News: Gulliver's Valley land deal set to be signed

A land deal that will enable the creation of a £37m Gulliver's Family Theme Park resort on the Pithouse West site in Rotherham is set to be approved by commissioners at the Council next week.

The authority made the "minded to" decision last year to enable them to negotiate the completion of the sale of 333 acres of greenbelt land located to the north of Rother Valley Country Park.

Gulliver's, the operators of theme parks in Warrington, Matlock Bath and Milton Keynes developed an initial masterplan for the first of their sites in the UK to encompass all their major family entertainment elements in one location with new attractions exclusive to Rotherham.

The development is expected to be funded through business profits with no borrowing requirements. When it is up and running there are likely to be 400 jobs at the park, a number that was likely to increase. Hundreds of jobs would be created through the construction period which is set to be sustainable and done by in-house and local suppliers.

The proposals for a year round destination aimed at 2 - 13 year olds include a theme park hub, woodland adventure centre, ecology and education centre, camping, up to 300 lodges, a hotel and holiday village. Expected to be built in four or five phases over 12 years, the theme park would come first and further developments would follow afterwards.

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As a result of comments received at the pre-application public consultation on the development proposals and information gained during Gulliver's due diligence exercise that identified potential ground contamination on the site of the former Brookhouse Colliery, Gulliver's submitted a revised proposal to the Council to buy a reduced area of the site (approximately 250 acres rather than the full 330 acres).

The excluded area at the North West will now be retained by the Council, which is already developing a business case to look at the potential provision of caravanning and camping facilities at the country park.

The revised development proposal has not yet been out to consultation but it will still provide essentially the same scheme as previously consulted on albeit over a different development area.

Officers at the Council and Gullivers have agreed in principle the Heads of Terms for the sale, which will be dependent on securing planning permission.

The financial details of the deal have not been disclosed but it is said it will generate "a significant capital receipt for the Council."

Discussions have also resulted in the Coal Authority, who sold the land to the Council for £195,000 in 2001, agreeing to the "clawback payments" and the removal of restrictions relating to the country park. Previous agreements would have meant that 50% of any uplift in value would have to be paid to the Coal Authority.

The Council has long had ambitions for the site to be transformed into a landmark leisure / tourism development on a national and international scale. Agreements relating to the YES! project and Visions of China developments were terminated due to the lack of progress.

The latest agreement includes conditions that specify that a planning application from Gulliver's must be submitted by September 2016.

A report to the Council's Cabinet/Commissioners' Decision Making Meeting states: "Should the development proceed, it will make a positive contribution to Rotherham's tourism offer with increasing visitor numbers to the development itself and potential for significant positive impacts on the adjacent Rother Valley Country Park. Officers are looking at what complimentary activities and projects could be offered and delivered to capitalise on this major visitor offer.

"The development will also offer overnight accommodation and potential exists for the development of a new market aimed at family short stays when packaged with other local attractions around the Borough, the City Region and beyond."

Gulliver's Valley website

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News: Gulliver's Rother Valley plans on show

Further details have been revealed as Gulliver's Family Theme Parks continues discussions with Rotherham Council and begins consultation with residents regarding its proposed £37m resort on the Pithouse West site in Rotherham.

Rotherham Council had made the "minded to" decision to enable them to negotiate the completion of the sale of 333 acres of greenbelt land located to the north of Rother Valley Country Park.

Gulliver's, the operators of theme parks in Warrington, Matlock Bath and Milton Keynes has developed a masterplan for the first of their sites in the UK to encompass all their major family entertainment elements in one location with new attractions exclusive to Rotherham. The development is expected to be funded through business profits with no borrowing requirements.

When it is up and running there are likely to be 400 jobs at the park, a number that was likely to increase. Hundreds of jobs would be created through the construction period which is set to be sustainable and done by in-house and local suppliers.

