Real World Theme Parks Pleasure Island Cleethorpes to close
- Thread starter Scott1
- Start date
If i remember right it was on the brink of Death for a long time...
I live a couple of miles away and I'm kinda glad. It's always been such a missed opportunity. We're in an amazing part of the country with so many beautiful places nearby. It could have thrived but has always suffered from a half-arsed direction and lack of strong management, (as in the owners). There has never been much investment in it or the will to improve it. And so there's never really been an incentive for people to come. And that's a shame.
I know it will probably become derelict and stand as a blight in what is now the most vibrant end of Cleethorpes, but hopefully, this can be a brilliant opportunity for someone to buy it. Our local council are masters of missed opportunities and not investing in our assets and this is why I'm glad this has happened.
It will hopefully go to a company or person who cares and can see what a good opportunity this could be. It will hopefully give our council the wake-up call it needs to start getting behind local tourism and giving it more definite support.
I never went there and would rather get in my car and drive for nearly 2 hours to go to Alton Towers, which I've done 100s of times and call that my local park, than drive 10 minutes to get to Pleasure Island. And I think that says a big part of what the problem is here.
So I say, let's look to the future and hope this is seen as an opportunity. [happy]
I know it will probably become derelict and stand as a blight in what is now the most vibrant end of Cleethorpes, but hopefully, this can be a brilliant opportunity for someone to buy it. Our local council are masters of missed opportunities and not investing in our assets and this is why I'm glad this has happened.
It will hopefully go to a company or person who cares and can see what a good opportunity this could be. It will hopefully give our council the wake-up call it needs to start getting behind local tourism and giving it more definite support.
I never went there and would rather get in my car and drive for nearly 2 hours to go to Alton Towers, which I've done 100s of times and call that my local park, than drive 10 minutes to get to Pleasure Island. And I think that says a big part of what the problem is here.
So I say, let's look to the future and hope this is seen as an opportunity. [happy]
as someone fairly local (Lincoln) I can't say i'm too surprised, went there once a few years back and after half a day got bored and left to do something else, I agree its a shame as the potential it had was massive but was never taken.
This could be a good thing though if taken over by the right people and the investment is put into it then it could thrive into a new (much better) park.
This could be a good thing though if taken over by the right people and the investment is put into it then it could thrive into a new (much better) park.
Tbf I could see it happening for a while as well, it's just sad it's finally happened. If they'd put some decent investment into a couple more thrilling coasters it would bring far many more people through the gates, and especially as cleethorpes is on the up a bit now it could make a really good weekend getaway if pleasure island stays there and actually has more of an attraction to it. If merlin took over it, invested in a couple more coasters and a bit of love to spruce it up a bit, building on the back and on some of the caravan park it could be a massive money maker in a few years, it would take time and patience but cleethorpes could actually be a big tourism magnet like it used to be if a bit of money was put into pleasure island. Hopefully an investor comes up trumps and actually invests significantly, I can almost guarantee a return on investment
How about a Merlin and Frontier joint venture......Planet Coaster THE PARK!
I'd definitely visit [wink][wink]
I'd more than just visit, I'd be a season pass holder for life!![haha]
i really do hope someone can take it over and turn it around though, it has so much potential and cleethorpes' tourism can't continue without it. Say goodbye to more investment in the meridian area![cry]
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The council have given land away for free before (Grimsby bus station) and I don't know if it's the council or Melanie Wood who own the actual land itself (it's probably Melanie Wood but a boy can dream[haha]) but they could do some kind of deal with an investor or another operator (say Merlin or Flamingo Land, which in my opinion the decision to split was a completely stupid decision anyway, arguably suicide, but there you go). If someone took over it and actually takes it in a different direction it could be a huge success both for itself and for Cleethorpes. I'd have a stab myself if I was a multi millionaire![haha]
I know what you mean. I've wanted to get my hands on it for years. I don't think Flamingo Land will come back on board. They're finally becoming more successful and I'm sure that if they thought Pleasure Island was viable, they wouldn't have been so quick to sell it.
And don't even get me started about Grimsby Council and the bus station. I find it so frustrating.
And Cleethorpes council are just as bad. To say it's a seaside resort, they seem determined to eradicate all it's heritage. 2 recent examples are the Winter Gardens and the O Neil's building. Both have been, or are being flattened to become executive apartments aka charmless, bland, pokey little flats. The O Neil's building goes back many, many years and is a lousy place for residential housing so I can see it ending up a bit of a planning up in the long term.
Pleasure Island is privately owned but my concern with the council is that once Pleasure Island has closed, what will they do to keep that end of Cleethorpes vibrant ? I fear they'll be happy to just leave the plot of land to rot, rather than doing their hardest to attract new ventures to the area. And having an eye-sore will have a knock on effect to that area. I'm sure that if this happens, we won't be seeing anymore major companies like Premier Inn investing millions into the town.
I know I've been banging on a bit, but this is why I'm glad this is happening. It's risky but but it'll hopefully be the kick up the behind Cleethorpes needs. Hopefully, fresh blood and a new vision will reinvigorate Plaesure Island and breath much needed new life into the resort.
