Louth ski slope ‘to open next year’

THE developers of Altitude Resort — a €430 million all-weather ski slope and nursery slopes development planned for the north-east — expect to have the first phase open by the end of next year.

Louth County Council has just granted permission for the project, which developers Innovative Leisure Systems Ltd (ILS) claim will be Europe’s largest snowflex ski slope facility. It is envisaged the main slope will be 210 metres long and 64 metres wide.

The ski training facility will be on the roof of the complex, which will also include water attractions and other family leisure facilities. The proposed greenfield site project is a few minutes from the M1 motorway.

When all phases of the park are open, it will provide around 1,200 full-time and 380 part-time jobs.

Sam Curran, director of ILS, said the approval from the council “clears the way for us to move forward so that work can commence on site early next year with a view to the first phase of the facilities”. He said the ski slopes will be operational in November 2012.

The company hopes the water and leisure park elements will open around Easter 2013. The first phase of the development is estimated to require an investment of around €100m.

If all the phases are approved there will also be a 100-bed hostel, indoor concert arena, surf and water leisure dome and leisure zone including a cinema, 10-pin bowling and children’s zone, as well as shops, restaurants and bars, with the possibility of an international casino at a later stage.