The proposals for a year round destination aimed at 2 - 13 year olds include a theme park hub, woodland adventure centre, ecology and education centre, camping, up to 300 lodges, a hotel and holiday village.

A series of public consultation events have been held in the borough this week.

Expected to be built in four or five phases over 12 years, the theme park would come first and further developments would follow afterwards.

Working with planning consultants at Smith Jenkins, the masterplan shows that the main entrance would be from the A57 adjacent to the Beighton Link Business Park and Elmwood Farm pub.

At peak time the development could attract between 21,000 and 25,000 visitors every week. Indicative figures show that in the off season this could drop to between 1,000 and 5,000 visitors per week. Up to 2,844 car parking spaces are being proposed.

Close to the main entrance, the theme park would occupy the north-western corner of the site. The masterplan shows attractions and rides including Gulliver's Castle, a log flume, rapids, pirate ship, mine train, JCB zone and adventure play areas.

Gulliver's Glade Adventure Park is in the south-western corner and includes rock climbing, a mud slide, a toboggan run and treetop rides.

The centre of the site sees plans for a castle hotel with 50 bedrooms, lodges and tents. A Wilderness area to the north includes a second hotel with 90 bedrooms and a spa, plus further lodges.

Other zones include Gulliver's Jurassic Safari Park with themed lodges; Gulliver's Gears Theme Park with motorbike coasters and a drop tower; Gulliver's Farm Park; and the Dream Village concept offering specially designed and adapted accommodation for seriously and terminally ill children and children with special needs.

Other features include a mountain bike trail, a maize maze, Segway track, space for "glamping," open and group camping zones close to the country park and a pet resort. A number of areas on the former site of Brookhouse Colliery have been reserved for future expansion.

The development is designed to enhance the adjacent Rother Valley Country Park and access, such as the Trans-Pennine Trail, remains in place through the Pit House West site.

Applicants estimate that Gulliver's Valley will provide an overall economic impact £36.66m from construction and total annual operating net economic impact on the local economy of £11.6m - £6.3m from visitors to the new attractions and facilities and £5.2m from additional staying visitors.

Julie Dalton, managing director of Gulliver's, gave a presentation to local councillors earlier this month outlining the proposals.

Dalton explained that the purchase of the property was contingent on planning permission being granted. A planning application would be submitted at the end of 2015 and dependent on the outcome, construction would start as soon as possible.

Gulliver's valley website

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News: Gulliver's Valley theme park proposals welcomed

Building work could start next year on the proposed Gulliver's Valley Resort in Rotherham which would see over £37m of investment, creating approximately 125 full time jobs and a total of around 325 part time jobs.

Rothbiz revealed yesterday that Rotherham Council had made the "minded to" decision to enable them to negotiate the completion of the sale of 333 acres of greenbelt land located to the north of Rother Valley Country Park.

When complete the new resort will include a theme park hub, woodland adventure centre, ecology and education centre, "glamping" and woodland lodges, a hotel and holiday village.

Julie Dalton, managing director of Gulliver's, said: "We're really excited at the prospect of realising our dreams at Gulliver's Valley and reproducing all the best elements of our existing three UK parks together on one site.

"We want to create a "whole park feel", with nature trails, walks, outdoor gyms and woodland runs which can be used by our guests and the local community alike. Plus of course, the family theme park hub, which will be developed and operated in line with our core value of providing great value family days out that are big on fun."

The first phase of developing Gulliver's Valley will be the theme park hub and associated areas, taking around two years. This will comprise the usual mix of rides, attractions, shows and experiences for children up to 13, plus ancillary attractions such as the Splash Zone and Nerf Zone attractions already popular at other Gulliver's parks.

The first of their sites in the UK to encompass all their major family entertainment elements in one location, the Rotherham resort is expected to see Gulliver's invest over £37m which is expected to be funded through business profits with no borrowing requirements.

