The long running story surrounding plans to build the UK’s largest indoor snow centre in a former quarry in Great Blakenham, Suffolk, has seen more twists and turns than a soap opera plot over the last couple of decades.
How the Snoasis site in Suffolk would have looked if the original plans had gone ahead
Staff from the Skier & Snowboarder magazine attended the original launch of Snoasis when plans to build a 400m indoor slope, which would also be a centre of excellence for the training of elite skiers and snowboarders, were unveiled. The estimated cost was £500m
Despite some strong local opposition, which saw arguments for and against go all the way to the houses of parliament, the snow centre was eventually given approval.
Several different investors came and went before the scheme re-emerged in 2020 with a new team proposing what is reported to be a scaled down, more eco-friendly snow and leisure centre called The Valley Ridge resort.
In this proposal, the indoor slope will only be approximately 180m by 47m high, similar to other indoor slopes in the UK.
Original plans for a casino and nightclub have been replaced by more family-oriented attractions including bowling, climbing walls, virtual reality, sports bar and a cinema, indoor tennis, indoor golf and a spa. Outdoors there will be tree trekking, high ropes, ziplines, archery, adventure golf, electric bikes and watersports.
An artist’s impression of The Valley Ridge proposal with the scaled down indoor ski centre in the background
The Valley Ridge plan has a target completion date of 2024 but the latest problem is that the centre will be close to a landfill dump and the company which operates the site has asked for it to remain in use until 2035.
The Valley Ridge team says its project can’t go ahead if the extension of use of the landfill is approved by the local authorities. This has resulted in a final decision being put back into the hands of central government. The communities and local government minister Robert Jenrick will make the decision.
Categories: Club & Slope News