Decade of expansion could create more than 700 jobs

ALTON Towers is set to create more than 700 jobs as it develops entertainment to cater for families all year round.

Theme park bosses have unveiled a 10-year plan to build new rides or entertainment, increase accommodation and improve infrastructure as it repositions itself as a family-orientated venue.

Building new under-cover facilities similar to the recently-opened Sea Life aquarium will help create about 735 additional on-site jobs.

And as management plans to increase admissions to 2.9 million each year from its present average of 2.3 million, it is expected a further 245 spin-off jobs will be available in the local area.

Although the park currently has 2,500 positions during the summer, it currently has only around 800 staff working out of season.

The Post & Times revealed last week that 11,000 people had applied for a job at Alton Towers so far this year.

Alton Towers divisional director Ian Crabbe said the provision of family entertainment would create an unspecified number of vacancies to fill throughout the winter.

He said: "Providing job security is especially important to Alton Towers at a time when a lot of businesses are struggling. We feel a responsibility to the area.

"Twelve months ago, nobody would have thought a huge company such as JCB would need to make many redundancies.

"But with the commitment demonstrated of our parent company Merlin through this plan, we are able to show Alton Towers will be here for a long time to come."

The plan shows Merlin Entertainments – led by chief executive Nick Varney, a former marketing director at Alton Towers – is ready to make a "substantial" investment in the resort.

In the next five years, four new or replacement rides or entertainment areas are expected to be built.

In six to 10 years' time, six new attractions are earmarked.

However, the only scheme guaranteed at the moment is the replacement of the Corkscrew with a £12 million world first roller-coaster in 2010.

It is hoped many visitors will prolong their stay in the Staffordshire Moorlands and, as revealed by the Post & Times in March, the plan outlines the need for further accommodation.

Mr Crabbe said: "We want to create a product available for 365 days a year, although the rides themselves will not be open for the full year. We look towards innovations such as Shark Bay Reef and the water park, which can attract people whatever the elements.

"When we come to build on the site of the former Black Hole in two years' time, it may be the case we look to create something undercover, such as a 4D cinema."

Guest admission peaked at 3.2 million in 1994 but last summer was the busiest since 1995 and accounted for half of all visitor trips to the Staffordshire Moorlands.