Julie Kenny, commissioner at Rotherham Council, said: "This is a second-generation family-run business with a proven track record for building and operating family entertainment developments and I am proud that Gulliver's has chosen the borough to develop their "Valley Resort."

"It is third-time lucky for the Council in the sale of this important site as two different sale agreements were entered into in the past decade. Both the previous agreements were terminated due to lack of progress but this time we are dealing with a self-financing family company who have been operating successfully for nearly 40 years."

Cllr Denise Lelliott, advisory cabinet member for Housing and the Local Economy at Rotherham Council, added: "Not only will it provide a year-round family resort for the under thirteens but will also result in a massive boost to the area and the local economy. It will bring in jobs, training expertise and benefits and will complement activities at the adjacent Rother Valley Country Park."

It is anticipated that officers will be negotiating the final terms of the sale agreement over the coming 6-8 weeks. This will enable Gulliver's to prepare and submit a planning application prior to the expiry of the existing outline planning consent in December 2015.

This is the third time the Council has sought interested from developers for the site of the former Brookhouse Colliery. Outline planning approval was granted for the £350m YES! Project in 2007 and updated plans were approved in September 2010. The £118m Visions of China proposal didn't even reach the planning application stage before it was shelved last year.

Gulliver's Valley website

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News: Gulliver's in talks to open multimillion pound theme park in Rotherham

Gulliver's Family Theme Parks are in discussions to locate a new family entertainment resort on the Pithouse West site in Rotherham.

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, below).

Last year, the council's now defunct cabinet decided to enter into discussions with any other parties who were interested in developing the site as they were not able to satisfy themselves by the Visions of China project that sufficient progress was being made.

The site was made available for development proposals earlier this year with the Council seeking development partners to submit applications to develop a nationally significant leisure development.

Having previously come forward for discussions with the Council in 2014, Gulliver's, the operators of theme parks in Warrington, Matlock Bath and Milton Keynes, looks set to be named as the latest preferred developer.

Gulliver's is proposing to purchase the entire 333 acres site, to create "Gulliver's Valley" Resort - the first of their sites in the UK to encompass all their major family entertainment elements in one location with new attractions exclusive to Rotherham. The development is expected to be funded through business profits with no borrowing requirements.

The main components of the proposal include a year round theme park, aimed at 2 - 13 year olds, which offers rides, attractions, soft play, and indoor fun centred on themed areas around the main fairytale castle. To complement this, a number of "hub attractions" will also be provided including a Splash Zone, Nerf Zone, Adventure Zone, Gully Town Tots, the Main Street which comprises multiple venues to attract the target age range, and a Big G diner.

Expected to be built in four or five phases over 12 years, the regeneration benefits are an estimated £36.66m overall economic impact from construction, total annual operating net economic impact on the local economy of £11.6m and between 160-255 jobs (when operational) with "employment created at entry level positions through to skilled professionals and employment opportunities created for younger members of the local population." An estimated 120 construction jobs would be created over the phases of the development.

Complementing Rother Valley Country Park, phase 2 would see the site further developed with a camping and caravan site, a Woodland Adventure Centre offering outdoor obstacle courses, high ropes, zip wires etc., and an Education and Ecology Centre which will offer a forest classroom environment for school children, community groups and visitors from across the region to use the natural landscape.

Phase 3 would see the introduction of a Gulliver's hotel offering 100 bedroom accommodation for families and business visitors with specially themed family suites, woodland lodges and treehouses, a village centre surrounding a lake and encompassing a spa and fitness centre, restaurant, craft centre, wedding chapel, fishing lodge and resort trails where visitors and local residents can walk, run and cycle for exercise.

Phases 4 and 5 would complete the 300 woodland lodges, and see the development of a "Dream Village" concept offering specially designed and adapted accommodation where seriously and terminally ill children and children with special needs can enjoy cost free respite weeks and getaways with the theme park and attractions on the doorstep.

Commissioner Julie Kenny has now made the "minded to" decision to enable the Council to negotiate the completion of the sale with some further work required to protect the Council's interests and to facilitate a deliverable leisure development. This covers further detail on the operation of some aspects of the proposal, issues regarding the planning process and details on robust project management.

It is anticipated that officers will be negotiating the final terms of the sale agreement over the coming 6-8 weeks. This will enable Gulliver's to prepare and submit a planning application prior to the expiry of the existing outline planning consent in December 2015.

This will be the third time the Council has sought interested from developers. Outline planning approval was granted for the £350m YES! Project in 2007 and updated plans were approved in September 2010.

Gulliver's website

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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 considers compensation claim

With insufficient working capital and insufficient available resources, Oak Holdings is taking legal advice over the cancelled contract to manage the Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham.

In October, Oak Holdings was temporarily suspended from the AIM stock exchange after Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council terminated the short term lease and associated management agreement for the park.

Shares in the company behind the failed YES! Project remain suspended whilst the financial position of the company remains unstable and its future uncertain.

The operation of the well visited park was Oak's primary source of revenue after Oak took over the management as part of the developer agreement for the proposed £350m leisure development on the adjacent Pithouse West site.

The developer agreement was terminated by the council in January last year after Oak made a material lack of progress on what was to be the largest undercover leisure based scheme in Europe.

The management of the park has been brought back under the direct control of the council.

A statement to the stock exchange, said: "The Oak Board has reviewed the contract to manage RVCP and has taken legal advice with a view to ascertaining whether it may be entitled to compensation from Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council in respect of contractual and other matters arising from the early termination of the contract.

"The precise amount of the claim is not yet certain and, accordingly, there is no certainty as to the outcome."

In a recent council meeting, the cabinet member for Regeneration and Environment explained that the termination of the contract was instigated by the council and not by mutual consent and that it was not anticipated that there would be any budget implications resulting from the termination.

Oak is currently generating insufficient working capital and has insufficient available resources to meet its existing and ongoing liabilities and has therefore sought assistance from third parties.

They recently drew a series of small secured loans from a group of lenders led by Yorke & Hartford Limited which total £36,135. Other lenders include Mr Uday Nayak and companies associated with him. This lending group has previously lent the Oak Group a net aggregate of £208,606 (excluding accrued interest) which remains outstanding.

In a half yearly report in July 2011, the company posted a pre-tax loss of £209,000 for the six months to the end of April 2011, compared to a £131,000 loss in the same period last year.

Since the termination of the developer agreement, the council has selected new preferred developers for the site who intend to create a unique culture and leisure development based on the "Visions of China."

Oak Holdings website
Rother Valley Country Park website

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News: Oak cut by council

Oak Holdings plc has been temporarily suspended from the AIM stock exchange after Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council terminated the short term lease and associated management agreement for Rother Valley Country Park.

Oak took over the management of the well visited park as part of the developer agreement for the proposed £350m YES! Project on the adjacent Pithouse West site.

The developer agreement was terminated by the council in January after Oak made a material lack of progress on what was to be the largest undercover leisure based scheme in Europe.

The management of the park is set to be brought back under the direct control of the council.

Running the park generated the majority of the loss-making group's turnover and as a result of the termination, the board considered it appropriate to request suspension of the company's shares pending clarification on what affect this will have of the group's assets.

Oak has substantial assets located at the park such as a miniature railway and the board is considering its position in relation to these. Oak also continues to own the valuable freehold of the A57 land adjacent to the site of the Pithouse West site.

In a half yearly report in July, the company posted a pre-tax loss of £209,000 for the six months to the end of April, compared to a £131,000 loss in the same period last year.

Substantial overhead cuts were achieved and a number of directors left the company including Steve Lewis who resigned as chief executive in March.

Since the termination of the developer agreement, the council has selected new preferred developers for the site who intend to create a unique culture and leisure development based on the "Visions of China."

