12% drop in profits for LWV (Also LWV Resorts News!!)

[Mushroom]

Lightwater Valley is facing crunch time after lodging a planning application to build resort facilities in an effort to ward off closure.

The North Stainley theme park has applied to build 106 holiday units with outdoor sport facilities on the site after a similar development was thrown out by Harrogate Borough Council in 2008.

Lightwater Valley’s director and general manager Mark Bainbridge said getting the application approved is crucial for the future of the park.

“This year has been horrendous for outdoor attractions, especially those like Lightwater without accommodation,” said Mr Bainbridge. “This year we are 12 per cent down on profits, which is the equivalent of 40,000 visitors. We can’t sustain another two years in this kind of business.”

Mr Bainbridge added: “Now we are feeling the pressure and it’s getting harder and harder. We do need to change there is no doubt about that. We have spent £18million on the theme park over the last 10 years but it’s not led to an increase in visitors.”

The theme park’s latest application has been significantly reduced, proposing 234 fewer accommodation units than the original 204 caravans and 136 lodges put forward four years ago.

The original application was refused, despite an appeal by Lightwater Valley Attractions Ltd to overturn the council’s decision.

The council ruled the 18-hectare site was in an isolated and unsustainable location in open countryside and would be visually intrusive – going against Government guidance and the council’s own policy.

Mr Bainbridge said: “By reducing the number of units I think we have alleviated a lot of worries.”

He argued that overnight accommodation was an essential asset to the sustainability of a theme park.

“At the end of the day, the theme park model has changed vastly. Unfortunately, all of our competitors have now gone into accommodation and several of them that didn’t are no longer in existence.”

Local businesses have pledged support for the project, arguing it will boost tourism and trade in the area.

In a letter to Mr Bainbridge, Black Sheep brewery boss Rob Theakston said: “It will be particularly valuable to have such a facility operating 10 months of the year which will encourage visitors during the quieter seasons. The overall impact on job creation for the local communities would be highly beneficial.”

The Greater Ripon Improvement Partnership (GRIP) also voted in favour of the application at a board meeting last month.

GRIP chairman Judith Donovan told the Gazette: “Lightwater Valley is a very important attraction and we want it to succeed. We think accommodation at the park will help Ripon’s nightime economy and create a livelier Ripon in the evenings. It will also attract more families if there is accommodation.”

Welcome to Yorkshire, various tenants in the Lightwater Country Shopping Village next door to the park and Newby Hall also offered support for the new facilities.

Newby Hall administrator Stuart Gill wrote to Mr Bainbridge, saying Newby Hall “looks forward to strengthening our relationship with Lightwater and the new holiday lodges for the benefit of our own business and the local economy”.

The 2008 application also gained widespread support, with more than 10,000 members of the public signing an online petition – but planners maintained the development was unsustainable, despite acknowledging its economic advantages.

Source: http://www.ripongazette.co.uk/community ... -1-5270149

 

[Martyn B]

Re: 12% drop in profits for Lightwater Valley

Where the hell have they spent £18m?! That's nearly £2m a year, yet all they've really added is them rides from Loudoun and Southport...

 

[Jake]

Re: 12% drop in profits for Lightwater Valley

Ugh, the shopping village is awful. I don't know how those shops stay in business, they're always empty!

I'm not surprised to be honest, especially with the growth of FL down the road. Let's face it, Lightwater is a bit of a dump.

 

[SaiyanHajime]

Re: 12% drop in profits for Lightwater Valley

Lightwater wouldn't actually have to do much, I don't think, to stop failing...

For one, they need to drop their weirdness or invest in it. By that I mean that shopping village, falcon centre and... Garden centre? I don't even know - need to either be invested in, featured and good, or they need to drop the quirkiness and focus 100% the theme pa- I mean, field with rides.

