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31 July 2003
Multi million
pound Skegness development will create 100
jobs
Work has started on a multi-million pound
seaside development at Skegness that will
provide new pleasure facilities for holidaymakers
and create 100 full-time jobs with more in
the pipeline.
This follows the granting of a long leasehold
interest to Pleasure Beach Amusements on the
Central Car Park adjacent to the new Embassy
Complex by Hodgson Elkington, the Lincoln
and Newark chartered surveyors, acting on
behalf of East Lindsey District Council.
The £3.5 million development by Pleasure
Beach Amusements on a one-acre site on the
Central Car Park, bridges the gap between
the existing park and Grand Parade frontage.
A new McDonalds Drive Thru restaurant, which
has just commenced trading, has created 70
full time jobs and a further 30 new jobs will
be created by 12 new sympathetically designed
retail kiosks and stalls selling seaside goods,
which will be built on a featured boardwalk.
This should be completed by next Easter.
“The £3.5 million development
of the Central Car Park is a natural step
forward in extending facilities for holidaymakers
and visitors,” said Jim Botton, chairman
and managing director of Pleasure Beach Amusements,
a business set up 37 years ago.
The new investment will extend the pleasure
complex to 5.5 acres. “I have just purchased
a log flume ride from France and this will
shortly be up and running. Looking into next
year we plan on further developments and are
looking to employ 200 staff,” said Mr
Botton.
“We hope that the new facilities will
attract more people to Skegness as well as
retaining existing holidaymakers, particularly
if we continue experiencing the good weather
we are enjoying at the moment,” said
Mr Botton.
“The development on the Central Car
Park in effect forms the final piece of the
Grand Parade jigsaw which has seen a substantial
capital investment backed by EEC grants,”
said Stephen Bradford, a partner at Hodgson
Elkington.
The development programme phased over the
last three years has included the complete
re-siting of the open-air swimming pool, the
repositioning of the surfaced car park, the
upgrading and partial re-development of the
Embassy Complex and finally the Central Car
Park.
“We are also pleased to announce that
the final two units within the Embassy Complex
have also been let and are now trading as
Harveys combined sports bar facility. This
now joins the Litten Tree pub catering for
businesspeople and families during the day
and younger people by night, that has been
trading for the past two years,” said
Mr Bradford.
When East Lindsey District Council decided
to open up the foreshore at Skegness for redevelopment
they could hardly have wished for a better
result.
With the final pieces of the Embassy complex
‘jigsaw’ completed and leases
signed, the revamped section of the seafront
will eventually raise nearly £400,000
a year in rents, almost twice what was originally
expected.
“This has got to be good news for
both the residents and visitors alike. Improved
pleasure facilities coupled with increased
earnings has produced an excellent result
for the whole of our district and holidaymakers,
and at the same time created scores of full
time jobs,” said leader of East Lindsey
District Council, Councillor Jeremy Webb.
It has been a long journey since the District
Council planted the first seeds for the multi-million
pound redevelopment, but three years down
the line the resort has a new outdoor swimming
pool, upgraded theatre entrance with two new
licensed premises on the Embassy frontage,
an arts room and new McDonalds drive-thru’
restaurant. An exciting log flume ride from
France will be added shortly.
Backed by £1.2m of European money, the
facelift is the product of years of hard work
by East Lindsey District Council officers
and the Council’s agents Hodgson Elkington,
the Lincoln and Newark chartered surveyors.
“Our staff should be congratulated
on an extremely good job done,” said
Councillor Webb.
The District Council invested £1.67m
of taxpayers’ money into the scheme
and when the SFI Group opened the Litten Tree
pub they spent £750,000 on fitting out.
The main central car park next to the Embassy
was put out to tender and became subject to
complex negotiations involving two local companies,
Blue Anchor Leisure Limited and Pleasure Beach
Amusements (Skegness) Limited.
After a second tendering exercise, Pleasure
Beach Amusements and their proposal for a
McDonalds restaurant, a boardwalk of 12 shops
and a new entrance to the amusement park with
a themed log flume ride, won the lease.
In March this year Skegness company Buckingham
Developments agreed to take on the remaining
two units and have opened Harveys pub restaurant.
“The developments when completed will
safeguard the central foreshore, will allow
local companies to expand and develop and
will provide an attractive feature for the
residents and tourists. All those involved
in bringing these schemes to fruition should
take pride in the results,” said Councillor
Webb.
Further information:
Stephen Bradford
Hodgson Elkington
Tel: 01522 512232
Nigel West
East Lindsey District Council
Tel: 01507 329583
Paul Croft
Croft Communications Ltd
Willingham House, Willingham-by-Stow, Gainsborough,
Lincolnshire, DN21 5JX
Tel: 01427 788319
Fax: 01427 788214
Email: info@croft-communications.co.uk
Issued on behalf of Hodgson Elkington & Co. by Croft Communications Ltd.
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