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NEWS
David Lloyd returning to leisure industry with adventure parks
POSTED 29 Dec 2016 . BY Deven Pamben
David Lloyd expects to open the first adventure park by the end of 2017
David Lloyd is returning to the leisure industry with a multi-activity concept - David Lloyd’s Adventure Parks.

Lloyd is planning to open twelve venues by 2021, with business partners Holmes Investment Properties, as he aims to tap into the £4bn ($4.91bn; €4.69bn) UK entertainment and leisure sector.

Each park is expected to cost, on average, £4-5m (US$4.9m-US$6.4m; €4.7m-€5.9m) to set up.

Eleven sites near cities and large towns with good transport links are under review and planning permission is being sought for them. The first park is expected to open by the end of 2017.

The sites will be three acres, offering zip wires, soft play, trampolining and climbing walls as well as restaurants.

Lloyd has a 20-year contract with Holmes Investment Properties, which will fund and build the activity centres.

Lloyd has built two multi-million-pound businesses from scratch - David Lloyd Leisure, founded in 1982, and along with his son, Scott Lloyd, Next Generation Clubs, set up in 1996.

In 2013, TDR Capital purchased the combined group of 94 clubs for more than £700m (US$859m; €822m) to create David Lloyd Clubs.

Lloyd, executive chairman and majority shareholder in David Lloyd’s Adventure Parks said: “I built some of the first commercial leisure venues in the UK and they were also some of the largest, most profitable and most popular centres in the country.

“As the market evolves, we are bringing together rare to find, but easy to love new activities from climbing walls to zip wires and the biggest collection of trampolines in one place. I’ve got thirty-four years’ experience in the sector, and we will be using everything that we have learnt to make our new adventure parks the best activity centres in the country.”

Martin Helme, Holmes Investment Properties chief executive officer, said: “Mr David Lloyd is the most successful leisure entrepreneur in Europe, and he now wants to concentrate on building an exciting new business that people will flock to. The UK market continues to expand by about 150 venues per annum and ‘David Lloyd’s Adventure Parks’ will be part of this growth. Holmes Investment Properties are property experts and it makes sense to leave the funding and building to us. We are at the start of a fantastic 20-year adventure.”
RELATED STORIES
  David Lloyd Leisure fined £350,000 for health and safety failures


David Lloyd Leisure has been ordered to pay £350,000 after pleading guilty to an incident where a five-year-old boy almost drowned.
  David Lloyd Leisure relaunches brand with national campaign


Racquet and fitness club operator David Lloyd Leisure (DLL) is relaunching its brand today – a strategic move which will be supported by a nationwide marketing push.
  David Lloyd secures £350m property sale to M&G Investments


David Lloyd Leisure (DLL) has agreed a £350m deal with M&G Investments for the sale and leaseback of 44 UK health clubs.
  DLL says it’s in great shape despite drop in value


David Lloyd Leisure (DLL) has responded to comments about the change in the value of the business following its recent sale to private equity group TDR Capital. Although the terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, it’s thought DLL was sold by London & Regional and joint shareholder Caird Capital for around £750m.
MORE NEWS
Warner Bros Discovery collaborates on upcoming Pompeii attraction
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while remaining actively involved with the company.
Rainer Maelzer joins Therme Group as chief entertainment officer
Rainer Maelzer, an experiential entertainment innovator, has been appointed chief entertainment officer by Therme Group.
Movie Park Germany reveals new Paramount attraction as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
+ More news   

COMPANY PROFILES
Polin Waterparks

Polin was founded in Istanbul in 1976. Polin has since grown into a leading company in the waterpa [more...]
Sally Corporation

Our services include: Dark ride design & build; Redevelopment of existing attractions; High-quality [more...]
IAAPA EMEA

IAAPA Expo Europe was established in 2006 and has grown to the largest international conference and [more...]
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V.

Vekoma Rides has a large variety of coasters and attractions. [more...]
+ More profiles  
FEATURED SUPPLIER

Iconic Liverpool attraction opens door to new operators
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its next phase. [more...]
CATALOGUE GALLERY
 

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Jobs    News   Products   Magazine   Subscribe
NEWS
David Lloyd returning to leisure industry with adventure parks
POSTED 29 Dec 2016 . BY Deven Pamben
David Lloyd expects to open the first adventure park by the end of 2017
David Lloyd is returning to the leisure industry with a multi-activity concept - David Lloyd’s Adventure Parks.

