 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Philip Prior, thanks. And here's more from a recent thread. Let's hope it goes ahead. Target completion 2006/7.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Wow, 475m long
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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When I first saw the title of this thread, I had a major flashback:
Snoasis is the name of one of the mid-mountain restaurants at Winter Park.
Argh! I'm suffering too much skiing withdrawal!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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This is a very ambitious project and it will either be a huge success or an absolute failure, when up and running.
Alot will depend on how much it will cost the average customer.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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It's 15 miles down the road from me - It's a real incentive to pass my exams and teach - word is that they'll allow freelancers. 
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kuwait_ian, lets just wait and see, don't get me wrong, I would love it to be a huge success but this project must get the proper management and organisation to be viable and I sincerely hope it has.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Although I hope it goes well - am dubious of a business plan that is counting on 2million visitors pa.
I'd be amazed if they can beat Eden Project - which is a place that has a broad appeal and is the right type of attraction to get people to visit as part of a bigger holiday in Cornwall or Devon. Skiing or boarding by its nature is much less inclusive - and will people holidaying in Norfolk and Suffolk want to spend a day indoors? Maybe they're counting on the typical British summer to help them. The only way it looks like it could work is if they can tap into the London market - but are the transport links good enough to get people to there????
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Well , the other snowdomes seem to be going well. Not sure how well Castleford is doing though!
After all we are a nation of snowsport lovers!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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There are decent road and very good rail links (including an old branch line) right to the site. Trains from the other side of the A1 are a bit more problematic. But its got easy access from Stansted and Norwich air and the ferry port at Harwich. But they'd do well to open the the old USAF woodbridge site to light commercial flights. Once Railrack or whichever idiots are in charge, finish fixing the Eastcoast line, it'll be an easy 60 minute ride from London. If they get the pricing right, it'll be full 24/7.
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A huge collection of news articles, photos, etc about snowdomes world wide from The Boarder
In there is a record-breaking attendance figure for Xanadu (Madrid) during a heat wave of 1,600 per day. Quite a long way short of 2M p.a. That is the only free source of attendance figures I've found but Google has just died on me again (?? under cyber attack again as has happened recently ??)
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You know it makes sense.
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With an estimated 1m snow sports participants in the UK at the moment, 2m visitors per year seem like one hell of a lot to expect to make the venture a financial success. There will be other attractions there, of course, but I can't see how they expect people to go and stay there in sufficient numbers. Hate to be negative about something which we'd all like to see go ahead, but the geography and scale of the project are ambitious to put it mildly.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I guess they are trying to do a Center Parcs with snow, but that people can daytrip to as well. I wonder what Center Parcs visitor numbers are like? I imagine it could be a good way to gently introduce people to skiing without going abroad and with a lot more else to do relative to Xscape etc. It wouldn't be a ski holiday in the sense that we all know but it could be a holiday with a bit of skiing thrown in. I wonder if it'll get bought by center parcs in a few years time?
They're also building houses nearby so local residents will likely visit it so I think it could actually work.
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Poster: A snowHead
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The size scale and technical nature of the planned slope will probably tempt a lot of teams for of out of season training along with the income from sponsors et al. And a lot of northern Europe is considered to be part of the catchment area. It will have an effect on sales at MK and I think it will kill stone dead the Becton (sp?) project. It will also become the de-facto home and stadium for major ice sports. I can see a lot of athletes moving down here if it gets built, so that means income from central government sources.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We're all kinda focussed on the bit we want - but the whole scheme includes multiplex cinema, casino, bowling alley, nightclub, climbing wall, ice climbing wall, ice skating, roller blading, golf, bobsleigh, hotel, hostel, fitness club, gymnasia and sports halls, fishing, water sports etc, etc. Much more than a snowdome.
In the light of all this, maybe 2M p.a. is not so optimistic after all. But remember the Greenwich Dome, folks 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Ian, big difference this is private enterprise not Governmental bodging and the Bl**dy thing is still costing us millions just to sit there empty.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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More on the progress of the Planning Application from the East Anglian Daily Times Ipswich Town Council being supportive but not to the extent of committing any money.
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Planning officers are recommending Ipswich borough councillors should support the overall proposal, subject to three conditions.
