News: Council sees little progress on Visions of China

Rotherham Council is looking again at how to bring forward development on the Pithouse West site after admitting that it is unsatisfied with the current preferred developers that it selected in 2011.

The council has long had ambitions for the greenbelt site to be transformed into a landmark leisure / tourism development on a national and international scale.

In August 2011 the council confirmed leisure organisation China Vision Ltd and regeneration specialist MCD Developments as the preferred developers for the site, located to the north of Rother Valley Country Park (pictured).

Visions of China plans to be a £118m, 120 acre cultural theme park set in an authentically built and landscaped Chinese environment combining a range of experiences and activities for visitors.

In November 2012, council officers sought an urgent agreement from councillors to complete the sale agreements and head leases for 180 and 153 acres of former opencast land, which is classed as greenbelt.

The cabinet at Rotherham Council recently received a report which set out details on negotiations for the disposal of land at Pithouse West following the previous decisions in 2012. The report, which was exempt and discussed in private as it contains commercially sensitive information, gave further information on the previous agreement and its terms of sale, milestone events, update on the current scheme and the reason for consideration of the termination of the development agreement.

Cllr. Dominic Beck, Cabinet Member for Business Growth and Regeneration explained at the full council meeting this week that the cabinet decision allows the council to enter into discussions with any other partners about taking the development of the site forward.

Cllr. Beck, said: "Some years ago we endorsed the Visions of China proposal for the site at Pithouse West, which is a strategic development site and has been for some years.

"The recent decision at cabinet now allows us to enter into discussions with any other parties who are interested in developing that site. It opens things up a little bit because we haven't been able to satisfy ourselves by the Visions of China project that they are making sufficient progress.

"No offers have come forward yet but we have previous parties who were around before Visions of China was on the table."

This is the second time the council has encountered a lack of progress by its chosen developers. The site of the proposed £350m YES! Project was put up for sale by the Council after original developers, Oak Holdings made a material lack of progress since entering a preferred developer agreement in 2003.

Images: RMBC

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News: Termination talk over Visions of China

Rotherham Council is considering terminating the development agreement relating to the Pithouse West site - currently signed with developers hoping to bring forward the Visions of China leisure development.

In August 2011 the council confirmed leisure organisation China Vision Ltd and regeneration specialist MCD Developments as the preferred developers for the site, located to the north of Rother Valley Country Park.

Visions of China plans to be a £118m, 120 acre cultural theme park set in an authentically built and landscaped Chinese environment combining a range of experiences and activities for visitors.

The site of the proposed £350m YES! Project was put up for sale by the Council after original developers, Oak Holdings made a material lack of progress since entering a preferred developer agreement in 2003.

In November 2012, council officers sought an urgent agreement from councillors to complete the sale agreements and head leases for 180 and 153 acres of former opencast land, which is classed as greenbelt.

Now the cabinet at Rotherham Council has received a report which set out details on negotiations for the disposal of land at Pithouse West following the previous decisions in 2012.

The report, which was exempt and discussed in private as it contains commercially sensitive information, was put together by Karl Battersby, Strategic Director Environment and Development Services and introduced by Cllr. Beck, Cabinet Member for Business Growth and Regeneration.

Further information was provided on the previous agreement and its terms of sale, milestone events, update on the current scheme and the reason for consideration of the termination of the development agreement.

Recommendations were approved by the cabinet and a progress report is set to be presented to in three months' time.

As the report is exempt it is unclear whether a new agreement will be signed with the preferred developers or whether the whole process, which has been ongoing for over ten years, will be back to square one.

In fact, the reclamation of Brookhouse Colliery and incorporation into the Rother Valley Country Park to enhance its attraction as a regional facility was first mooted when the colliery operations closed in 1985. After purchasing the site from the Coal Authority, the council began the search for a developer in March 2002.

The YES! Project was set to create the largest undercover leisure based scheme in Europe. Outline planning approval was granted in 2007 and updated plans were approved in September 2010. Extreme sports specialist Venture Xtreme and golf driving range company Baydrive were the first tenants to sign up and in 2008 and Oak secured a deal with the Sheffield Steelers ice hockey team to develop a new state-of-the-art purpose-built arena on the site.

The plans also included an indoor climbing facility, ice climbing, snow room, diving centre, access mall and changing rooms plus a hydrodome complex, indoor surf centre, rope park pavilion, indoor sky diving, a Top Chip hall and a Via Ferratta (an adventure climbing system).

Visions of China plans to include oriental lakes and gardens, China Town retail street, a Shaolin temple and cultural centre, a theatre, children's fantasy land, restaurants, an oriental spa, pavilions, a pagoda and a hotel.

It aims to attract 1.5m visitors to Rotherham each year and the developers believe that it will create 200 jobs during its two year construction and more than 380 permanent jobs once in operation.

