LeisureDome, Weston-super-Mare facts for kids
LeisureDome was a big idea for a fun new place in Weston-super-Mare, a town in Somerset, England. It was planned to be a huge indoor center with lots of exciting activities, like an indoor ski slope. The spot chosen for it was an old air base called RAF Locking, which closed down in 1999.
Local officials, the North Somerset Council, gave permission for the LeisureDome to be built on July 21, 2011. After that, a top government official, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, also needed to give a final "go-ahead." The plan was to start building in December 2011 and open by early 2013. The whole project was expected to cost around £50 million. However, building work has been delayed.
By 2015, the future of the LeisureDome project was uncertain. It needed more money to get started. Also, the company developing the area, St. Modwen Properties, no longer mentioned LeisureDome in their plans for the site, which is now called Locking Parklands.
Awesome Activities Planned
The plans approved by the North Somerset Council included many exciting features for the LeisureDome. It was designed to be a place where people could try out many different sports and activities all under one roof.
Here are some of the cool things that were planned:
- A 210-metre (690 ft) long indoor ski slope. This would have been the longest indoor ski slope in the entire United Kingdom!
- A 40-metre (130 ft) tall climbing wall. This climbing wall was planned to be the tallest of its kind anywhere in the world.
- A vertical wind tunnel for indoor skydiving. Imagine floating in the air without needing a plane!
- An indoor surfing area, where you could ride waves inside.
- A BMX track for bike tricks and races.
- A health and fitness club for staying active and healthy.
- Many different shops and restaurants to visit.
In total, the LeisureDome was planned to have a huge 33,112 square metres (356,410 sq ft) of floor space. This included 2,536 square metres (27,300 sq ft) for shops and 1,237 square metres (13,310 sq ft) for places to eat.
Extreme Rock Climbing Centre
The planned Extreme Rock Climbing Centre was going to be a special part of the LeisureDome. It would have offered different types of climbing challenges for everyone. These included:
- Lead climbing: Where climbers clip their rope as they go up.
- Top roping: Where the rope is already set up from the top of the wall.
- Bouldering: Climbing on smaller rocks or walls without ropes, usually over soft mats.
- Competition walls: Special walls designed for climbing contests.
