LEMUEL GULLIVER is about to embark on his latest travels after the owners of the theme park group that bears his name agreed to buy a 333-acre site in South Yorkshire.
Gulliver’s Family Theme Parks, which started with Gulliver’s Kingdom in Matlock Bath in 1978 and now includes parks at Warrington and Milton Keynes, is to create Gulliver’s Valley Resort on the site of the former Pithouse West opencast colliery in Rotherham.
It is hoped that it is third time lucky for the site next to Rother Valley Country Park, which has had two previous agreements for the site terminated due to the lack of progress.
Rotherham Council Commissioner Julie Kenny pointed to Gulliver’s being “a self-financing family company” as the reason why she expects a different outcome this time.
She said: “This is a second-generation family-run business with a proven track record for building and operating family entertainment developments and I am proud that Gulliver’s has chosen the borough to develop their Valley Resort.”
The family theme park is targeted at under-13s and the plans for Valley Resort include up to five phases of development that will result in all of the elements that have evolved across the group being part of the Rotherham park.
Plans include a year round family resort aimed at two to thirteen-year-olds offering rides, attractions, soft play and indoor fun, centred on themed areas around a main fairytale castle. Other phases in the future include a woodland adventure centre, an education and ecology centre, a 100-bedroom hotel and 300 woodland lodges.
Rotherham Council’s “minded to” decision is subject to certain conditions being met and planning permission being approved but, if successful, building work could start as early as next year.
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