British Ski Slope Threatened With Closure By Housing Development

Golsing ski slope is under threat again as a Weleywn and Hatfield Council seeks to re use the site for the development of 250 houses. The centre was under threat some yars ago but it was thought that it had been saved.

It's fair to say that the Council does not seem to be wildly enthusiastic to save the slope and the operator, already seems to be preparing redundancy notices for the staff. They say:

"The dry ski slope at Gosling Sports Park is the only outdoor slope in Hertfordshire and one of only a handful in the region. The nearest outdoor slope which is currently open is located at Brentwood Park Ski and Snowboard Centre in Essex. There is another outdoor slope at Bassingbourn Snowsports Centre in South Cambridgeshire. The slope at Bassingbourn is currently closed but is expected to re-open in 2020. Based on the distribution of outdoor ski slopes it is clear that they meet a regional need. In the first instance therefore it is it apparent that Gosling outdoor ski slope is not meeting a specific Welwyn Hatfield need.

"It is understood that the main user of the ski slope at Gosling Sports Park is the Bassingbourne Ski Club which has been required to relocate on a temporary basis. The operator of the Gosling Sports Park, GLL, has advised the Council that it doesn’t think the ski slope works efficiently in operational terms.

"It is the case that most ski slopes form part of a dedicated ski/Snowsports complex. Gosling is not a dedicated facility which consequently poses major management challenges. In the same way as the driving range, the ski slope also lacks nearby infrastructure on site (changing rooms/toilets etc). It is also the case that the slope needs significant investment to ensure it remains fit for purpose.

"Having regard to the limited usage of the slope and the indication from Bassingbourn Ski Club that they wish to relocate back to their home when it re-opens it appears unlikely that the major required investment could be justified against the level of likely future use. Indeed the operator of Gosling Sports Park, GLL, has advised that they have no plan to invest in the ski slope given the low usage and its poor viability.

"It is considered that the outdoor ski slope is unlikely to be sustainable in the long-run and the Council considers there is limited evidence to justify that the facility is needed at Gosling or should be re-provided within the borough itself. 

"In advance of the full assessment, the Council is therefore of the view that there is a strong case that the dry ski slope does not need to be retained or reprovided, at Gosling or elsewhere within the borough."

SIN is not sure that the above is entirely correct. A petition has been launched to save the slope:

https://www.change.org/p/protect-welwyn-ski-slope-from-local-council-s-plans-for-land-redevelopment

and at the time of writing it has gained a litle under 200 signatures.

The petition was prepared by slope user Simon Godley who said “You can argue that not far away there’s a snow dome,” said Simon, speaking about Hemel Hempstead Snow Centre, which has real snow slopes. “But a dry slope is a completely different thing.”

Local councillors are also supportive of the facility with Liberal Democrat councillor Nigel Quinton, who learned to ski at Gosling backing the campaign.

“Like many families in the immediate area, we learned or practised on this slope, and our kids participated in events through their schools,” he said,  “But I had no idea just how important it was to schools and disabled groups across a wide area.”

Fingers crossed