SnOasis gets its skates on

  Onslow Suffolk has been given the go-ahead to develop £350m SnOasis, the world’s first indoor winter sports resort in Great Blakenham near Ipswich, eight years after it first sought planning permission.   The 360-acre SnOasis will comprise Europe’s largest indoor ski slope, an ice climbing wall, 500m of speed skating and 1,550-seat ice rink. There will also be 220,000 sq ft of shops and leisure, 3,500 beds and 420 homes to be built by Persimmon.   Visitor numbers to SnOasis are projected to be approximately 650,000 per year.   Work on the project is due to start immediately, and should be complete within 30 months.   Godfrey Spanner, managing director of Onslow Suffolk, the developers of the scheme, said: “At last we have final approval, after eight years and costs running into many millions, we can move forward and give our country something unique to be proud of.   “We have been working hard behind the scenes with various winter sports bodies to attract major competitions to SnOasis. We can confidently say once complete it will host an ever-growing number of international events, leading to it becoming a regular venue on the world winter sports circuit.   “These activities will undoubtedly bring further benefits and kudos to our country.”   annabel.dixon@rbi.co.uk