New Roller Coaster to be built at Southport Pleasureland

Pleasureland Amusement Park has been contributing significantly to Southport’s reputation and leisure offer since 1913 and brings more visitors to Southport than any other leisure offer. This new ride will enhance the offer and improve the reputation of Pleasureland helping to draw further visitors to the town. 

It is located within the grounds of the amusement park and the principle of the attraction is therefore established. The height of the ride, 35m, means it requires planning permission.

The application site is an area of Pleasureland adjacent to Marine Drive to the northwest of the site. The rollercoaster will have a length of 260m that will run parallel to Marine Drive with a maximum height of 35m.

The taller peaks to the rollercoaster will echo to some degree the appearance of the nearby Marine Parade bridge with its central support tower and it could then be said that this development is appropriate in this broad context. 

This is also the case as the tallest point of the roller coaster will be positioned towards the development at Ocean Plaza (as taken from the site layout plan) and tapering down towards the south and the lower scale of development to the roundabout.

 It is likely that from Promenade and King's Gardens to the east that the taller points of the rollercoaster will be visible but it will be at a distance that it would not be overbearing or detract from the general low lying character of this area but would reflect the tourism/entertainment use of this longstanding amusement park site.

As the proposal represents an appropriate use of the land and would not cause harm to the character of the area or neighbouring ecological sites, subject to a condition, it is considered that the application complies with the aims and objectives of the Local Plan and all other material considerations. It is therefore recommended that this application is granted consent