RPS has been providing planning advice for the UK’s rapidly expanding tourist leisure industry for over ten years, such that the company is one of the most prominent consultancies in this specialist industry.

Last year RPS secured planning permission for Camelot Theme Park’s (Lancashire) biggest ever ride: ‘Knightmare’, a 26m high roller coaster that is visible from the M6. RPS has acted for the Park’s operators for over 10 years, including securing planning permission for a 75-unit holiday village, and then a large 'indoor theme park' attraction.

Advising theme parks isn't just about building white-knuckle rides; it also concerns planning new facilities, or developments for old parks. Despite all its successes, the site’s long-term future can never be securely guaranteed, and RPS has also been promoting a new village¹ – ′Park Hall Village ′ prime;– on the Camelot site, including a replacement attraction for the park. When complete, it will be the UK's only all-year-round indoor theme park.² :

Holiday villages are proving essential to ensure long-term viability for theme parks. RPS has recently secured permission for 110 holiday lodges at the former Groveland Leisure Park in Carmarthenshire and has submitted applications for a 5-star static caravan park, made of timber-clad units at Cornwall's Crealy Great Adventure Park, and an application for 30 log cabins adjacent to the Devon Crealy park, which will feature fishing lakes and woodland walks. In addition to this RPS has also secured permission for a Log Flume and a Carousel ride at the Devon Park, plus Certificate of Lawfulness for the park itself.

Additionally, RPS is providing planning expertise, and landscape and ecological advice, for a public inquiry ³ for a 340-unit holiday park at Lightwater Valley in North Yorkshire -home of what was, until recently, the world's longest roller coaster. The proposed development will comprise permanent lodges and high quality static caravans along with significant landscape planting just outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Six major theme parks have closed during the last two years and this development is essential to ensure the park’s long-term viability.

Beyond holiday parks and exciting rides, theme parks are finding more new and innovative ways of supporting their attractions. RPS worked with Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach⁴ and Great Yarmouth Borough Council to apply to the Government for a new-style casino as part of the review of gambling legislation⁵, resulting in the town becoming the only UK seaside resort to date, to be able to grant a ′large′ casino licence.

RPS submitted the application for the casino development this year, to include a 60,000 sq. ft casino⁶, 22-lane ten-pin bowling alley, 10 screen multiplex cinema, and a 184-bedroom hotel with 6 restaurants and parking for 832 cars. The building⁷ will become a major landmark between the Pleasure Beach and the town's Eastport outer harbour development⁸ . The entire building is carefully designed to create a stunning grand-scale lightshow, and the development will represent the biggest investment in the town’s tourism economy in over 25 years.

Other recent RPS projects include: Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Lancashire), Loudon Castle (East Ayrshire), West Midlands Safari Park (Bewdley), Funland Amusement Park (Hayling Island); Brean Leisure Park (Somerset); Adventure Island (Southend); Old MacDonald's Farm Park (Brentwood); and Pleasure Island (St Annes).

Great Yarmouth ′Casino by Night′ © Collado Collins Architects

For more information please contact:
RPS Oxford - Planning & Development
T: +44 (0) 1235 838 200

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¹ Working with Persimmon Homes.
² Metroland, the only existing indoor theme park, is scheduled to close in April 2008.
³ The previous planning application, not submitted by RPS, was refused last year.
⁴ Norfolk’s 9-acre Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach is the most visited tourist attraction in East Anglia, drawing in more than 1.4m visitors each year.
⁵ RPS has acted for Caesar’s Entertainment, Hilton Group, Ameristar, Ladbrokes and Aspers during the last few years in relation to changes in the Government’s Gambling Act 2005.
⁶ To be operated by Aspers.
⁷ Located on a former caravan park.
⁸ Eastport is currently under construction. The building’s lightshow is also intended to attract tourists arriving at Eastport including those arriving on the Netherlands-UK ferries, which are expected to commence operation in two years time.