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£300m leisure resort
THE largest indoor leisure and tourism development in Europe today came a step closer to reality in South Yorkshire - along with the creation of 2,700 jobs.
The 300 million entertainment resort - named YES! - would see 320 acres of disused mining land beside Rother Valley Country Park become home to West End shows and a four-star spa hotel as well as sports activities.
Oak Holdings, a development company and property consultancy, has devised the ambitious scheme in association with Rotherham Council.
An outline planning application was submitted today for the site, previously the Pithouse West coal mine and coking plant.
Set close to J31 of the M1, Oak Holdings believes it would bring tourists from all over the country to the area and would create 2,700 jobs.
YES! features more than one million sq ft of entertainment facilities with supporting infrastructure that includes a theatre complex, extreme sports centre, indoor entertainment facilities, resort spa and conference hotel, exhibition centre and golf range, along with restaurants, bars and cafes.
The theatre is set to be the largest outside London's West End.
The leisure and sports complex would be integrated into the 1,000-acre Rother Valley park's existing sports facilities to create "a destination unrivalled in the region".
Developers say the hotel, conference and exhibition centre will give a much needed boost to hotel provision in the area.
They also claim the overall scheme would bolster the area's growing reputation as a centre for the creative and cultural industries and is well placed to utilise the new Robin Hood Airport near Doncaster.
On a wider scale, YES! addresses two of the Deputy Prime Minister's Northern Way targets, promoting tourism and leisure and tackling unemployment.
Oak was appointed preferred developer for the site in 2003 by the council and Yorkshire Forward and has already lined up three major occupiers for the resort.
This includes Clear Channel Entertainment, one of the world's biggest promoters of live entertainment and managers of Sheffield's Hallam FM Arena, to operate the theatre complex. Venture Xtreme UK Ltd plans to create a world-class indoor and outdoor extreme pursuits sports facility to include an Olympic standard canoe slalom.
And the Baydrive Group, promoters of the TopGolf Centres, will open one of its driving range centres which offers a golfing experience for novices, families and serious golfers.
Oak Holdings chief executive Steve Lewis said his scheme would be the largest undercover tourism and leisure development in Europe.
"Undoubtedly YES! will be a sensation, providing South Yorkshire and the UK with a tourism and leisure development to be proud of and encouraging people to travel into the area," he said.
"Apart from creating up to 2,700 new jobs, YES! also has educational, environmental and cultural merits that will significantly benefit surrounding communities."
The design, unveiled exclusively to The Star today, has been prepared by architects CZWG and Holder Mathias.
Piers Gough, of CZWG Architects, was responsible for the acclaimed Regency Wing of the National Portrait Gallery, in Trafalgar Square. He is also working on the design of the buildings for what will be the largest solar-powered village in Kendal Rise, in West London. Peter Mathias, of Holder Mathias Architects, was responsible for the acclaimed Centre Parc's Oasis centre in Cumbria.
Rotherham Economic and Development Services' executive director Adam Wilkinson is leading the project for the council.
He said: "There's a rigorous planning process ahead, but we're confident Oak can meet the criteria. Once that's complete, we'll be creating more than a development – it will be a vision of how future leisure attractions can take shape.
"There are over 20 million people within easy travelling distance, but the scheme will bring in visitors from all over the country.
"Add YES! to other facilities in South Yorkshire and the area would become a leading centre for leisure and tourism. Regeneration benefits would be massive."
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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