PLANS for a “Disneyland of Britain” which would feature Alton Towers-style rides has been set out by an iconic theme park’s owner.
Harry Danter, owner of Barry Island pleasure park in South Wales, has revealed he wants to use a huge site, similar to other major UK theme parks, to accommodate hundreds of visitors.
Owner of Barry Island pleasure park Harry Danter has said he wants to build a new theme park in South Wales[/caption]
The businessman has owned the iconic theme park near Cardiff for the past 10 years[/caption]
He hopes to build a ‘Disneyland of Wales’ in the region[/caption]
This comes after Harry recently announced he had given up on his original plan to build a Butlin’s-style experience in the nearby village of Sully.
He told Wales Online he wants a site close to Barry Island where he would be able to house a large number of visitors, and has eyed up Cardiff Airport in Rhoose, less than three miles away.
Harry, 81, said he ran out of energy to fight for his plans in Sully following outspoken objections to the scheme, which included a petition against it which was signed by more than 15,000 people.
He explained that he can’t use the near 30 acre site in the village for anything other than storage, after he said he spent more than one million pounds on it.
Harry said his site would ideally include rides and accommodation similar to Alton Towers in what he described as a “Disneyland of Wales”.
The businessman said he wants to build on the success he has had at Barry Island, in attracting visitors and creating jobs, and wants to do more for Wales.
Harry believes his plans would be “very good” for the country, and claimed that Cardiff Airport “continues to lose a lot of money.”
He explained that he had been in negotiations with the council over the past decade, saying he wants to expand his business desperately.
Harry said: “It’s a lot of land and could be put to very good use which would be in the interests of Wales as a whole.”
The businessman said in the past 10 years he has owned Barry Island’s pleasure park, he has seen it grow to such a size that the Vale of Glamorgan can no longer sufficiently accommodate the number of visitors and their needs.
He explained: “To make money you need to cater for what people want and in Barry Island what I’m constantly hearing is people want to spend longer than a day or two days.”
Harry focused on how Wales has “lost many industries” but that a leisure industry, like that in Spain, could help to make South Wales more “successful”.
However, he said to achieve this, there would need to be more accommodation in the area.
Harry said he has been trying to convince the local authority to allow him to try and build a larger site to bring greater opportunities to Wales.
He said: “I’m thinking of something like Disneyland Paris – it could be the Disneyland of Wales, [and] they’re doing it at Alton Towers too which is very popular.”
BRING BARRY BACK TO THE ‘GOLDEN DAYS’
The businessman claims he’s spent more than £12 million on rides since taking over the Barry Island site in 2015 and claims more money has been spent on a new dodgems ride set to arrive in the coming weeks.
He says he promised to bring back the “golden days” for people in Barry, and believes he has achieved this goal.
The tourism industry in the Vale of Glamorgan in 2023 was worth £327 million to the region’s economy, according to the council’s statistics.
The industry also employed slightly less than 3,000 people directly, and has its worth has grown drastically from just £171 million in 2012.
Barry Island’s impact alone on the 2023 figure was in excess of £21 million, with more than 400,000 visitors coming to the seafront that year.
A Vale of Glamorgan council spokesman said: “The council has always been willing to discuss proposals regarding development with Mr Danter and any other individual.
“But all such proposals must be subject to relevant planning policies and processes.”
This comes after plans to build a £2.5 billion “British Disneyland” theme park were scrapped in January.
First announced in 2012, the London Resort was set to be built on Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent.
The massive attraction would have been three times larger than any other UK theme park and equivalent to 136 Wembley stadiums.
However, a High Court judge ordered the company behind the London Resort project – London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) – into liquidation.
The proposed park was set to feature rides, restaurants, hotels, create tens of thousands of jobs and pull in millions of visitors.
