Latest news with #WestWales
The Sun
18-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
I plan to re-open abandoned UK theme park & turn our town back into a ‘booming' tourist destination
AN ambitious resident has set out to re-open an abandoned UK theme park. The anonymous local plans to revive Oakwood theme park in west Wales. 5 5 5 Earlier this year, the park has announced its closure after 40 years as it had suffered financial losses. Despite the parent company Aspro Parks investing over £25million to rescue the site from shutting down since 2008, the number of visitors continued to decline. The statement read: "It is with much sadness that we have to announce the immediate closure of Oakwood Theme Park and confirm the park will not open for the 2025 season. "Following a strategic review of the business, Aspro Parks, owner and operator of Oakwood Theme Park have reached this difficult decision due to the challenges presented by the current business environment. "All possible avenues have been explored to avoid the closure, and we fully recognise the impact of the closure on the local community and the loss that will be felt as a result." But the local community isn't giving up on the theme park yet. One Welsh resident has set himself a challenging goal of bringing Oakwood back to life and created an organisation called Richens Leisure Projects (RLP) for the cause. They told Wales Online: "I grew up in west Wales. I remember every queue, every hill climb, every first drop. "Oakwood wasn't just a theme park — it was a rite of passage for kids in this country. You didn't just go there. You remembered it." The new initiative hopes to boost employment with an estimate of more than 100 seasonal job opportunities in the Pembrokeshire area, where the park has lost some of its well-known rides. Abandoned theme park left 'frozen in time' where stranded Orca whales and bottlenose dolphins have been left to rot RLP said it has developed a phased capital reinvestment strategy to "re-establish Oakwood as a national leisure destination". They continued: "This isn't about nostalgia — it's about rebuilding pride. It's about giving today's kids the same memories we had, only with something stronger behind it: community ownership and a long-term plan. "If the park's future is undecided, we'd welcome the chance to speak to the owners. We're not here to pressure — we're here to restore what still means something." The local effort to restore the park to its former glory has been met with enthusiasm as the project has found financial backers. According to RLP, they have prepared a planned, actionable strategy supported by sound numbers and real modelling. The proposal is still open after being presented to the existing owners. The Sun has also reached out to Aspro Parks for a comment. Inspired by the legend of King Arthur, the now decaying, desolate theme park opened in Chorley, Lancs, in 1983, closing its doors in 2012. The rotting site could now be replaced with a 350-home village under new proposals. 5 5
BBC News
09-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Dragons and Cardiff sign new WRU deal
Dragons and Cardiff have signed the Welsh Rugby Union's (WRU) new Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA25).The two regions have finally agreed the five-year deal after initially shaking hands on the proposal back in Ospreys and Scarlets have yet to agree to the new plan - despite the 8 May deadline set by the WRU - as Welsh rugby threatens to fracture between east and two west Wales regions have stalled on signing the new agreement because of concerns of the implications of the WRU's takeover of Cardiff last deal includes increased and fixed funding of up to £6.5m - compared to the current £4.5m - from next season. The WRU said they welcome the "decisiveness" of Cardiff and Dragons."I'm absolutely delighted to confirm the new PRA25 is now agreed for Cardiff Rugby and Dragons RFC," said WRU CEO Abi Tierney."The PRA25 will provide a stable platform to enable sustained success on the field for Cardiff and Dragons and will significantly support the overall progress of the professional game in Wales." BBC Sport Wales has learned that with no agreement yet reached with Scarlets or Ospreys, a funding split is possible with Welsh rugby in a two plus two scenario where the clubs in the east receive £6.5m but the two regions in the west remain on the previous terms of £ WRU had told Scarlets, Ospreys and Dragons that they were at risk of a two-year notice period being imposed if they did not meet the latest WRU wrote to the three teams after a meeting with them on Tuesday, with the future of professional rugby in Wales facing major change should the deal be left to news of Dragons and Cardiff signing the deal, the Ospreys Supporters Club stated that the three professional clubs were "awaiting a response from the WRU on some key issues", adding that negotiations were Scarlets Supporters Trust also stated that discussions were continuing on Friday afternoon, stating their "extreme disappointment" amid reports of the deadline set by the WRU. The proposed agreement was meant to form a key component of the WRU's long-term plan, which it has called the 'One Wales' Sport Wales learned that if the three independent regions failed to sign, the WRU would consider options that could lead to lasting structural changes in Welsh professional possible outcome could have seen the number of Welsh professional teams reduced, despite chief executive Abi Tierney repeatedly expressing her commitment to retaining all four WRU holds the licences for the Welsh sides competing in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and European union has the authority to revoke those licences after serving a two-year notice period, though they would be heavily penalised financially if they did not continue to provide four sides for the respective independent clubs had voiced concerns that, under the proposed agreement, there would be no clear limit on the level of investment the WRU could allocate to Cardiff, potentially placing the other teams at a financial WRU's acquisition of the business and assets of Cardiff cost £780,000, with the national governing body also committed to putting about £1.2m into the capital-city region until June 2026, meaning a total outlay of about £2m.