Lloyd is planning to open twelve venues by 2021, with business partners Holmes Investment Properties, as he aims to tap into the £4bn ($4.91bn; €4.69bn) UK entertainment and leisure sector.

Each park is expected to cost, on average, £4-5m (US$4.9m-US$6.4m; €4.7m-€5.9m) to set up.

Eleven sites near cities and large towns with good transport links are under review and planning permission is being sought for them. The first park is expected to open by the end of 2017.

The sites will be three acres, offering zip wires, soft play, trampolining and climbing walls as well as restaurants.

Lloyd has a 20-year contract with Holmes Investment Properties, which will fund and build the activity centres.

Lloyd has built two multi-million-pound businesses from scratch - David Lloyd Leisure, founded in 1982, and along with his son, Scott Lloyd, Next Generation Clubs, set up in 1996.

In 2013, TDR Capital purchased the combined group of 94 clubs for more than £700m (US$859m; €822m) to create David Lloyd Clubs.

Lloyd, executive chairman and majority shareholder in David Lloyd’s Adventure Parks said: “I built some of the first commercial leisure venues in the UK and they were also some of the largest, most profitable and most popular centres in the country.

“As the market evolves, we are bringing together rare to find, but easy to love new activities from climbing walls to zip wires and the biggest collection of trampolines in one place. I’ve got thirty-four years’ experience in the sector, and we will be using everything that we have learnt to make our new adventure parks the best activity centres in the country.”

Martin Helme, Holmes Investment Properties chief executive officer, said: “Mr David Lloyd is the most successful leisure entrepreneur in Europe, and he now wants to concentrate on building an exciting new business that people will flock to. The UK market continues to expand by about 150 venues per annum and ‘David Lloyd’s Adventure Parks’ will be part of this growth. Holmes Investment Properties are property experts and it makes sense to leave the funding and building to us. We are at the start of a fantastic 20-year adventure.”
RELATED STORIES
David Lloyd Leisure fined £350,000 for health and safety failures


David Lloyd Leisure has been ordered to pay £350,000 after pleading guilty to an incident where a five-year-old boy almost drowned.
David Lloyd Leisure relaunches brand with national campaign


Racquet and fitness club operator David Lloyd Leisure (DLL) is relaunching its brand today – a strategic move which will be supported by a nationwide marketing push.
David Lloyd secures £350m property sale to M&G Investments


David Lloyd Leisure (DLL) has agreed a £350m deal with M&G Investments for the sale and leaseback of 44 UK health clubs.
DLL says it’s in great shape despite drop in value


David Lloyd Leisure (DLL) has responded to comments about the change in the value of the business following its recent sale to private equity group TDR Capital. Although the terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, it’s thought DLL was sold by London & Regional and joint shareholder Caird Capital for around £750m.
MORE NEWS
Warner Bros Discovery collaborates on upcoming Pompeii attraction
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while remaining actively involved with the company.
Rainer Maelzer joins Therme Group as chief entertainment officer
Rainer Maelzer, an experiential entertainment innovator, has been appointed chief entertainment officer by Therme Group.
Movie Park Germany reveals new Paramount attraction as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK. 
Efteling expands family offer with new Hooghmoed drop tower
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
+ More news   
 
COMPANY PROFILES
Polin Waterparks

Polin was founded in Istanbul in 1976. Polin has since grown into a leading company in the waterpa [more...]
Sally Corporation

Our services include: Dark ride design & build; Redevelopment of existing attractions; High-quality [more...]
IAAPA EMEA

IAAPA Expo Europe was established in 2006 and has grown to the largest international conference and [more...]
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V.

Vekoma Rides has a large variety of coasters and attractions. [more...]
+ More profiles  
FEATURED SUPPLIER

Iconic Liverpool attraction opens door to new operators
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its next phase. [more...]
CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  
DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

09-11 Jun 2026

World Sauna Forum 2026

Savutuvan Apaja, Haapaniemi, Finland
23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
+ More diary  
 


ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
LEISURE MEDIA HANDBOOKS
LEISURE MEDIA WEBSITES
LEISURE MEDIA PRODUCT SEARCH
ATTRACTIONS MANAGEMENT NEWS
ATTRACTIONS HANDBOOK
PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS
FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS