 384 since 2019.
The firm adds it also intends to carry out a full refurbishment of the Trampoline park at Xscape Yorkshire this year, which it says will make it the most up-to-date trampoline park in the country.
Gravity was advised by law firm Irwin Mitchell in arranging its newest expansion.
Harvey Jenkinson, co-founder and CEO at Gravity, said: “We aim to be at the forefront of leisure offerings in the UK and can’t wait to introduce more people to Gravity GT e–karting.
“We are at a pivotal moment in our development and are excited to see what the future has in store.”
Pablo Sueiras, head of retail channels at Landsec, said: “To meet the growing demand for one–of–a–kind leisure experiences and the popularity of competitive socialising, we’re constantly looking at how we can bring new concepts to our destinations.
“As we’ve seen from Gravity’s success at Southside, guests increasingly want to be able to try a variety of different activities all in one place, so GT e–karting will be a great new addition for Xscape Yorkshire.”
James Knowles, property partner and head of the Northern Transactional Real Estate Team at Irwin Mitchell, added: “Gravity continues to expand and is taking the leisure and hospitality market by storm.
“There is a real demand for quality leisure and entertainment venues in the UK and Gravity is at the cutting edge of providing fun experiences that appeal to the whole family.”
Knowles was assisted by real estate solicitor Laura Jones.
