Express & Star

Staffordshire’s Drayton Manor Park is in line for a huge expansion which could include a water theme park and a hotel, it has been revealed.

Exciting plans for the future of the theme park could also see it open all year round.

It currently operates between March and November, but tourism bosses aim to make it as economically viable as its rival Alton Towers in North Staffordshire.

The vision for the future of the theme park, which is based near Tamworth, was unveiled by chiefs at nearby Lichfield District Council, who are looking at ways of increasing tourism in the south of the county.

More than 60 per cent of people in a public consultation backed the idea for the expansion.

But 21 per cent were against the proposals, fearing its transformation could cause major traffic problems around the M42 and surrounding roads. They also said the public transport to the park was insufficient to deal with thousands more visitors.

The move would see the park follow in the footsteps of Alton Towers, which opened its Cariba Creek water park in 2005.

It is also open all year round and features a heated lagoon, rides, water cannons and a water rollercoaster.

Today bosses at Drayton Manor said they were drawing up plans for the expansion.

Spokesman Sundeep Sehijpal said: “Drayton Manor theme park is working with Lichfield District Council to bring forward the exciting development of a hotel.

“It’s hoped that the development would begin sometime in 2009. The creation of a water park would follow on from the hotel.”

Lichfield Council carried out the consultation as part of ongoing work towards creating a Local Development Framework Core Strategy for the district.

Earlier this month the park’s owners the Bryan family declared a new era for Drayton Manor when they unveiled its new £5.5 million Thomas Land – the first of its kind in Europe.

The attraction boasts 12 rides based on the characters from the much-loved Thomas and Friends series and books.