They need to bring some more rides and fill up the gaps in the giant abyss of a field. They need to stop removing **** the year after they open it and plan ahead. They need to deal with the dreadful layout, depressing merchandise shops, poor food and with all this, up the entry fee. I actually think their cheapness is making them look more cheap than they are. People aren't thinking "hey its cheaper to go to Lightwater than Flamingoland!" they're thinking "Lightwater is cheap because there's **** ALL THERE."

 

[Nic]

Re: 12% drop in profits for Lightwater Valley

2012 - kiddie pile o'ship
2011 - Skeleton Cove was £1.2m. Dunno how much Whirlwind was?
2010 - The Raptor Attack re-theme was rumoured to be £500k.
2009 - Rapids £500k
2008 - Ferris wheel, £225k. Hornets Nest - giant **** up like that must've cost a bit? Carousel.
2007 - Flying Camels, what even is that? Dodgems. Noah's Ark. Dragon Boats.
2006 - Dunno how much the wave swinger was?
2004 - Eagles Claw £500k. Trauma Tower, **** knows?. Gizzly Bear?
2003 - Big apple
2002 - The train

That's a hell of a lot more stuff than I thought when I first went looking. Some of it also cost more than I imagined. Add to that continued maintenance (surely keeping T'Ultimate going can't be that cheap).

That said, that's still some creative accounting to make that add up to £18m surely?!

 

[LG95]

Re: 12% drop in profits for Lightwater Valley

It would be a shame if Lightwater closed. I know it is not the best park in the UK but I thought the progress with Skeleton Cove and Raptor Attack were quite decent, considering they were preowned/existing rides.

Personally I can't see how a park like that is going to need accommodation and I certainly don't see how it is going to save the park like they predict. Still I guess they are the ones who have done all the research and figures. Maybe it would be good for them?

 

[Mackem Lad]

Re: 12% drop in profits for Lightwater Valley

Harrogate Borough Council have just approved plans for the holiday village.

 

[Mushroom]

Re: 12% drop in profits for Lightwater Valley

^ Beat me to it, here are a couple of links:

https://twitter.com/harrogatetic/status ... 1581675520

https://www.facebook.com/ValleyMania/po ... 1295666339

 

[peep]

Ha, I'm on the 'I don't see the £18mill investment' bandwagon. That figure must be blown way out of proportion, if they have spent that much then they clearly need to learn how to spend their money more wisely.

I can't see this village keeping them going. They need to spend more wisely on interesting attractions, something you can easily market to the masses. They need to improve on food facilities and get rid of the nonsense that people clearly don't use. They should look into better options for better public transport to broaden their market to those that don't own a car.

They have improved over the years but imo not enough (I for one won't be heading back any time soon) and one day they will go the way of Camelot.

 

[nadroJ]

It will be a sad day when LWV closes, just for The Ultimate alone, I literally will not care if anything else at that park goes, which is sad really.

The new pirate area was nice. That's all, nice. Not breathtaking, not oh my god this is actually really good (like Raptor Attack). Which is just, a shame. Because it's not for lack of trying. I'd like to see guest feedback, and to see what they make of the place, because to me it's just a more elaborate Wicksteed Park (ie, rides in a field) type of place, but you can tell that they so desperately want to be more than that. And I really think they can be.

A holiday village is a good idea for a park like LWV but they need to make it actually HAVE something there, because let's face it, there's nothing else around in that area so if they built something rather substantial then they could be on to something. It's a very cute, picturesque little piece of Northern England that I'm sure lots of people would enjoy a holiday in, I think if they harness that then they could definitely save themselves.

And I really don't think LWV is a dump at all, I actually think it's rather charming in a cute countryside-ish kind of way. Flamingoland is much, much worse in my opinion.

Edit: The feedback on their Twitter feed has been nothing but positive, actually brought a little tear to my eye haha XD I'd be gutted to see another park go the way of Camelot, yes it was a dump but at least it offered something different in the UK other than just Merlin all the time. Nice to have the option to mix it up.

 

[Symaxius]

Howdy!

Lightwater Valley and her long term future are now assured.

In fact - I would go so far as to say the best years for Lightwater Valley are coming.

More announcements to follow...


