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Battle begins to keep water fun park afloat
Aquasplash at LeisureWorld in Hemel Hempstead.
BOSSES at Aquasplash have launched a campaign to save the attraction after it emerged there are no plans for it in a revamped LeisureWorld.
Work is due to get under way in the summer overhauling the venue with new restaurants, ice rink and bowling alley – but no water facility.
A Facebook campaign has started and a petition to keep Aquasplash has now collected more than 3,000 signatures.
General manager Kerstin Ginn said: “The plan has been put in for the renewal of LeisureWorld, which we are all for, but we don’t want to lose Aquasplash in the process.
“We are by far the main pull. Over the last 15 years we’ve had 10 million customers through the door.”
Around 100 people work across Aquasplash and Planet Ice, which are owned by the Arena Group.
Managing director Heath Rhodes said in November: “We can confirm that as far as Planet Ice and Aquasplash are concerned the Aquasplash facility will not be closing in the immediate future and will continue to welcome the citizens of Hemel Hempstead to our facility for many years to come.”
However, the owners of LeisureWorld, property firm Capital & Regional, state in their planning application to Dacorum Borough Council concerning the revamp: “Aquasplash will close in due course.”
Meanwhile, Planet Ice is facing court action over unpaid taxes but the Arena Group disputes the move by HM Revenue and Customs and insists it will not affect the day to day running of the business. Last year the nightclubs, bar and bowling alley at LeisureWorld closed after Luminar went bust.
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Weather for Hemel Hempstead
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 8 comments to this article
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DHS
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 12:53 PMAhh right, this website (for whatever reason) removes forward slashes. So it's 4 02252 11 MFA (insert a forward slash where the spaces are) Alternatively, just put Jarman in the Search By Address box and it'll bring up all the applications to do with Jarman Park. Thanks again Roland :)
DHS
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 12:50 PMAh, unfortunately that reference number doesn't appear to work :(
DHS
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 12:46 PMThankyou for that Roland.
Roland Butter
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 12:31 PMThe planning application submitted to Dacorum shows the water slides & tower demolished, and the poolice rink area seemingly replaced with a giant gymnasium and some generic retail units. The nightclubs are removed to make way for 5 retail type units which are shown on the drawings as boulevard style pavement cafes. The whole front of the building gets a cosmetic facelift. You can search on the Dacorum planning website for application number 40225211MFA for full details.
PrivateDancer
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 10:15 AMIt's a shame that Leisureworld got so much bad publicity in the Gazette over the years, mainly due to the night time escapades of drinkers and our local drug dealers. The cinema, Hot-Shots and Aquasplash were fun places to take your kids for a few hours, but not enough was done to keep the idiots away at night, especially at weekends. I have a few mates that are cab drivers and even they refused to go up there at night. I hope lessons are learned and these issues are taken into account when the place is re-furnished so I can think about using the facilities again.
cycs
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 09:53 AMi beleive Watford Springs is now a housing estate in other words sunk like the one at hemel
outofhemel
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 09:46 AMWhat ever happened to watford springs loved that place.
hemel lifer
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 07:59 AMIs there anywhere where the full plans can be seen?
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