The developers, led by Peter Moore OBE, who introduced the Centre Parcs concept to the UK, and Stephen Byrne, chief executive of Birmingham-based MCD Developments, said at the time of signing the lease in 2012 that they had secured funding for the ambitious project but the funding agreement was conditional on securing the land.

Images: via RiDO / RMBC

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News: Visions of China back on the agenda

The cabinet at Rotherham Council is due to make a decision on the disposal of the Pithouse West site next week, the former colliery land where the council has harboured a long running desire to create a landmark leisure / tourism development.


In August 2011 the council confirmed leisure organisation China Vision Ltd and regeneration specialist MCD Developments as the preferred developers for the site, located to the north of Rother Valley Country Park. Also involved in the bid is Dr. Lee Kai Hung of Hong Kong's South West Eco Development Limited and who has projects in the UK and China and is a prominent member of the Chinese community in England's Northwest.

The site of the proposed £350m YES! Project was put up for sale by the Council after original developers, Oak Holdings made a material lack of progress since entering a preferred developer agreement in 2003.

In November 2012, council officers sought an urgent agreement from councillors to complete the sale agreements and head leases for 180 and 153 acres of former opencast land, which is classed as greenbelt.

Visions of China will be a £118m, 120 acre cultural theme park set in an authentically built and landscaped Chinese environment combining a range of experiences and activities for visitors.

It is set to include oriental lakes and gardens, China Town retail street, a Shaolin temple and cultural centre, a theatre, children's fantasy land, restaurants, an oriental spa, pavilions, a pagoda and a hotel.

It aims to attract 1.5m visitors to Rotherham each year and the developers believe that it will create 200 jobs during its two year construction and more than 380 permanent jobs once in operation.

The developers, led by Peter Moore OBE, who introduced the Centre Parcs concept to the UK, and Stephen Byrne, chief executive of Birmingham-based MCD Developments, said at the time that they had secured funding for the ambitious project but the funding agreement was conditional on securing the land.

The lease was set to be signed with MCD VOC LLP, a limited liability partnership with no trading history or assets and members based in the Isle of Man. It is one of a number of companies set up by the partners involved in the Visions of China project.

No details of the funding or any planning applications have been made public. Minutes show that members of Rotherham Council's planning board were set to receive a presentation about a forthcoming application for planning permission regarding Visions of China in March 2013.

The only public reference of the project since then was by the developers, MCD, during its exhibition at the global real estate event, MIPIM in 2013 - "Visions Of China, Rotherham – major new international visitor destination, comprising a 120 acre park, with 60 acres of residential. Incorporating 1.4 million sq ft of unique cultural theme park set in a totally authentic built and landscaped environment. It will be one of the most original and intriguing day visitor destinations to have been created in Britain for decades."

The latest report is exempt and will be heard in private as it contains commercially sensitive information. The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, Cllr. Glyn Whelbourn has also agreed that the item is urgent and cannot reasonably be deferred. This means that the decision is not subject to the call-in procedure and cannot be called in for further scrutiny.

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News: Rotherham's Visions of China nearer reality

A year after it was first announced, the multi million pound Visions of China leisure project in Rotherham is "making good progress."

In August last year, Rotherham Council confirmed leisure organisation China Vision Ltd and regeneration specialist MCD Developments as the preferred developers for the former Pithouse West colliery site, located to the north of Rother Valley Country Park.

The site of the proposed £350m YES! Project was put up for sale by the Council after original developers, Oak Holdings made a material lack of progress since entering a preferred developer agreement in 2003.

Visions of China will be a £118m, 120 acre cultural theme park set in an authentically built and landscaped Chinese environment combining a range of experiences and activities for visitors.

It is set to include oriental lakes and gardens, China Town retail street, a Shaolin temple and cultural centre, a theatre, children's fantasy land, restaurants, an oriental spa, pavilions, a pagoda and a hotel.

It aims to attract 1.5m visitors to Rotherham each year.

Council leader Roger Stone confirmed that he and council officers met last month with the Peter Moore and Stephen Byrne, the men behind the Visions of China project.

He said: "Although there is some way to go, I can say that the project is making good progress with much work going on behind the scenes.

"Projects such as these do take a long time with much negotiation taking place that the public never get to hear about until it is signed, sealed and delivered.

"The New York Stadium was a case in point when it hosted Rotherham United's first league game of the season."

Images: China Vision Ltd / RiDO

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News: Oak's losses continue following YES! Project termination

Oak Holdings has reported on a "difficult year" following the termination of the developer agreement for the YES! Project in Rotherham and the short term lease and associated management agreement for Rother Valley Country Park.

The delayed £350m proposal was set to create the largest undercover leisure based scheme in Europe but in January 2011, Rotherham Council terminated the development agreement relating to the YES! Project between RMBC, Oak Ventures Limited and Oak Holdings plc.

Oak took over the management of the well visited park as part of the developer agreement but the council terminated this agreement in October 2011 and the management of the park was brought back under the direct control of the council.

