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2015: Alton Towers Enchanted Village

Ian

Ian

TS Team
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From TowersStreet News

TowersStreet said:
TowersStreet can reveal today that planning applications have been submitted to Staffordshire Moorlands Council for revised plans for a Lodge Development at the resort.

Originally submitted in November 2012, a decision was made by the resort in May 2013 not to pursue the Lodge Development and the plans were subsequently withdrawn.

Lodge Development
The previous withdrawal of the Lodge Development was said to be the right option for the Resort at the time, though it now appears the project will be pursued in a different location. Previous objections included those from the local lobby group Whiston Action Group (WAG), who feared noise pollution from the nearby JCB testing facility would reach the lodges and affect the manufacturer’s operations.

The new development is proposed to include:

61 double lodges (compared with 150 lodges on previous applications)
10 two-storey treehouses
Play areas (9 were proposed in the last application)
A restaurant
Parking facilities
Associated service buildings
All buildings appear to retain the whimsical appearance they had in the previous plans, with “children’s fairy tales” cited as the main theme for the development.

The most significant addition to these plans are the new treehouses, which did not feature in the previous plans. Given the smaller number of these, the fact they sleep 8 people (two double rooms and two twin rooms), and the view over the valley that their location and second floor may provide, it is likely that these will be a luxury option. They will also offer two bathrooms (one of which will be ensuite), an entrance lobby, and decked terraces front and rear, incorporating a hot tub.

The 61 double lodges (making 122 individual units) will sleep 4/5 guests, with a double bed, bunks, and pull-out additional bed. These are described as “entry-level” accommodation, and also provide a walk-in shower, small seating area, and outside veranda (with further seating and table).

Lodge Location

The location of the lodges has also been moved: in the 2012 plans, they were to be based on one of the resort’s seldom-used field car parks, with a mini roundabout added on the road down to the hotels for access. However, the new development will be based on the field to the side of the Alton Towers Hotel.

The majority of the parking provision comes in the form of 120 designated spaces on Car Park J – the same as the previous plans, and more substantial footpaths from here to the site are to be constructed.

Alton Towers are hoping the new development will provide another 32 full-time and 98 part-time staff positions.

Possible Spa Extension
Spa

The planning application also references plans to extend the Spa outwards (towards the lodge development area), creating a new “spa garden”. This would further increase the facilities of the popular Spa, which has seen recent developments in the form of an additional wooden sauna building.

Additionally, around 70 hotel parking spaces would be relocated from in front of the hotel to between the Spa Garden and lodges. However, details of both these developments are set to be revealed on separate applications.

TowersStreet will be bringing you further extensive coverage on the applications soon. In the meantime, check out out TowersStreet Talk for community discussion on Alton Towers and theme parks around the world.
Click to expand...

Fantastic news! It may be a little smaller than the original application, but any expansion to the resort side of Alton, no matter how big or small, is always a bonus :)

For those of you not quite up to speed you can read more on the history of this development in our Planning Portal Archives.
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

Brilliant news! Sure it's smaller although the resort side of things is in dire need of more accommodation!

Just looking through the application. The location is different for these lodges, right next to ATH:

ZatnVKJ.png
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

Good news, glad that they have re-visited the idea! They are indeed now planned to be next to ATH. That would probably have been the ideal location for a third hotel but I'm guessing that's not even a consideration at the minute.

Fingers crossed this actually happens now!

EDIT:

The plan also show some details of a Spa expansion, stating that this will be dealt with in a separate planning application.

Car parking for the lodges will be Car Park J and a seperate application will also deal with an extension to the current hotel car parking. It calls this "hotel extension approved parking". Hopefully more will become clear once I've seen more of the documents!

:)
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

Well, I'm surprised, but glad that this has been resubmitted. Yes, it's going to be smaller than originally planned, but that offers potential room for expansion in the future if these prove to be popular enough with guests.

