Surf’s up...in the Midlands!
PLANS for a £25m surf park in North Warwickshire have been given the go-ahead.
It will feature a 5.4-acre surf lagoon, powered by Wavegarden’s Cove technology, an outdoor heated swimming pool, hub building and a perimeter track for Onewheel electric skateboards.
Emerge Surf Birmingham in Coleshill will boast a surf school, surf shop, cafe and restaurant, multi-purpose fitness studio, physio and massage room and children’s play area.
It is expected to create 100 full-time equivalent jobs, attract around 250,000 visitors a year and deliver an annual economic boost of between £18 million - £21 million to the region when it opens in 2022.
Steve Price, founder and chief executive of Emerge Surf, said: “I’m thrilled to see such resounding backing from North Warwickshire Borough Council, recognising our vision and being minded to support the project.
“Our aim is to bring a slice of the ocean, creating a haven for landlocked surfers and those wanting to try the sport for the first time.
“We’re excited to enter the next phase in our plan to deliver a wave park that will be a huge asset to the region and its already renowned visitor economy. It will provide a world-class experience for surfers of all levels, delivering a positive social impact while supporting mental and physical wellbeing. This is alongside creating new jobs, boosting tourism and elevating the region’s reputation as a sport and leisure destination.
“Our focus now is on finalising our funding structure, progressing on-site groundworks, which we expect to start before the end of this year and working collaboratively with all partners as we prepare to open to the public in early 2022.”
All 15 voting members of North Warwickshire Borough Council’s planning team supported the plans.
Councillor David Wright, leader of North Warwickshire Borough Council, said: “We are pleased to welcome this development and I thank our councillors on the planning and development board for their decision.
“We are all keen to see our economy bounce back from the COVID-19 outbreak and this is a major boost for our economy, particularly the very hard-pressed leisure and tourist sector. This will also boost physical activity levels in our area and there is an extensive community programme being worked up to include communities and schools.
“We are looking forward to this project progressing and for North Warwickshire to become famous not just as a centre for cycling and golf, but also for surfing.”
Emerge Surf Birmingham will be working in partnership with national governing body Surfing England to deliver certificated surfing tuition and with registered charity Surf Life Saving Great Britain on a wide range of courses for water safety.
The park is also partnering with The Wave Project to deliver therapy through surfing to local children suffering with mental health issues.
Ben Powis, commercial and operations director at Surfing England, said: “Bringing a world class wave to Birmingham will be a huge milestone in the growth and development of English Surfing and will undoubtedly open up our sport to a whole new generation of surfers. Emerge Surf has assembled a talented crew with genuine commitment to developing a facility that not only provides a high performance training and surfing environment, but also capitalises on the health and wellbeing benefits of surfing to deliver far reaching social impact.”
Fernando Odriozola, cofounder and chief commercial officer of Wavegarden, added: “Our company is founded on the aspiration to share the exhilarating feeling of riding great waves with everyone, regardless of their location. Surfing is an incredibly rewarding and beneficial sport for people of all ages and abilities and we are absolutely delighted that Birmingham, the UK’S second city, will soon give people access to our waves and the Wavegarden experience.
“We are very grateful for the support of the excellent team at Emerge Surf Birmingham, the North Warwickshire Borough Council’s Planning and Development Board and the broader public who share our vision.”