Oak Holdings website
Rother Valley Country Park website

Images: rvcp.co.uk

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News: Oak investigates YES! Project termination

The board of Oak Holdings continue to investigate all the circumstances leading to the decision by Rotherham Council to terminate the development agreement for the proposed YES! Project.

In a half yearly report, the company posted a pre-tax loss of £209,000 for the six months to the end of April, compared to a £131,000 loss in the same period last year.

Substantial overhead cuts have been achieved and a number of directors have left the company including Steve Lewis who resigned as chief executive in March.

The company's main income is from leisure activities including the operation of Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham. Oak took over the management of the well visited park as part of the developer agreement for the proposed £350m YES! Project on the adjacent Pithouse West site.

The developer agreement was terminated by the council in January after Oak made a material lack of progress on what was to be the largest undercover leisure based scheme in Europe. They continue to successfully manage the Rother Valley in accordance with the interim management agreement.

The board stated that: "The board continues to investigate all the circumstances leading to the decision by the Council to terminate the development agreement and will report any significant findings to shareholders in due course."

The board also reported that some capital investment has been made at the Rother Valley Country Park and that they are "seeking to add further substantial attractions within its current businesses, a number of which are awaiting Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council's "in principle" approval, a response for which is expected shortly."

Oak also continues to own the valuable freehold of the A57 land adjacent to the site of the Pithouse West site but they no longer capitalise financing costs associated with the land as technically this is no longer in the course of development following the termination.

Since the termination of the developer agreement, the council have put the land up for sale. One interested party is looking to create a £118m pound project that would create a unique culture and leisure development at Rother Valley Country Park based on the "Visions of China."

The Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) was keen to endorse a bid led by a consortium to secure £5.7m from the government's Regional Growth Fund that would "bring forward an iconic addition to the British tourism market."

Oak Holdings website
Rother Valley Country Park website

Images: RVCP

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News: New director for Oak Holdings

Oak Holdings, operator of the Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham, has appointed Ian Cunningham as an Associate Director to develop their leisure activities.

Oak took over the management of the well visited park as part of the developer agreement for the proposed £350m YES! Project on the adjacent Pithouse West site.

The developer agreement was terminated by the council in January after Oak made a material lack of progress but they continue to successfully manage the Rother Valley in accordance with the interim management agreement.

Oak also continues to own the valuable freehold of the A57 land adjacent to the site of the Pithouse West site.

The appointment of a new director is one of a number of steps Oak's board is taking to focus on achieving higher revenues from the group's leisure activities on a cost effective basis.

Mr Cunningham is an industry professional with experience in both the public and private sector.

He started his career with Sea life Centres which he joined in 1980. He left that business in 1995 having been the Operations Director of a business attracting 4 milllion visitors a year. He then founded The Real Live Leisure Company which built and operated two aquariums before being sold in 1999. Mr Cunningham then went on to work as Operations Director of the Eden Project before founding another start up leisure company - Blue Reef Leisure Ltd which focussed on purchasing and improving under performing visitor attractions. Blue Reef was sold to the Spanish Leisure company Aspro in 2010.

Oak Holdings website
Rother Valley Country Park

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News: Visions of China in Rotherham

A multi million pound project is being developed to create a unique culture and leisure development in Rotherham, based on the "Visions of China."

The £111.8m project hopes to be created at the Pithouse West site adjacent to Rother Valley Country Park, the site of the proposed YES! Project.


The new project was revealed after the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) was keen to endorse a bid led by a consortium to secure £5.7m from the government's Regional Growth Fund that would "bring forward an iconic addition to the British tourism market."

James Newman, Chairman of the Sheffield City Region LEP, said: "We invited submissions which could demonstrate a significant contribution to the LEP's objectives and priorities for the City Region and that, crucially, would contribute to economic growth and the creation of jobs and private sector investment."

