Gulliver’s World in Warrington has been given the green light to add a huge new extension, including woodland lodges and a spa.
The popular theme park first announced the development last year, with the aim of offering unique short breaks for families.
Bosses at the attraction say the new Woodland Retreat will help secure hundreds of existing jobs, along with creating new roles and providing a significant boost to the local economy.
The £5.6m Woodland Retreat will expand the existing accommodation at Gulliver’s World and feature themed rooms, woodland walks, a camping meadow, a children’s woodland activity zone, woodland lodges and a spa and relaxation suite.
Plans for a new HQ for staff and admin support are also in the works, with the development falling under the Gulliver’s Glades brand, which focuses on providing holidays in a woodland setting.
Applications were first submitted in mid-March and have reportedly received support alongside some concerns from local residents.
The resort insists plans have been designed to compliment existing woodland features, eradicate invasive plant species and updated to include planting of up to 3,000 additional native trees.
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Julie Dalton, managing director of Gulliver's World, said: "The pandemic has been a challenging time for our operations. Social distancing measures look set to be in place for some time yet and being able to provide visiting families with clean self-contained accommodation is a really important part of our business plan going forward.
“The permission aligns our Warrington resort with the range of accommodation and activities on offer at our other three resorts and will help secure over 220 jobs and create 41 new jobs in future. We are very pleased with the outcome."
It is hoped that construction work will start in spring 2021.