Simon

 

[Martyn B]

The park is, and isn't a dump at the same time. It has a really nice setting, yet it's full of spin and spew travelling rides, the food **** and merchandise piss POOR.

What the park need's IMO is a couple of medium sized coasters, that have that re-ride-ability factor. For example, Whirlwind and Twist 'n' Shout would really improve the park, and adding them would also compliment the current ride line up, making the whole place better.

And as if Joey wants them to charge more! It's over priced as it is!

 

[sean]

Is it chuff overpriced! There's always deals to gain entry for less than 16 pounds. Even at full price you're gaining entry into a theme park that's alot cheaper than most. The holiday village is hopefully the first step of a bright future for the park.

 

[Martyn B]

£16 entry is ok, but the £23 standard price is too much IMO. Especially when you consider what the park has to offer.

 

[furie]

£16 entry is ok, but the £23 standard price is too much IMO. Especially when you consider what the park has to offer.

I dunno, it's pretty subjective to be honest. I'd much, MUCH rather pay that for LWV than the £35 or whatever it was Drayton wanted last year (basically, anything over about £20).

As a "family park", LWV is actually really good. There's a lot of that low/mid age category stuff. There's also lots of open space and things for Grandparents and none riders with the shopping areas, etc.

Okay, for teens and thrill seekers it's lacking a little something, but as we've seen, the money doesn't seem to come from those areas (with the exception of Thorpe :? )

My biggest issue is that it's such a trek to get to for a park that doesn't offer much more than it does to parks close to me. If I lived farther North, I'd probably spend more time there, it's the kind of park that appeals to me.

Hopefully accommodation will help make the decision to trek to Ripon for the park more appealing to people who find it a bit of a chore (like I do) to get to.

 

[Mushroom]

Hopefully accommodation will help make the decision to trek to Ripon for the park more appealing to people who find it a bit of a chore (like I do) to get to.

I think you are bang on the money! Instead of attracting people, maybe 1 to 2 hours away, they can easily attract people up to 4 hours away.

 

[Martyn B]

Who actually pays full price at either park though? Both Drayton and Lightwater have vouchers a plenty, and compare LWV's £16 entry voucher, to Drayton's 2 for 1's, it's roughly the same price, give or take a couple of quid.

It's each to their own really, but when I think of what Pleasure Island has to offer (coasters, dark rides, flats ahoy and shows), for £18 (plus 2 for 1 vouchers everywhere), that alone makes LWV seem like bad value.

 

[furie]

Who actually pays full price at either park though? Both Drayton and Lightwater have vouchers a plenty, and compare LWV's £16 entry voucher, to Drayton's 2 for 1's, it's roughly the same price, give or take a couple of quid.

I'd still take LWV over Drayton :lol:

It's each to their own really, but when I think of what Pleasure Island has to offer (coasters, dark rides, flats ahoy and shows), for £18 (plus 2 for 1 vouchers everywhere), that alone makes LWV seem like bad value.

Not really. As you say, it's each to their own, but I've been to LWV a few times and Pleasure Island just once. I've been to the area around PI a few times, but after my first visit, I didn't want to return there.

LWV, I've gone to the area specifically for LWV. PI just had no return value. It's not a bad park at all, don't get me wrong, but there's just nothing there which is a draw for me - either in terms of rides, or park "surroundings".

I like LWVs big open spaces, but I like spending time chilling out at a park. Value for money is more than a list on paper - Alton fares badly compared to Flamingoland on paper (even if they have the same entry price) - there's more to it than that.

I can't really explain it, but I like LWV as a park to visit. It's also in a good location for people wanting to spend time in Yorkshire. It's a really nice part of the country and it's good that the park and area are being bundled together now with the accommodation plan.

 

[Jake]

The entrance price is cheap, but they make up for it with the food.

What was it... £9 for some chips and a slice of Chicago town?

 

[Mushroom]

Just so you know there is a interview on Look North tonight with Simon (Symaxius) at 6:30pm. If you have Sky, it will be channel 956