It seems unlikely that the renovation of Beach, which would see a new stage and events area introduced, won’t happen for the 2025 season, due to planning delays.

Back in November, Thorpe Park submitted plans to renovate the larger side of Amity Beach. This would include a large permanent stage, towards the Flying Fish side of the site, and the area itself being opened up. It was expected that plans would sail through. However, almost 3 months after plans were submitted, the application still hasn’t been approved, with two “Extension of Times” put into the application.

What’s happened with the plans?

As with any planning application, several authorities are consulted to check they have no concerns with the proposed application. This ensures that there will be no adverse issues caused by the development. Some authorities, including Natural England, Surrey Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency, requested further details / more in depth analysis be carried out related to the development.

This has meant that the council, who themselves have not raised any objections, are unable to approve the application until all consulted authorities are happy. 

What is an “Extension of Time”?

An Extension of Time is a formal agreement between the council and the applicant (in this case, Thorpe Park), allowing for mroe time for an agreement to be made. A planning application of this size would usually require a decision made within 8 working weeks (which would usually mean mid-January at the absolute latest, though the council likely would have approved this earlier). 

An Extension of Time allows this time frame to be extended whilst awaiting more information, or for it to be deliberated further. The currently agreed upon Extension of Time expires at the end of February, indicating that there is no expectation that everything will be resolved in the next week or two. A further Extension of Time can be added.

Why does this mean the new stage won’t happen this year?

We should stress, it is certainly possible it could still happen! However, we have to be realisitic too: if the plans aren’t approved until late-February, that only leaves a month for the park to do all the work before the park re-opens for the new season. That is unlikely.

There is a possibility that the park do the work during the open season, but this will create an unpleasant view for guests when entering the park. We also don’t know how feasible construction would be during open season, especially as the area is right by several main pathways. Again, it would certainly be possible, but it may not be the most practical thing for something which isn’t the most essential addition.

What happens now?

For now, we don’t know.

The park never formally announced the stage / event space. There was an Easter Egg referring to the Beach’s closure, and we have of course seen the plans. But for a majority of the park’s guests, they will be none the wiser about the plans. So, from a strategic viewpoint, delaying the event space by a year would be inconvenient, but not devasting.

Until we hear from Thorpe themselves, by means of an announcement or reveal of the 2025 season map, we won’t know what’s happening this year. But as soon as it becomes clear, make sure to check out TPM for all the details!

In recent years, the park have introduced multiple events – such as staples like Mardi Gras and Oktoberfest – and included stage shows into Fright Nights. This has meant they have had to build temporary stages in small spaces. As such, there has been a need for a permanent stage and event space. The Beach, though still used, has less popularity given the park’s focus on an older audience. As such, keeping the small side of the Beach helps advance the park but still cater to younger guests.

The area will feature many sculptures and themed pieces, including a piece labelled as a “loop sculpture”. We expect this will be related closely to the park’s current logo and branding!

We think this is a great use of the space, and are looking forward to seeing how this will be used next year!