College considers options as theme park falls through (From Durham Times)

College considers options as theme park falls through

1:39pm Friday 12th March 2010

HOPES that a fantasy theme park could be built near Durham seemed dashed last night, after it emerged developers had failed to seal the deal.

Orcestrator wanted to create a mythical Dark Agesstyle theme park featuring sieges, feasts and battles on East Durham College’s Houghall campus, on Durham’s southern outskirts.

But the company has been unable to provide a firm proposal for consideration, the college said yesterday.

A college spokesman said: “Unfortunately, despite the deadline extension the college provided the developer, Orcestrator, who are planning to build a world-first fantasy theme park on the land near Durham, have advised the college they are not in a position to exchange.”

The college’s board will now consider other options, including putting the land back up for sale.

A decision will be taken at a board meeting on April 27.

Ian Prescott, principal and chief executive of East Durham College, said: “We are bitterly disappointed as Orcestrator was our preferred partner, as their plans would have created such a positive impact on the local economy, as well as providing opportunities for a great number of our students.”

The theme park would have offered visitors the chance to live as a mythical character in a world of nonhuman beings and Viking longhouses.

It was set to cover 250 acres, create 220 jobs and promised to boost the region’s economy by millions of pounds, with studies suggested it could attract 63,000 visitors a year.

Orcestrator first went public with its proposals last November.

However, after a public exhibition of the plans at Houghall was called off at short notice, it emerged the two sides were arguing over the size of the deposit needed.

The project seemed on the brink of collapse in January, but in recent weeks hopes had been raised that a deal to bring in extra investment was close at hand.

However, a meeting of the East Durham College board on Tuesday, February 23, was told Orcestrator had been unable to provide a firm proposal for its consideration.

Bruce Murray, managing director of Orcestrator, could not be contacted for comment.

A planned £30m rebuilding of the Houghall campus was linked to the project.

However, Mr Prescott said he hoped this would still go ahead and alternative funding was being investigated.

The first draft plans for the new college are expected to be submitted this autumn.

Houghall College, which for decades was the region’s foremost agricultural college, has changed focus in recent years, with the decline of farming, but remains a leading provider of land-based training.