I complete agree with you on the whole though. And the frustrating thing is, with a little bit of care and imagination and ,admittedly, a fair amount of cash, it can be SO easily turned around.
And don't even get me started about Grimsby Council and the bus station. I find it so frustrating.
And Cleethorpes council are just as bad. To say it's a seaside resort, they seem determined to eradicate all it's heritage. 2 recent examples are the Winter Gardens and the O Neil's building. Both have been, or are being flattened to become executive apartments aka charmless, bland, pokey little flats. The O Neil's building goes back many, many years and is a lousy place for residential housing so I can see it ending up a bit of a planning up in the long term.
Pleasure Island is privately owned but my concern with the council is that once Pleasure Island has closed, what will they do to keep that end of Cleethorpes vibrant ? I fear they'll be happy to just leave the plot of land to rot, rather than doing their hardest to attract new ventures to the area. And having an eye-sore will have a knock on effect to that area. I'm sure that if this happens, we won't be seeing anymore major companies like Premier Inn investing millions into the town.
I know I've been banging on a bit, but this is why I'm glad this is happening. It's risky but but it'll hopefully be the kick up the behind Cleethorpes needs. Hopefully, fresh blood and a new vision will reinvigorate Plaesure Island and breath much needed new life into the resort.
I complete agree with you on the whole though. And the frustrating thing is, with a little bit of care and imagination and ,admittedly, a fair amount of cash, it can be SO easily turned around.
I can't even tell you how many times I've fantasised about being the owner of Pleasure Island and being able to turn it around[haha] I think if anyone is going to take it over it'll be Flamingo Land (maybe out of respect for their Dad's legacy or something) and if it's becoming more successful like you say it is, they might have a bit of cash to invest in PI (although that's probably just wishful thinking on my part). All it needs is, say £15 million (I know that's a ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎ of a lot of money but for a theme park everything's expensive) to build a thrilling new coaster to pull in the crowds (which could even be partly funded by selling off a few of the flat rides, although that probably wouldn't really raise very much at all) and give the place a bit of love; the dodgems are falling apart, there's that horrible old umbrella ride that needs scrapping which has stood there for years unused and rusting, and just the general run down feel of some areas of the park.
Personally I actually like the new bus station, it's more organised and modern but the old site is just an absolute eyesore now. There were plans for a new cinema there weren't there at one point but honestly all that would do is reduce investment in Cleethorpes, Parkway gets a facelift every few years which would certainly stop with a new competitor just a few miles away. Freshney Place and the general area around it could do with a bit of investment but it certainly shouldn't be a new cinema... but that's a discussion for another time!
I think what they tried to do with the flats is to give the area a facelift from the aging old touristy feel of the 50s and 60s, some parts look very run down (towards fantasy land) and they were probably trying to attract some inward investment, but still all these luxury flats are probably a bad idea, especially in the long term as you say.
If Pleasure Island does close, then that land will almost certainly be left to rot, and that would look awful. Especially since it's near the newly redone meridian point area with the cinema etc which has made that side of Cleethorpes actually quite nice, and with the theme park could provide an excellent reason for families etc to stay at Cleethorpes for the weekend. But with the theme park closed (and spoiling the view with it being undeveloped) what is there for families to do other than go to the cinema and do a bit of bowling? Barely anything. What the area needs is a successful theme park to bring people of all ages down for the weekend, stay in a hotel and go to the cinema/bowling/magical castle etc. In my view the theme park is the only thing which can bring Cleethorpes back, and with no theme park it'll just be another town blending in with the rest.
In all honesty, I can't see anyone buying Pleasure Island, even though it has so much potential if it works with the council and other investors etc to regenerate Cleethorpes to attract the weekend away holidays. The closest park really other than PI is Alton Towers, which for a lot of people is a fair old truck and a lot of money. Cleethorpes is ideal for a theme park, but it's potential is just completely untapped. I was looking at the prices of some big Merlin coasters last night and for £12 million a decent exciting rollercoaster could be built, attracting teens and young adults which is PI's downfall. If it can appeal to that market, then the whole family is catered for.
In my opinion, a PI expansion onto parts of Thorpe Park and efficient use of unused land around the area could make it a money maker in a few short years. It'll never be Alton Towers, but it could be an excellent weekend away.
(Sorry I seem to bang on a bit as well, I've always been interested in business and theme parks so the two of them together is something I think about so much[haha], if I was a multi millionaire I'd buy Pleasure Island myself and invest like crazy)
Wouldn't it be cool if this Park ended up as a Scenario in Planet Coaster, and your Job is to revitalize the Park? That was my Favourite Part in Rollercoaster Tycoon 1, 2 and 3 
To make failing Parks booming Tourist Destinations
To make failing Parks booming Tourist Destinations Wouldn't it be cool if this Park ended up as a Scenario in Planet Coaster, and your Job is to revitalize the Park? That was my Favourite Part in Rollercoaster Tycoon 1, 2 and 3
Oh lord that would be an absolute dream come true, I could finally get my hands on that damn park and turn it around!!![squeeeeee]
Still secretly hoping Flamingo Land is going to crop up and say they're buying it/taking it over again[ugh]