wraggster
March 26th, 2009, 20:06
ALTON TOWERS will be allowed to build a £12 million rollercoaster to replace the Corkscrew.
Plans went before Staffordshire Moorlands District Council today and were approved unanimously.
Councillors were told the new ride, code-named 'Secret Weapon 6', was essential to enable the Staffordshire theme park to retain its number one status.
The ride is “world-first”, and is expected to attract an extra 100,000 visitors to the park once opened.
Head of development at the attraction, Mark Kerrigan, who is also chairman of Destination Staffordshire, said: “The Corkscrew was the most iconic ride of its generation and this will be as good if not better.
%3Cbody%3E%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22adDiv%22%3E%3Ca%20href% 3D%22http%3A//ads.anm.co.uk/ADCLICK/CID%3D0000b139bb3f965200000000/AAMSZ%3D452x118/POS%3D/SITE%3DTHISISSENT/AREA%3DNEWS/SUBAREA%3DHOME/ARTICLE%3D767412/acc_random%3D3334963939/pageid%3D/RS%3D%22%20target%3D_top%3E%3Cimg%20src%3D%22http% 3A//iad.anm.co.uk/house/1x1.gif%22%20alt%3D%22Click%20here%21%22%20border% 3D0%20%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E“We are fundamentally aware of the limits on noise and height and we have worked very hard to ensure that it will not cause any environmental harm.”
The new ride will be built in the park's Ug Land area and could open next year. It will be at a track height of 20 metres, about 1.7 metres lower than the Corkscrew.
A large section of the track will run through woodland known as Abbey Wood and part of the ride will take passengers in reverse.
Nearly 100 letters of objection were lodged with the district council including complaints that the ride will extend into protected woodland and encroach on the area of an Iron Age hill fort.
Councillor John Fisher raised concerns about the impact on Abbey Wood, which provides a protective screen to the Churnet Valley.
But he said: ”Alton Towers needs this ride to attract new punters and if they do not get new punters their business will go down.
“We need Alton Towers. It is one of our three major employers and without it there would be a lot of people out of work.”
http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Alton-Towers-gets-ahead-secret-weapon-6-rollercoaster/article-767412-detail/article.html
Cant wait :)
Plans went before Staffordshire Moorlands District Council today and were approved unanimously.
Councillors were told the new ride, code-named 'Secret Weapon 6', was essential to enable the Staffordshire theme park to retain its number one status.
The ride is “world-first”, and is expected to attract an extra 100,000 visitors to the park once opened.
Head of development at the attraction, Mark Kerrigan, who is also chairman of Destination Staffordshire, said: “The Corkscrew was the most iconic ride of its generation and this will be as good if not better.
%3Cbody%3E%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22adDiv%22%3E%3Ca%20href% 3D%22http%3A//ads.anm.co.uk/ADCLICK/CID%3D0000b139bb3f965200000000/AAMSZ%3D452x118/POS%3D/SITE%3DTHISISSENT/AREA%3DNEWS/SUBAREA%3DHOME/ARTICLE%3D767412/acc_random%3D3334963939/pageid%3D/RS%3D%22%20target%3D_top%3E%3Cimg%20src%3D%22http% 3A//iad.anm.co.uk/house/1x1.gif%22%20alt%3D%22Click%20here%21%22%20border% 3D0%20%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E“We are fundamentally aware of the limits on noise and height and we have worked very hard to ensure that it will not cause any environmental harm.”
The new ride will be built in the park's Ug Land area and could open next year. It will be at a track height of 20 metres, about 1.7 metres lower than the Corkscrew.
A large section of the track will run through woodland known as Abbey Wood and part of the ride will take passengers in reverse.
Nearly 100 letters of objection were lodged with the district council including complaints that the ride will extend into protected woodland and encroach on the area of an Iron Age hill fort.
Councillor John Fisher raised concerns about the impact on Abbey Wood, which provides a protective screen to the Churnet Valley.
But he said: ”Alton Towers needs this ride to attract new punters and if they do not get new punters their business will go down.
“We need Alton Towers. It is one of our three major employers and without it there would be a lot of people out of work.”
http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Alton-Towers-gets-ahead-secret-weapon-6-rollercoaster/article-767412-detail/article.html
Cant wait :)