Pleasure Beach owners optimistic over new ride and profit rise

The early ground work on the new Icon ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach

The Thompson family owned company said visitor numbers for the year ending March 2017 were up one per cent on the previous year despite there being no extended periods of good weather.

But it said that the year’s later Easter had helped increase the number of thrill-seekers. The family said the results were encouraging ahead of next year which will see the launch of the new £16.25m ICON ride – the biggest investment the attraction has seen.

Steel has started arriving from Germany where designer Mack Rides is based, and construction will start when the season ends.

It added that the park’s turnover, the amount of money flowing through it, was £33.4m up from £32.2m.

The Big Blue hotel saw pre-tax profits of £938,000 and turnover of £4.2m, just down from £980,000 and £4.3m in 2016.

A spokesman said: “Blackpool Pleasure Beach is looking ahead to a positive 2018 season and the launch of the UK’s first double launch rollercoaster, ICON.”