Details of the project have not been released but the consortium working on the Visions of China is being led by Peter Moore OBE, a man with an excellent reputation and track record in the British tourism industry. After successfully rebranding Alton Towers as their marketing director, Moore became the managing director of Centre Parcs and introduced the concept to the UK. He was awarded an OBE in 1996 for services to the tourism industry and 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.

The site of the proposed £350m YES! Project at Pithouse West in Rotherham was put up for sale by Rotherham Council in May after developers Oak Holdings made a material lack of progress.

The 135 Hectare (333 acre) site is a former opencast mine and was advertised as a "Landmark Leisure / Tourism Development Opportunity" with "all concepts / proposals considered."

Offers were due on July 1.

Images: RVCP

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News: YES! Project land goes up for sale

The site of the proposed £350m YES! Project at Pithouse West in Rotherham has been put up for sale by Rotherham Council after developers Oak Holdings made a material lack of progress.

The 135 Hectare (333 acre) site is a former opencast mine and is adjacent to Rother Valley Country Park. It is being advertised as a "Landmark Leisure / Tourism Development Opportunity" with "all concepts / proposals considered."

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

Oak entered into a preferred developer agreement with RMBC in respect of the YES Project 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.

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).

Further "experience" operations were also mentioned including a brewery experience, a food experience and academy and a chocolate experience.

In November 2010, the Council's Cabinet authorised officers to explore alternative options for the development of the Pithouse West site.

On terminating the developer agreement in January, Karl Battersby, strategic director of environment development services for Rotherham Borough Council, said: "This scheme has been running for over ten years and has not progressed as we would have wished. However, our intentions have not changed, and we are still of the view that the site has massive potential.

"We will be seeking other opportunities to bring forward a leisure based scheme of international significance on the site, complementary to Rother Valley Country Park."

RMBC website

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News: Oak hit by YES! Project termination

Oak Holdings has posted a loss before tax of £11.48m for the year ended 31 October 2010 as a result of failing to prevent the termination of the developer agreement for the YES! Project in Rotherham.

Rotherham Council (RMBC) terminated the development agreement relating to the YES! Project between RMBC, Oak Ventures Limited and Oak Holdings plc in January.

The delayed £350m proposal was set to create the largest undercover leisure based scheme in Europe adjacent to Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham.

Oak's latest financial report states how it "had been impossible to formalise funding or to secure binding pre-lets with key tenants and, we understand, RMBC took this delay in securing formal agreements as a material lack of progress."

Oak gave a joint presentation to RMBC with a credible joint venture partner in an attempt to extend the development agreement.

The group's financial loss was struck after providing against the whole of the goodwill previously carried, an impairment charge of £10,828,446, following the termination of the development agreement relating to the YES! Project. £250,000 that the group spent on gaining updated outline planning approval has also been written off.

At the year end the company had negligible cash and nearly £2m of creditors. Active discussions are underway with creditors with a view to securing the group's
position. Oak is also in active discussions with a third party for a significant equity or equity related investment and hopes to be able to announce further details of this in the coming weeks.

Commenting on the results, Mike Woodcock, chairman of Oak Holdings, said: "This is not the report I imagined writing when I became chairman in the middle of 2010. The Yes! Project seems over although we continue to strive to achieve value from it and the adjacent freehold land we own. We are now focusing on developing a successful leisure business and are determined to achieve value for shareholders."

Oak continues to successfully manage the Rother Valley Country Park in accordance with the interim management agreement. Oak continues to own the valuable freehold of the A57 land adjacent to the site of the Pithouse West site.

Oak Holdings website

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News: Lewis leaves Oak Holdings

Steve Lewis has resigned as chief executive of Oak Holdings, the developer behind the proposed YES Project in Rotherham.

The move follows Rotherham Council's decision to terminate the developer agreement in January. The £350m proposal was set to create the largest undercover leisure based scheme in Europe adjacent to Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham.

