UK seaside town abandoned by theme park and row over £65m holiday park boost
The future of a rotting theme park once revered by Brits remains in the air - despite multi-million upgrade plans being submitted to the council three years ago.
Back in its glory days, Cleethorpe's Pleasure Island epitomised the very best of the UK coast - attracting thousands of holidaymakers nationwide. Boasting almost 30 adrenaline-pumping rides, including the Hyperblaster, Obliterator, Pendulus, and Terror Rack - the attraction put Cleethorpes, a tiny seaside town on the estuary of the Humber in North East Lincolnshire, on the map. But, as cheap holiday packages to sunny destinations like Spain started gaining popularity - Pleasure Island's visitor numbers drastically slumped.
In 2016, the theme park closed its doors for good. But, instead of being re-purposed or attempting to re-open, the attraction was simply left to decay. Now, creepy images show how much of the park has been neglected for so long much of it has been reclaimed by nature. Pictures released last year also reveal piles of rubbish that remains inside some of the park's buildings.
The arched entrance to Pleasure Island still reads 'WELCOME' - but ugly metal fencing has blocked tourists from the site for almost a decade. It sparks one big question shrouded in mystery: what is happening to this place?
Back in 2022, a consortium of developers including Lidl submitted ambitious plans to transform the abandoned park into a huge holiday resort consisting of more than 270 lodges, two hotels, a drive-through coffee-shop and cycle-hire building. Expected to cost around £65 million, the proposal also includes restaurants, cafes, a leisure unit, two retail units, and the use of the existing lake for fishing activities.
According to reports at the time, all existing Pleasure Island buildings and structures would be knocked down, marking a fresh start for the space. An impact assessment estimates the regeneration could create around £17 million per year of additional visitor expenditure once it's operational.
However, the bold plans have been in a back-and-forth following a series of concerns. The Environment Agency first objected to plans based on worries about the risk of flooding. However, after agreeing to close the lodges between November and March - when flooding risk is at its highest - the EA was 'satisfied' with the amendments.
It later objecting to amendments to the plans, which include building a new bridge over the Buck Beck. "We will require continuous access along both banks of the watercourse and as a minimum, the bridge should not reduce the cross-sectional area of the channel," the body said. "Further details are required to determine whether these requirements have been met."
Other concerns were raised in 2023, when Natural England asked for more information about the development due to 'potential significant effects' on the Humber Estuary. However, since September last year - there have been no new news reports on the Pleasure Island's future. On its website, North East Lincolnshire Council states the proposal is 'pending consideration' - but it has been like this since September 2024.
The latest update to the council's planning documents is a Consultee Comment from Natural England, dated March 18. This is in response to concerns around recreational disturbance - which shows the future of Pleasure Island remains unknown.
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