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Thorpe Park | Hyperia | Mack Hyper Coaster | 2024

Matt N said:
Jack Silkstone has confirmed in his livestream that Exodus has been unanimously approved by the council!
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Brilliant news, Jack has done an update video and in it he shows the councilors and how they see Thorpe as the jewel in their crown and all have fond memories of loggers leap and are thrilled that Thorpe want to build a new coaster, its great to see how much they want this.

JoshC. said:
Good news, and I reckon it means Exodus is coming for definite. But when is the big question.
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I think with the park, council, residents and public wanting this along with a big project being signed off looking good, i agree i think its a sure thing, but yes i do hope the SOS checks their in box and construction gets underway as soon as.
 
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Looking hopeful then. It’s certainly been a long time coming - by the time it’s built it’ll be over a decade since The Swarm - I can’t really hide my disappointment at the VR distraction Merlin went chasing instead of a new coaster (with DBGT and then with messing with Air at Towers). Not even fussed if it’s Mack or B&M it’s been so long, should be a decent ride either way.

I’ll have to do another “Walk the Big One” and write “2nd tallest” on the sign at the top!
 
John Burton, Creative Lead at MMM and presumably for Project Exodus, has made it clear that this decision means the application has "moved to the next stage" but does not mean it has been "approved".

https://twitter.com/x/status/1577940742571450369

He's usually quite cryptic and teasing with any tweets, so such a direct comment is out of the norm. Even if they believe that the SoS is a formailty / internally Thorpe are confident of getting the result they want, it is clear that this doesn't mean it's been approved, and we're very much not out of the proverbial woods yet.
 
JoshC. said:
John Burton, Creative Lead at MMM and presumably for Project Exodus, has made it clear that this decision means the application has "moved to the next stage" but does not mean it has been "approved".

https://twitter.com/x/status/1577940742571450369

He's usually quite cryptic and teasing with any tweets, so such a direct comment is out of the norm. Even if they believe that the SoS is a formailty / internally Thorpe are confident of getting the result they want, it is clear that this doesn't mean it's been approved, and we're very much not out of the proverbial woods yet.
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There is a relatively high profile case in Bristol where this has been a VERY painful process, actually. A school near central Bristol was given unanimous planning approval by the City Council in 2020, but the EA's objections meant it ended up going to the SoS (Education). It was given it's final approval by the SoS in April 2022. It was a bit complicated as a case (and project), and the details aren't super clear to me, AND Covid definitely made life a bit more difficult, but all of that is to say that this could be a slow process. Hopefully not, though.

[Source: I work with the team who designed it.]

I suspect Thorpe have been advised of the nature of these things by their their planning consultants, and so are choosing to be cautiously optimistic at this stage.

My gut feel is that this will be a lot more straightforward, for a number of technical and non-technical reasons, but who knows for sure...?
 
So... It looks like we could well have an answer by the 31st October afterall.

The standard time that the 'Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities' (I know, cool right, haha) has to make a decision is 21 days! (although they can seek an extension.)

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Also... Here's the cover letter the council submitted to the secretary of state, which makes for some pretty damning reading with regards to the EA!!! https://docs.runnymede.gov.uk/Publi...wDocument?id=36DB01C23AF046CDB68B1910777A7639

EDIT: Also, "My working days are Tues, Weds and Thurs" What is that? Wonder what kind of salary this person is on. :eek:
 
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I see no reason for there to be a delay if they've already been given a set time limit for when a decision needs to be made. It'll have to be high up on the replacement's agenda. Having said that, it did say in the letter that an extension can be given.
 
CineramaMax said:
I see no reason for there to be a delay if they've already been given a set time limit for when a decision needs to be made. It'll have to be high up on the replacement's agenda. Having said that, it did say in the letter that an extension can be given.
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I'm an architect, and I can tell you from experience that the existence for a fixed decision date definitely won't prevent the decision being late. Planning staff have too much work and too few people and it's commonplace for extensions of time to be granted repeatedly.
 
Heth said:
I'm an architect, and I can tell you from experience that the existence for a fixed decision date definitely won't prevent the decision being late. Planning staff have too much work and too few people and it's commonplace for extensions of time to be granted repeatedly.
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Yep, there was every chance it would be delayed anyway. But the fact we basically do not have a government and no ‘clear’ idea of when we will have one is, as @Matt N rightly pointed out, sure to delay this. :(
 
Any hope that we will hear anything today? Whether that will be a thumbs up or request for review date to be extended- fingers crossed its the former.
 
Coloratura said:
Any hope that we will hear anything today? Whether that will be a thumbs up or request for review date to be extended- fingers crossed its the former.
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No new documents on the portal...

I think given the situation with the government recently, and Michael Gove being back in that role for only a matter of days, it's most likely that there was an extension.
 
Nicky Borrill said:
I think given the situation with the government recently, and Michael Gove being back in that role for only a matter of days, it's most likely that there was an extension.
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Spoke too soon! :p

This seems like an efficient way to clearly get to the right answer.
 
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