Camelot Theme Park

towerofterror1989 · Camelot Theme Park

Camelot theme park will re-open on May 23rd 2009. They have been taken over by a new company. Unsure of what plans they have for the future of Camelot, but hopefully it will be a good future with positive investment and upgrade of park facilities and buildings, plus new rides.

Ian

ForeverBlue

According to local news...It has been bought by the Storey Group. They are now leasing it back to the previous owners, on a temporary basis until they can secure planning permission to build houses on the site.

marshall hill

Happy Helen · Re: Camelot Theme Park

bradpeet

bluea61

I'm sure somebody said that the Whirlwind would leave the park, I think to go to Pleasurewood Hills. Any truth in that?

Its a shame they will eventually close, a strange little park with a few good rides. I guess it will depend on the current state of the economy to decide how long it will be before houses are built.

towerofterror1989

I think it is temporary good news. But if camelot does close, the theme park industry in Lancashire is over. Only Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Gulliver's World really surviving.

Camelot could easily become successful if they would stop saying they are concentrating on children and families.

The main reason it has failed is because no rides have been invested in that appeal to adults, and young teenagers. They have kept the same rides since the park opened back in 1983. When Venom was removed, that would have been a perfect opportunity to develop the area of land it occupied. But nothing has been done.

Old rides like the Ferris Wheel, Pirate Ship, Log Flume, Pendragon's Plunge, Dragon Flyer, Dungeon's of Doom, Balloon Flight could quite easily be upgraded to more suitable rides of teenagers. There is a lot of land at Camelot, but most of it is empty and has no rides that would attract visitors. The only one, "Knightmare" replacement for "The Tower of Terror"/"Gauntlet" is the only roller coaster there that would attract visitors.

In my view, Camelot has to stay as a theme park. if people have no jobs in Charnock Richard because Camelot closes, how are they going to afford houses?

In my view the Tournament Area where the Jousting Show is has to be moved to near the Knightmare. Pirate Ship, Ferris Wheel and Pendragon's Plunge Removed. The Log Flume extended over the walk way, and features hill side drop where Pendragon used to be.

Pirate Ship replaced with Giant Drop by Intamin.

Ferris Wheel replaced with the Enterprise ride (same as one at Alton Towers) or Space Invader from Blackpool Pleasure Beach, if they are selling the ride.

Any other ideas i have will be built in my Camelot theme park on Roller coaster tycoon 3 Soaked on my pc.

amigasat

Here's the story from the Local Carlisle Newspaper, the Evening News & Star :-

Carlisle construction magnate Fred Story has bought troubled Lancashire theme park Camelot in a multi-million pound deal.

His city-based firm, The Story Group, agreed the attraction’s takeover yesterday, meaning it will be able to open for the new summer season.

In the longer term, Mr Story hopes he will be able to build houses on land involved, a statement announcing the deal said.

He believes the brownfield site is ideally placed for a residential mixed-use development and plans to hold talks with Chorley Borough Council about its potential.

Mr Story has leased the Charnock Richard park to newly-formed Knights Leisure - a move which will allow the attraction, which went into receivership in February, to reopen.

The deal is the latest major coup for the self-made businessman and former Carlisle United owner, who established Story Construction in 1987.

Knights Leisure is being led by Roy Page, former chief executive of Camelot’s previous owners, Prime Resorts Limited.
He said: “Weeks of uncertainty have come to an end.

“While I appreciate the site’s longer term future is likely to include major mixed use redevelopment, we care concentrating on putting all our energy into preparing the park and rides for the new season.

“I am delighted The Story Group has released funds to secure the park’s reopening.

“It will enable us to provide a fantastic day out for families an groups of visitors throughout the north west and beyond.”

Lee Ross, one of the joint receivers from Grant Thornton, the firm that negotiated the deal, said the sale was a “great result” in the current economic climate.

He added: “This deal has secured more than 150 jobs - full-time and seasonal - in the short term while the new owners submit a planning application for an alternative use for the site.”

The park is due to re-open on Saturday 23rd May.

Here is the link for the story :-

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news...elot_theme_park?referrerPath=home

Dave

coastergraham

I have it on good authority that the money is in place to enable Camelot to be open for the next 3 years.

After that the likelihood is that it will become housing but at least 3 years is better than nothing.

Magic

With such a short operational plan I doubt we'll see any major new rides. Or if we do they'll be transportable ones. I'm sure the 3 year plan is just to ride out the credit crunch to maximise profits from the house building.

You can't blame them for wanting to close the park and build housing. If a park isn't cost effective and they can't afford mega investment and they'll make significantly more money from housing, then they've got to do it. Every business exists to maximise profits. The sad fact is that land has become so valuable today that amusement parks don't always realise the full potential of the land they sit on.

I'm sure if the likes of Thorpe Park didn't boost income from ride photos, merchandise, fast track tickets then they would close for housing. Every ride must now have to pay not only for it's construction and operational costs but also effectively it's rent. For example will Saw generate enough income to build and run it and also enough to cover the fact 20 houses could have been built there instead.

I wouldn't be surprised if in a couple of years more parks fall by the way side and become housing. I can think of at least 2 parks that can't have long left for this very reason.

Auntie Murial

stealth fan

I think I know one of the parks Magic means.

smiler

Free tickets for the park up for grabs

http://www.ukrides.info/camoffer.htm

Camelot Theme Park

Re: Camelot Theme Park