Australian retail developer Westfield is to submit plans for the UK’s biggest indoor ski facility in Stratford, London, UK which is double the size of anything existing in the UK. Its expected size is being compared to the giant Ski Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Westfield Stratford City will submit a planning application to the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) by the end of the summer. The project could cost up to £200m and will be ready for 2015.
The site will provide around 20,000 square metres of piste for customers to enjoy, with skiing areas covered in thousands of tonnes of real snow. The site, already being labelled the Stratford dome, will be double the size of other British snow centres such as those in Hemel Hempstead and Milton Keynes.
The planned development will include runs of varying difficulty, snowboard facilities and an ice-skating rink. The longest run is believed to be 300m, in an attempt to recreate Alpine skiing conditions. The facility will also house toboggan runs and specially designed snow-play zones for children and beginners to use while gaining an introduction to the sport.
The plans were announced by Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, speaking at City Hall in an event to mark the first anniversary of the London 2012 games last week.
“Stratford’s status as a stunning new destination is confirmed by Westfield’s plans for a world-class indoor ski centre,” said Johnson. "This underscores the massive confidence in this area from investors which is delivering a real payback for taxpayers in terms of jobs and the regeneration of East London.”
The project will be funded by Westfield which aims to attract three million visitors a year to the new facility.
