SnOasis, the £350m winter sports leisure scheme near Great Blakenham, Suffolk, first proposed five years ago, has been given the green light by Mid Suffolk district council.
The planning application will now be considered by the Government Office for East of England before final approval can be given.
Godfrey Spanner, chief executive of Onslow Suffolk, said: “Climbing Mount Everest is an ambition I am now unable to dream of, but SnOasis has been a challenge of very similar proportions.
“We knew because of the extraordinary nature of the proposition, this would present the authorities with an unprecedented challenge, but I am delighted that after careful consideration, the MSDC has approved our exciting proposals.
“I hope now that GO East and the Deputy Prime Minister will also support our plans and not call it in.
“The delay caused by a call in would be disastrous for us, delaying the project a further two years, costing millions more and missing the opportunity of the 2012 Olympics”.
SnOasis, which is to be built on the site of a derelict quarry four miles north of Ipswich, will offer all-year facilities for up to 14 winter sports. Facilities include accommodation for 3,600, gyms, restaurants and golf.
At the centre of the resort will be the world’s largest indoor ski and board slope with a vertical drop of 100 metres and half a kilometre in length, broadening to 80 metres at the base.
References: EGi News 21/04/06
