Wycombe Summit
Encyclopedia
The Wycombe Summit was a dry ski slope situated in High Wycombe
, Buckinghamshire
. It has been closed since 22nd November 2006, when a fire destroyed the lodge.
's longest dry ski slopes, at 300m long. Though with two longer slopes, at 350m and 320m long, Sheffield has two longer slopes. Facilities on the site included a ski equipment shop, restaurant and bar.
In 1998 a 13 year old was killed at the ski centre after a 'a catalogue of errors by Wycombe Summit Ltd' led to a foreseeable accident. A prosecution by the HSE led to fines of £13,500 and payment of costs of £10,000.
Crucially, local people lost confidence in the ability of the Ski Centre to take care of the safety of skiers
The summit was liable for £2 million of debt from its construction costs, and in 2003 was briefly closed down and placed into receivership
.. However it reopened later that year under the management of SnowDome Group Ltd, who also own and operate the Tamworth
SnowDome
. The Wycombe Summit then continued trading until 2006.
In August 2004, SnowDome Group revealed they were in talks with Wycombe District Council to replace the dry ski slope with one using artificial snow.
Following the fire, the slope's operators announced they no longer considered it viable to repair the dry ski slope, and the previously announced plans to build an artificial snow slope were brought forward.
Construction was supposed to start in September 2008, with an opening date of September 2009. However on 20 May 2009, SnowDome Group announced that legal problems had been encountered with the planning permission, and as such construction would be delayed. The slope and surrounding area have become more increasingly dilapidated. From a recent survey of the existing site, all debris of the burnt lodge have been removed, the chair-lifts appear to have been partially dismantled, and the dry slope, grounds and car park are overgrown and in a very poor state of repair. The shop that was based in the lodge has moved to Uxbridge.
On the 16th March 2010, the future of the SnowDome project became more hopeful after a public informal planning enquiry was conducted at Wycombe District Council offices. SnowDome submitted revised proposals, and a Section 106 agreement was signed off by the developers, Wycombe District Council and Buckinghamshire County Council. The revised development still has to be approved by the Planning Inspectorate and conform with planning conditions - the outcome of which was expected within a month. Though in the summer of 2011 the plans are no further forward and the site remains derelict.
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. It has been closed since 22nd November 2006, when a fire destroyed the lodge.
Dry Ski Slope Centre
The ski slope opened in 1994 and was situated in Abbey Barn Lane, just south of High Wycombe. The main slope was one of EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's longest dry ski slopes, at 300m long. Though with two longer slopes, at 350m and 320m long, Sheffield has two longer slopes. Facilities on the site included a ski equipment shop, restaurant and bar.
In 1998 a 13 year old was killed at the ski centre after a 'a catalogue of errors by Wycombe Summit Ltd' led to a foreseeable accident. A prosecution by the HSE led to fines of £13,500 and payment of costs of £10,000.
Crucially, local people lost confidence in the ability of the Ski Centre to take care of the safety of skiers
The summit was liable for £2 million of debt from its construction costs, and in 2003 was briefly closed down and placed into receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
.. However it reopened later that year under the management of SnowDome Group Ltd, who also own and operate the Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
SnowDome
Snowdome
SnowDome, , is an indoor ski slope just off the A5 road in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England. It opened in May 1994, and was the first full sized recreational indoor ski slope in the UK.-Facilities:...
. The Wycombe Summit then continued trading until 2006.
In August 2004, SnowDome Group revealed they were in talks with Wycombe District Council to replace the dry ski slope with one using artificial snow.
Fire and closure
On the morning of 22 November 2006, a massive fire ripped through the Summit lodge. The fire started in the kitchen, and at its height was fought by more than 50 firefighters, leaving only one wall of the lodge standing.Following the fire, the slope's operators announced they no longer considered it viable to repair the dry ski slope, and the previously announced plans to build an artificial snow slope were brought forward.
Indoor ski slope
SnowDome Group submitted plans to construct an indoor ski slope to Wycombe District Council, who approved the plans on 5 December 2007. The plans included a 100m artificial snow slope, an academy slope, a leisure ice rink, a children's snow play area and a Starbucks Coffee outlet. SnowDome Group Ltd said that the old dry ski slope would be retained, making the new Wycombe SnowDome the only site in the UK to have artificial snow and dry slopes on the same site.Construction was supposed to start in September 2008, with an opening date of September 2009. However on 20 May 2009, SnowDome Group announced that legal problems had been encountered with the planning permission, and as such construction would be delayed. The slope and surrounding area have become more increasingly dilapidated. From a recent survey of the existing site, all debris of the burnt lodge have been removed, the chair-lifts appear to have been partially dismantled, and the dry slope, grounds and car park are overgrown and in a very poor state of repair. The shop that was based in the lodge has moved to Uxbridge.
On the 16th March 2010, the future of the SnowDome project became more hopeful after a public informal planning enquiry was conducted at Wycombe District Council offices. SnowDome submitted revised proposals, and a Section 106 agreement was signed off by the developers, Wycombe District Council and Buckinghamshire County Council. The revised development still has to be approved by the Planning Inspectorate and conform with planning conditions - the outcome of which was expected within a month. Though in the summer of 2011 the plans are no further forward and the site remains derelict.