Pleasure Island consortium wants to build TWO hotels on site of former Cleethorpes theme park - eventually

                                                      

Artist's impression of one of the two proposed hotels - but will either ever be built?

THE consortium behind the proposed development of the former Pleasure Island has confirmed that it wants to build two hotels on the 10.65-hectare site.

Its agents, Lichfields, say the larger one would  accommodate 148 bedrooms, a conference centre and, subject to licensing consent,  a casino.

The smaller one would consist of 74 bedrooms and a ground-floor bar-restaurant. 

However, these would not be built until after clearance of most of the trees, followed by construction of a Lidl supermarket and a drive-thru coffee shop.

Next would come an amusement centre, then installation, in a phased programme, of  lodges -  247 of 10 beds and 25 of eight beds.

Only then would the consortium, headed by Lidl, turn its attention to the hotel-building phase.

The statement from Lichfields says: "Whilst details of the phasing of the proposed development have not been confirmed, it is likely that construction will take place over several phases, with the first phase likely to comprise demolition and site preparation works as well as construction of the retail and leisure units, drive-thru coffee shop and holiday lodges (albeit these are likely to be delivered in a phased manner)."

An earlier proposal for a fuel station seems to have been dropped, while the original garden centre idea now also seems iffy.

The Grimsby News says: What an anti-climax. Once touted as a project in the style of Center Parcs, it looks like, at least in the short term, we risk getting nothing very special - just a supermarket, a drive-thru coffee shop and an amusement arcade. Maybe, some years' hence, there could be some lodges and, perhaps, in the next decade or two, will come the hotels and conference centre. In the meantime, some splendid trees and shrubs are in peril. If planning consent is to be granted, there should be a condition that  the hotel and conference centre come first on the construction list, not last.