The first is that an assessment should be carried out on the impact of the scheme on the "viability and vitality" of leisure and entertainment premises in Ipswich, and, if planning permission is granted, a number of conditions being imposed to protect those facilities in Ipswich.
The second is that none of the supporting facilities on the site, including the retail and leisure facilities, hotel and conference centre, should be opened before the snow-based facilities are open.
The third is that detailed proposals are made on how the site would be accessed from Ipswich by a range of transport and that a green travel plan is drawn up. |
I like Condition 2 - they've got their priorities right on that one. 
Accessing the site from Ipswich and protecting existing facilities seem a bit parochial. For 2M visitors, someone is going to have to paint on a much broader canvas as we snowHeads have discussed above.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Accessing the site from Ipswich~ ~a bit parochial.
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I disagree. One of the weekest aspects of the 'utopian' town planning of the 20century was the lack of concern for anyone who wanted/needed to travel by anything other than car. This remains the biggest weekness of the current trend toward allowing private companies more free reign to develop in order to encourage their investment.
The cheepest option for such a developer is to choose a site close to a main trunk road, build a short access road and leave a large space for parking. That way the national infrastructure has to take most of the strain.
I like the sound of a 'green travel plan'. I'd like to jump on the train in London with the kids and their bikes, get off at Ipswich and cycle to the Snoasis without so much as smelling a car. Or perhaps a light railway from the town centre would be appropriate. The ticket prices at the centre should include the cost of the rail ticket and the station would double as a town centre booth selling tickets for events at Snoasis.
In fact, the Local authority should structure tax breaks based on the proportion of people NOT using the roads to access the site.
Ha... when I rule the world 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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u brain, There is an existing freight-line straight to the site from Ipwsich station and there're plans to extend the R.Gipping cycle path anyway. so your wish might be fulfilled. To be honest, outside the normal peak traffic times and the inevitable pillock tha drives into the scenery (it is Suffolk after all), the roads infrastucture can probably manage an extra 2m a year to the site.
As for a green option? . . Buy a Prius 
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[quote="u brain"]
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I'd like to jump on the train in London with the kids and their bikes, get off at Ipswich |
Very Utopian - the only problem in this grand scheme of things, is that a standard return by rail is currently £47.10 for one person. Until someone (in this Country as a whole) starts addressing the whole public transport thing - it just ain't going to happen - not when you could get a family of four there by car for considerably less cost. That's why the plans include so many parking spaces.
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Konrad Bartelski and an up-and-coming local youngster giving support to this mega-project according to the Ipswich Evening Star. And some new (?) information.....
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| Godfrey Spanner, the creator of Thorpe Park and the developer behind SnOasis said: "This major undertaking has already received an investment of over £12 million. |
Don't think we knew the man behind it had 'previous'. That's good news.
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Peter Welham, a spokesman for the Suffolk Parish Group, which is leading the charge against SnOasis, said the opponents are eagerly awaiting the release of updated planning proposals for the project.
"We're awaiting to see the amendments to the plans because currently everything is in a state of limbo."
What do you think about the SnOasis proposal? Write in to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.
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So there you go snowHeads - send your emails of support for the project to counter the 'anti' brigade.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my stick sleep in my hand
Till we have built a huge slalom
In England's green and pleasant land.
(Might have spent too much time on Après lately)
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I live in north London but from previous journeys to Norfolk I reckon it would take more like 2 hours from here. And from south and West London much more (remember it takes at least 1 1/2 - 2 hours to cross London.)
The Beckton snowdome right in the centre of London (by the old docks and City Airport) should have been the site to get lots of trade, but even there the thing went bust after puting in the foundations.
I wish it well but I can't see many people going there to stay(though a few will) - To make money the mass of people have to be able to pop up there for half a day easily and cheaply. And like it or not London is where the main mass of possible clients live.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I wrote to the Ipswich Evening Star using the email address in my previous posting. Mentioning snowHeads, our interest in the scheme, and basically expressing the hope it goes ahead as soon as possible after any local concerns are addressed in the planning phase. They've replied saying they intend to use my letter. So if a few more of us join in the lobbying, we could start a movement...
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FAQ
