A former coal mine in South Yorkshire in the UK is to become the site of a £37m (US$57m, €50.6m) theme park and resort development after plans were unveiled by Gulliver’s Family Theme Parks.

The company, which owns several Gulliver’s-branded theme parks and attractions across the UK, purchased the 333-acre Pithouse West site from Rother District Council and has named its newest addition Gulliver’s Valley Resort.

The proposal includes a family-oriented theme park with an indoor water play zone, self catering woodland lodges and tree houses, a 100-bedroom hotel and an array of attractions. The theme park will include a NERF Zone, as well as an indoor climbing centre and Gully’s dream village - an area where children with life-threatening illnesses can enjoy cost-free respite from their conditions.

In addition to the theme park, the development caters to the wider community, with multi-use nature trails for the public, a woodland adventure centre focused on outdoor activities, an education and ecology centre with forest classrooms and a free-to-use outdoor gym.

Rother Council said its decision to sell was subject to certain conditions being met and planning permission being granted, but assuming everything goes according to plan, work could start as early as next year. The first phase of development will include the theme park and associated areas, which is scheduled to open in 2018, with a council spokesperson saying the development will be coming in “four or five” phases over a 12-year period.