In an update to the stock exchange the board stated that: "Following this termination, Steve considered that his skills could no longer be effectively deployed by Oak. Steve has agreed that he will make himself available to Oak to progress property consultancy and other suitable projects as appropriate on terms to be agreed."

They also stated that £125,000 was owed to Lewis by the company but that will be satisfied in due course by the issue to him of new shares in the company made if and when new funds are secured.

Oak continues to be in discussions with a third party with a view to agreeing terms for an injection of funds and continues to explore other options including the acquisition for shares of a new business or assets.

Oak continues to manage the Rother Valley Country Park in accordance with the interim management agreement and Oak also owns the valuable freehold of the A57 land adjacent to the site.

Steve Lewis was the originator and leader of the YES Project concept and Oak entered into a preferred developer agreement with Rotherham Council in May 2003 with the development agreement signed in August 2008. Outline planning approval was granted in 2007 and updated plans for outline planning were approved in September 2010.

The Council's Cabinet has authorised officers to explore alternative options for the development of the 327 acre Pithouse West site and they are seeking other opportunities to bring forward a leisure based scheme of international significance on the site, complementary to Rother Valley Country Park.

Oak Holdings website

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News: Oak Holdings reviewing future plans and financing

Oak Holdings, the operators of Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham, has been reviewing the future plans and financing for the group following the decision by Rotherham Council to terminate the development agreement relating to the YES! Project.

The £350m proposal was set to create the largest undercover leisure based scheme in Europe.

In a trading statement, the board stated that the group requires further equity based funding to achieve its objectives and is in discussions with a third party for an injection of such funds. The group also said that it is in discussions with banks with a view to funding some of the capital.

The group's main revenue generating business is the operation of the Rother Valley Country Park which is adjacent to the YES! Project site at Pithouse West. The group owns a seven year lease on the park and runs a number of outdoor activities there.

It is widely used by local schools, national sporting bodies and by individuals. It receives some 900,000 visitors each year and the board believes that there is considerable scope to increase the current profitability of the operation through some modest investment in additional and enhanced facilities.

A progress report given to the council's cabinet yesterday outlined the improvements already made to the park including improvements to the water sports facility, improvements to the café and courtyard, the introduction of a miniature steam railway and new events and activities.

Oak estimate that the total cost of all improvements will be in the region of £1.5m and viability studies have been approved for a new caravan park and lakeside
café/meeting facility.

Oak still owns land next to the A57 which is adjacent to the site of the YES! Project. The board believe that this "consented access" is likely to be required to provide access to the site for any alternative developer and will have the potential for separate development prospects alongside any development on the YES! site. Oak acquired the land for £1.2m back in 2007 but admit that its value at the moment is very difficult to assess.

Oak Holdings website
Rother Valley Country Park website

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News: Rotherham Council says no to Oak Holdings

Rotherham Council (RMBC) has issued a notice stating that it intends to terminate the current development agreement relating to the YES Project between RMBC, Oak Ventures Limited and Oak Holdings plc.

The £350m proposal was set to create the largest undercover leisure based scheme in Europe adjacent to Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham.

Oak entered into a preferred developer agreement with RMBC in respect of the YES Project 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.

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).

Further "experience" operations were also mentioned including a brewery experience, a food experience and academy and a chocolate experience.

In November 2010, the Council's Cabinet authorised officers to explore alternative options for the development of the Pithouse West site at Rother Valley and turned down Oak's request to extend the time limit on the development agreement in December. The council has taken the decision to cancel the current development agreement.

Karl Battersby, strategic director of environment development services for Rotherham Borough Council, said: "This is not a decision we have taken lightly and was based on our view of the likelihood of the project being delivered by Oak Holdings.

"This scheme has been running for over ten years and has not progressed as we would have wished, However, our intentions have not changed, and we are still of the view that the site has massive potential.

"We will be seeking other opportunities to bring forward a leisure based scheme of international significance on the site, complementary to Rother Valley Country Park."

