VIDEO: £22.5m plans to transform Sheffield's old Ski Village into extreme sports complex

The abandoned attraction at Parkwood Springs, overlooking the city centre, would be transformed into a new extreme sports destination under the exciting new proposals.

The much-loved ski slopes and mountain bike tracks would be restored at the venue, where new activities could include indoor skydiving, eSports and a virtual reality hub.

The revamped leisure complex next to the existing country park would also feature restaurants, bars, shops and themed accommodation, and it could host live music.

The EXTREME Destinations-led consortium was today announced by Sheffield Council as its preferred developer for the 48-acre plot, encompassing the old Ski Village and surrounding land beside Neepsend.

It will now work with the council on detailed proposals for a revamped ski park, which it hopes to open in 2019, subject to planning permission, before concentrating on plans for residential and leisure facilities elsewhere on and around the site.

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, cabinet member for business, said: "Bringing Sheffield ski village and the surrounding area back into use as part of a truly global package of sports facilities, hotels and other leisure pursuits is a fantastic outcome for the team at Sheffield Council that has worked to secure a preferred developer with EXTREME’s experience in delivering leisure-based schemes for many years.

"There's still plenty of work to do but by appointing our preferred developer we are one step closer to bringing the much-loved ski village back into use.

"This news will come as an early Christmas present to the thousands of winter sports enthusiasts who trained on the slopes at the ski village, many of whom who are associated with EXTREME as ambassadors for its sporting ambitions.

"An initial study in 2015 showed us the great potential for this type of attraction at Parkwood Springs, and the hard work by the Friends of Parkwood Springs and the Friends of Wardsend Cemetery to make the wider area a place to be proud of, is beginning to pay off."

Sheffield Council, which selected the consortium following a lengthy bidding process, claims the development would initially create 100 new full-time jobs, with the potential for more in future.

It says EXTREME will be able to harness its global reach to attract more tourists to Sheffield by promoting the city at its many events, through its sports channel and via its army of ambassadors including snowboarder Jamie Nicholls and skier Rowan Cheshire.

EXTREME runs events and has an online sports channel operating in 68 countries. Existing projects the firm is working on include a proposed new race track in Wales, and Grimsby Town FC's planned new stadium, which would include an ice rink.

The other half of the consortium is Continuum Attractions, whose UK offerings include the Emirates Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, the Emmerdale Studio Experience in Leeds, and York's Chocolate Story.

EXTREME's chief executive Alistair Gosling said: "This is a fantastic and unique opportunity to deliver an EXTREME Destination right in the heart of Sheffield and bring the much-missed ski facility bang up to date.

"We will be tapping into the world-wide phenomena of creating total active leisure destinations, where all the excitement of sport and leisure facilities come together – sports activities, accommodation, eating, drinking, shopping – in a totally immersive destination."

Sheffield Ski Village was believed to be Europe's largest artificial ski resort, and was a popular training spot for several world class freestyle skiers, but it closed after being destroyed by fire in 2012.

In recent years, the dilapidated former ski park has become a magnet for fly-tippers and arsonists, with firefighters called to tackle numerous blazes there.