Does anyone have a link to the application info? I've tried looking through Staffs Moorlands' Planning Portal, but it's not come up with anything.
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

Oops - turns out I was looking at applications from Alton parish instead of Farley. :p
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

"The lodges and development have been themed to reflect a traditional lodge of children’s fairy tales. Therefore the materials proposed will include a blend of natural materials and an element of rustic influences. Specifically, the materials will include a timber shingle roof, timber doors and windows, stonework walls and uneven timber barge boards. The lodges will also benefit from a feature chimney and timber fencing around the covered terraces that will create the entrance area for each lodge. The restaurant and service buildings will consist of similar materials to be in-keeping with the ‘fairy tale’ theme."

I imagine - 'Welcome to Shrek's Fairytale Village - only at Alton Towers Resort'

Also it appears wayyyy more generic than the previous planning application.
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

I just can't help but feel disappointed. Compared to the original plans, and considering the amount of land this is going to occupy, I just feel like there could of been a lot more done with it.

The amount of land this will occupy is more than Splash and ATH combined, and yet it is creating 345 less rooms.

I just think another "proper" hotel could of been built in this space with an evening entertainment complex that would of significantly increased the number of rooms available, increased the restaurant capacity, and increased the evening entertainment available on the resort.

Ian
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

I wouldn't worry about this taking up potential space for an entertainments complex in the future. Any entertainments complex will end up on the Air car park. It does make me wonder where they'd build a third hotel if they ever wanted one. Though as I've said I'm guessing that a third hotel isn't even on their minds at the moment.

EDIT:

Here are some further details from the application regarding operational assumptions of the development:

Lodge Application said:
Guest Arrival
The Guests will enter via the Main Theme Park Entrance and follow the same route as all Hotel Guests, passing the Theme Park car parks. Guests will follow signs to the Lodge ‘drop-off’ area and then walk through to the Arrival building to check-in. A few staffed golf buggies will assist guests to their Lodges, if required.

The site will be a car-free zone with the exception of service vehicles, disabled guests and
emergency vehicles. Guests will park in the existing car park (Car Park J) and in a small area of
parking to the west of the tree house.

Check-in
The Guest check-in will be at a Reception area within the main building which is positioned to
the left of the entrance to the site.
This building which totals 600 sqm, will also contain a restaurant, kitchen, office, storage areas,
CHP, and sub-station.

The Accommodation
The simple entry level accommodation will provide for 4/5 sleepers. This includes – a main
room with double bed and small seating area; a wet room with walk in shower; and a separate
sleeping area for children containing a bunk bed with a truckle bed below that can be pulled out
if needed. 61 double entry level lodges (122 individually accessed lodges) are proposed, of
which 9 are accessible /suitable for future accessible units. There will be a small veranda at the
front of each unit with seating and a table. Some of the verandas are accessed via raised steps,
whilst others are level with the ground.

In addition to the entry level lodges it is proposed to construct ten tree houses which will provide for up to 8 sleepers. There are three different designs for the tree houses which include living areas, two double bedrooms and two twin rooms, two bathrooms (one of which is en-suite) an entrance lobby and a decked terrace incorporating a hot tub.

F&B offering
The majority of the main building will contain a restaurant. This is made up of a kitchen and
associated back of house area and seating area for approx. 200 covers. There is also an area
of external seating overlooking the Lodge Development (64 covers).

Play areas
Within the Lodge Development there will be several small timber play structures for the children,
as well as a larger one near to the restaurant building.

Service huts
Around the Lodge Development there are three Linen storage huts which will provide
distribution points for housekeeping. They will handle the deliveries of clean and the collection
of used linen, to be laundered off site each day as per the arrangement of the existing hotels, as
well as storage of cleaning materials etc.
Click to expand...

The treehouses look really good! I'd imagine that they will be rather expensive though. Overall I think it looks very similar to the inital application, just in a different application and on a slightly different scale. "The Holes" no longer seem to be included but I think the treehouses look better than these did!

