Snowtopia's developer had already started promoting.

Plans for a €100m ‘Snowtopia’ indoor snow centre in Tyrellstown in West Dublin have been rejected by the Irish government’s planning board.

The plan was rejected on the grounds that it was proposed for an area not zoned for recreational use, with inadequate transport infrastructure and that it would conflict with other leisure facilities nearby.

The An Bord Pleanala’s decision confirms an earlier rejection of the plans by the local by Fingal County Council in February 2009.

Continue reading ‘€100m Dublin snow dome plan is rejected, again’

Indoor slopes like Manchester's Chill FactorE are becoming increasingly popular in Europe.

An application to build a huge indoor leisure development in the Republic of Ireland is being submitted to local authorities there shortly, according to media reports.

The project, valued at €430m (£382m), has been submitted for the town of Dundalk on the country’s northern border with the British province of Northern Ireland.

Named ‘Altitude,’ the complex will include an indoor ski slope, casino, a large concert venue, a cinema, bowling alley, swimming and sports centres, shops and restaurants.

Continue reading ‘Second indoor ski slope proposed in Ireland’

Plans for a first indoor snow centre in Ireland continue to be delayed as local authorities have once again deferred a decision and is raising frustration with the proposed development.

It’s incredibly frustrating that the decision has been deferred again,”

said a spokesperson for Snowtopia. “This time it has been deferred indefinitely! An Bord Pleanala told us by phone this means we should get a decision by November, but that they can’t put a date on it.”
Snowtopia is currently trying to build popular support and currently has around 800 fans for its Facebook page.
“Snowtopia believes that if everyone wrote to the local TD’s for the area, Brian Lenihan, Leo Varadkar and Joan Burton, that answers might be given. Perhaps the sports clubs could send out some emails?” said a statement on Snowtopia’s website.
Snowtopia will be Ireland’s largest indoor leisure complex. It is scheduled to begin construction this year in Tyrrelstown, west Dublin, if it gets the official go ahead.
The centre would represent a €100m (160-million US) investment and when completed, in conjunction with a retail park also on site, will provide over 1,000 permanent jobs to the local community.
As well as indoor snow slope the facility would incorporate two climbing walls and Ireland’s first ice climbing wall, a massive indoor paintball arena, Ireland’s first fully digital 3D theaters, a gymnasium and a children’s adventure centre.
www.snowtopia.info

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Plans for Britain’s seventh indoor snow centre at High Wycombe near London have suffered a setback as the local council has rejected revised plans by the company that owns the site.

Work on Wycombe Snowdome was approved and had been due to commence last autumn for a proposed opening in Autumn this year, but so far there has been no work commenced on the derelict site. Most of the buildings there were destroyed by fire in 2005 although the artificial surface ski slopes, now in an overgrown state, survived largely unscathed.

Permission for the £10m (17 million USD) 110m long indoor snow slope and ice rink was granted by the local council In December 2007 but a revised plan submitted this Spring which included increasing the width of the building covering the slope, and adding new party rooms above the ice rink have been rejected.
Martin Smith, managing director of Snowdome UK, said the company is now rethinking its plans, which he said would be privately funded and generate 90 jobs. He told local media in High Wycombe that he believed the majority of the local population remained in favour of the indoor snow centre proposal and that the options included re-submitting revised plans or giving up the attempt and moving to a different location.

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Innovative Leisure Systems Ltd (ILS Ltd) of Dundalk in Ireland and Briton Engineering Developments Ltd of Scholes, West Yorkshire, England have announced their part in a major “flagship” development for Ireland, which aims to create more than 1500 long term jobs when fully operational, and will turn Co. Louth, Dundalk and it’s environs into a top leisure and tourist destination.

“Altitude” is a multi-million Euro resort development covering approximately 140 acres of land, situated strategically equidistant between the two major centres of population in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
The resort will combine indoor and outdoor leisure, entertainment and adventure facilities together with a large range of top International retailing, fine dining, late night entertainment, and accommodation options.
The ambitious project will include building 13,500m2 Snowflex® ski slope facility, indoor events arenas, indoor and outdoor adventure park with climbing, caving, ropes courses, children’s play areas, white water rafting and canoe slalom course. The project will also include a major family entertainment centre offering the latest attractions, and Ireland’s first interactive golf driving range. Accommodation will include a family hotel, five star resort hotel, casino, spa facilities, quality self catering holiday lodges, all with the benefit of adjacency to the first all weather racetrack in Ireland, and other more traditional tourist activities.
The new Snowflex® ski slope which would be the largest in Europe to date will have a main slope approx 210m long x 60m wide and a beginner’s area approx 40m long x 60m wide. The slopes combined will have capacity for approx 500 customers.
The slope design for “Altitude” will take into account the local ski / snowboarder experience and skill level, trends / appetite for particular features and will incorporate features such as quarter pipes, half pipes, spines, fun boxes, table tops and jumps.
The resort will encompass all the latest technologies to improve sustainability, energy exchange/recovery. It is designed to minimise the carbon footprint and will provide a significant test-bed for the emerging technologies.
It is expected that a “combined heat and power” solution will be developed jointly with Bord Gáis, and Sustainable Energy Ireland.
www.snowflex.com

The Big Spring Clean, a clean up initiative organised by the Ski Club of Great Britain, returns for its second year at Cairngorm Mountain and Nevis Range on Sunday 31st May 2009.
The event which attracted over 100 participants in 2008 is a chance for mountain users to do their bit by picking up litter left by a season’s worth of visitors. The event raises awareness about responsible tourism and the seriousness of dropping litter.
Caroline Stuart Taylor, Chief Executive of the Ski Club has welcomed the return of the event,

After such a successful Big Spring Clean event last year, we are delighted that we can again run another clean up day in two of the key Scottish ski areas. Last year we collected over 40 bags of litter at Nevis Range and Cairngorm, but maybe just as importantly we sent out a message to skiers, snowboarders and anyone who loves the mountains that they are the ones who can make a difference and can take responsibility for trying to preserve our mountains. We hope that even more people will put on their gloves for this year’s Big Spring Clean.”

The Big Spring Clean has this year become part of a wider clean up campaign. In 2009 the event is also being promoted by French eco-organisation Mountain Riders as part of their ‘Ski Slopes Clean-up Sessions’. Over 50 French resorts are also hosting clean up days in May and June this year. Last year 17 tonnes of rubbish was collected across the resorts. Many other ski resorts around the world are also involved in post-season clean ups.
www.skiclub.co.uk and / www.respectthemountain.com

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