In a statement to the stock exchange, Oak's board stated that they are currently reviewing its options in respect of the notice and added that "there is no indication at this stage that RMBC will agree to cancel the termination notice or extend the current development agreement. If the situation changes a further announcement will be made."

Oak also stated that the global financial crisis and depressed property markets had resulted in them being unable to secure the funds needed to commence the development phase of the project.

Oak will continue to manage the Rother Valley Country Park in accordance with the interim management agreement. Oak continues to own the valuable freehold of the A57 land adjacent to the site of the YES Project - the consented access land.

Oak Holdings website

Images: Oak Holdings

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News: YES! Project gains planning approval

The planning board at Rotherham Council have unanimously resolved to grant planning permission for the £350m YES! Project at Rother Valley Country Park.

The updated plans for the largest undercover leisure based scheme in Europe were approved in May and referred the Government Office for confirmation.

The Secratary of State declared that Rotherham Council was best placed to determine the application and in light of the government's decision to scrap the regional spatial strategy, the plans were approved by members this week.

The YES! Project will comprise 1.2million sq ft covered, fully integrated, mixed-use, leisure and entertainment based resort, activity and conference destination adjacent to Rother Valley Country Park.

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 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).

Further "experience" operations were also mentioned including a brewery experience, a food experience and academy and a chocolate experience.

The existing section 106 agreement from the approval in 2007 will now be linked to this approved application. The agreement between the developers, Oak Holdings, and the council ensures the area benefits from the plans and includes improvements to transport and access.

The agreement secured costs for a new bus service through the site between Rotherham and Crystal Peaks and significant improvements to junction 31 of the M1. A business case for a proposed train station the Huddersfield-Sheffield-Lincoln line in the vicinity of the site is also to be prepared and if not accepted, the developer would provide an enhanced public transport provision to Sheffield city centre.

The approval allows Oak to progress the YES! Project with the benefit of a revised scheme that facilitates phased development. The purpose built arena for the Sheffield Steelers together with a conference hotel are set to be in the first phase.

Steve Lewis, chief executive at Oak Holdings said: "This is a strategic step forward for the Company and, indeed, the region.

"The consent demonstrates Oak's commitment to the YES! Project and this major regeneration leisure project, allowing us to proceed with renewed confidence.

"We have been extremely encouraged by the support of our existing partners and tenants and by an increasing number of recent enquiries. We are grateful for the continued confidence in Oak by RMBC."

The plans for the new community at Waverley where also set to be rubber-stamped at the meeting. The outline application to create a sustainable, high density, mixed use community, including 3890 houses, community facilities and green areas, and a 60,000 sq m government office campus, were the largest, most complex, planning applications ever considered by Rotherham.

Oak Holdings website

Images: Oak Holdings

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News: Steelers in talks with Magna

The Sheffield Steelers ice hockey team has held discussions with Magna, the science adventure centre in Rotherham, regarding using part of the site at the former Templeborough steelworks.

Bob Phillips, the owner of the Steelers, who recently resigned as non-executive chairman, discussed the talks in an interview with Pro Hockey News. He said: "We have been talking very closely with Magna, with a view to putting a facility in there while we wait for the YES project to come up trumps."

In 2008, the Steelers signed up as tenants in a purpose-built 5,000-seater twin-pad ice rink at the YES! Project at Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham and are expected to be part of the first phase of development of the £350m undercover leisure based scheme.

Matthew Beck, managing director at the Magna Trust, confirmed that the opportunity was being pursued but that it was still early days.

He said: "I can confirm that there is the potential to house the Steelers at Magna in an unused part of the building which is currently used as a storage facility for a local company.

"We are currently further investigating the feasibility but it would possible from a size perspective.

"Magna feels that it would be great to have the home of the Steelers in a former steelworks and that it would be a fantastic partnership for both parties."

Pro Hockey News article
Steelers website
Magna website

Images: brchamber.co.uk

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