:)
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

IanB said:
I just can't help but feel disappointed. Compared to the original plans, and considering the amount of land this is going to occupy, I just feel like there could of been a lot more done with it.

The amount of land this will occupy is more than Splash and ATH combined, and yet it is creating 345 less rooms.

I just think another "proper" hotel could of been built in this space with an evening entertainment complex that would of significantly increased the number of rooms available, increased the restaurant capacity, and increased the evening entertainment available on the resort.

Ian
Click to expand...

but each lodge will have a higher capacity than a hotel room, some tree houses have 4 bedrooms. Also they will be able be able to charge a huge premium for these as they are nicer self contained accommodation. which means although it takes up more land the number of people sleeping is higher than hotel rooms and the income is higher.

Plus it looks nicer than another big box!

There is a restaurant planned to service these lodges and they look like there will be some basic catering facilities in the tree houses at least for people to heat their own food. So catering capacity will be increased. Any entertainment/restaurants aimed at day guests would go next to ExtraOrdinary Golf I think.
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

Just had a look at the first document on the list - '373-85-1 ATR Key Plan' - and I couldn't help but notice that in X-Sector, they've still got the shape of the Black Hole tent marked out. :p

In all seriousness, I've looked through a few of the documents so far, and I'm impressed. If this goes ahead, then it looks like it'll be a solid addition to the resort, and could help give more demand for an entertainments complex on the resort in the future.
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

Bit disappointed to be honest. The location they've chosen was going to be for the 3rd hotel which I've always found to be more exciting than log cabins. The first set of plans looked badly put together, this looks even worse.
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

The only negative I will point out is no extension on entertainments. This is one opportunity to add a new ents venue and they seem to be missing it.

Towers should know that the hotels get unbearable at peak times - this was one chance to open up something new to ease the stress off both hotels at night. Even something as simple as a stage inside the restaurant would be a good thing. Maybe offer a meal and a show. Or from Xpm just guests can enter to watch shows without a meal.

If there is no form of ents I can see it not being long until a stage gets shoe-horned into the restaurant.
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

I think they are aiming these more at families who won't want the entertainment in the evenings, they would rather retire back to the lodge in the evening hence the sofa areas in them and the outdoor verandas, you will have more of your own space compared to the existing hotel. There will also be outdoor play areas for kids.

Basically if you want the noise and entertainment, stay in the hotel, if you want space and quiet stay at the lodges.

I think Alton has seen the success the The Raddle Inn (http://logcabin.co.uk/) has had and are trying to copy with a higher quality (and therefore more expensive) cabin.
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

I disagree slightly. You can still get peace and quiet and also have entertainment. Just like any other camp site type accommodation. I bet if this is built we will see a foot flow of guests going to the hotels for entertainment.

Maybe I'm wrong and it will work just fine. I just think for a place like Towers people expect more.
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

Jonathan said:
Just had a look at the first document on the list - '373-85-1 ATR Key Plan' - and I couldn't help but notice that in X-Sector, they've still got the shape of the Black Hole tent marked out. :p
Click to expand...

On some of the documents they have Duel as "Haunted House" and The Smiler area as "New rollercoaster to open 2013". :p
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

James said:
Jonathan said:
Just had a look at the first document on the list - '373-85-1 ATR Key Plan' - and I couldn't help but notice that in X-Sector, they've still got the shape of the Black Hole tent marked out. :p
Click to expand...

On some of the documents they have Duel as "Haunted House" and The Smiler area as "New rollercoaster to open 2013". :p
Click to expand...
Nice to see they're keeping things up to date, then!
 
Re: Resort Lodge Development

Can I clarify - I was struggling to find site elevations, but it doesn't appear that these will be the same style as previously?


Ah ok, apologies. So the lodges have interesting roofs, but lack the Hobbit esque location under a hill, still with round doors and 'crookidy witches hat roof' from the elevation.
 
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