Oak Holdings plc has been temporarily suspended from the AIM stock exchange since then but trading has now been restored following a creditors' voluntary arrangement, new directors and a new investment strategy.

The company will be renamed Pires Investments and hope to raise £1m through a placing of new shares to fund the CVA and to pursue the new approved investing policy.

The company posted losses of £1.7m for the year ending October 31 2011. The loss included selling land bought for over £1m that was due to be used as access to the A57 for the YES! Project. The land has "little value above the bare agricultural value at which it is being sold back to the vendor."

Oak Holdings posted a loss before tax of £11.48m last year as a result of failing to prevent the termination of the developer agreement for the YES! Project.

Oak entered into a preferred developer agreement with Rotherham Council in May 2003 and the development agreement was signed in August 2008. Outline planning approval was granted in 2007 and updated plans for outline planning were approved in September 2010. The agreement was terminated by the council after Oak made a "material lack of progress."

The Council's cabinet selected new preferred developers in August 2011, China Vision Ltd and regeneration specialist MCD Developments. Their Visions of China project will be a £118m, 120 acre cultural theme park set in an authentically built and landscaped Chinese environment combining a range of experiences and activities for visitors.

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News: Visions of China aims to attract 1.5m visitors each year

The developers of the proposed Visions of China visitor destination have outlined the aspects that could attract 1.5m visitors to Rotherham each year.

Leisure organisation, China Vision Ltd and regeneration specialist, MCD Developments, have been named as the preferred developer for a project adjacent to the Rother Valley Country Park.

It is described as an original and intriguing day visitor destination that "will combine the sheer beauty and distinctiveness of Chinese architecture; the charming originality of Chinese garden design; and the mystique of Chinese culture and customs; and the originality of its entertainment, in a single spectacular parkland environment, offering a menu of entertainment which will appeal to both domestic and overseas visitors alike."

The £118m project will include oriental lakes and gardens, China Town retail street, a Shaolin temple and cultural centre, a theatre, children's fantasy land, restaurants, an oriental spa, pavilions, a pagoda and a hotel.

The 120 acre project is set to be created on the Pit House West site adjacent to Rotherham's largest country park, Rother Valley, which already enjoys an estimated 900,000 visitors a year.

The developers hope that Visions of China will create 200 jobs during its two year construction and more than 380 permanent jobs once in operation.

Lady Cobham, chairman of VisitEngland said: "Visions of China" closely meets the objectives of the national strategy in creating "compelling destinations of distinction" which will "help England increase its share of global visitor markets." I am delighted that such a prestigious project is progressing well."

Images: China Vision Ltd / RiDO

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News: Developers with the Visions of China

The people with the "Visions of China" that are bringing forward plans to create a major new multi-million pound visitor attraction in Rotherham are leisure organisation, China Vision Ltd and regeneration specialists, MCD Developments.

Peter Moore OBE is a director of China Vision Ltd, and is a man with an excellent reputation and track record in the British tourism industry. After successfully rebranding Alton Towers as their marketing director, he became the managing director of Centre Parcs and introduced the concept to the UK.

Moore was awarded an OBE in 1996 for services to the tourism industry. He has also helped to launch the Tour of Britain cycle race and developed an indoor ski centre in Manchester. He currently runs his own consultancy, Brightaspect and has advised the the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Blackpool Council on regenerating coastal towns.

Peter Moore, CEO of Visions of China, said: "I have been fortunate to have been involved in some of the most successful leisure organisations in Britain and I believe "Visions of China" will be, without doubt, one of the most exciting projects British tourism will have seen for decades."

A fellow director of China Vision Ltd is Dr Lee Kai Hung of Leepark Holdings, a businessman and property developer with projects in the UK and China, and a prominent member of the Chinese community in England's Northwest.

Dr Lee was named as a Chinese business champion for Liverpool last year and is involved in the regeneration planned for Liverpool's historic Chinatown.

Dr Lee Kaihung, Chairman of Visions of China, said: "Peter Moore and I have been looking for a exceptional site for many years to accommodate this very special project and I am delighted that, with MCD on board as our partner, we now have the opportunity to make my dream come true in the Rother Valley Country Park.

"We have formed an ideal partnership to turn the dream into reality, with the help of the far sighted leadership of the Rotherham Council."

MCD Developments has been tasked with turning the Visions of China project into reality. A development and regeneration specialist in the Midlands, MCD has a portfolio of residential led schemes in Birmingham and Bristol, plus retail parks and offices.

MCD has recently moved into sport and leisure and has ensured the completion of a £32m redevelopment of Edgbaston cricket ground in time for the 3rd npower Test Match between England and India.

Steven Byrne, CEO of MCD Developments said: "The Rother Valley Country Park is a perfect setting for this unique attraction and we are looking forward developing the "Visions of China" concept on a National and International basis and to maximizing the full potential of this site."

MCD Developments website

Images: RiDO

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