First look at £50million water attraction coming to Kent with surf pool & lodges

A NEW £50million water attraction could soon be opening in the UK – with surfing pools and splash zones.

On-site will be 15 accommodation pods, along with a nearby five-star hotel with 120 bedrooms.

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The new attraction, called The Seahive, hopes to open at the Betteshanger County Park in Kent near Deal, which has 230 acres of land with outdoor activities.

However, the new addition would include a surfing “wave lagoon” to allow inland surfing, as well as smaller water pools and a dry-land practice area.

There will be more than 20 different wave types ranging from 50cm to 2m, so beginners will be able to get classes while more experienced surfers will be able to book sessions.

A wellness centre, splash pool, cafe and restaurant will also be part of the attraction.

Ticket prices and an official opening date are yet to be revealed.

A decision will be made by next year, with hopes to open by 2025.

The Seahive founder Jim Storey also defended the attraction against critics who said Kent didn’t need it due to being surrounded by the sea.

He said: “Kent is not renowned for its surfing at all, in fact, a lot of people who love surfing drive six hours to Cornwall or hop on a flight somewhere abroad.

“Back in June the Environment Agency advised us not to go swimming around the Kent coastline because of sewage which is an absolute joke in this day and age with corporates treating the sea as a dumping ground.”

He added that it was a place for all “ages, abilities and disabilities”.

If it goes ahead, it will be the second of its kind in the UK, and similar to Bristol’s The Wave.

The Wave surfing experience, which opened in 2019, can create nearly 1,000 waves an hour.

Waves at the site, which has six different surfing zones, range from nearly 20in (50cm) to more than 6ft (2m) high.

A further site, The Wave London, is planning to open in 2025.

Also coming to the UK by 2025 is Therme Manchester – a £250million waterpark with 20 swimming pools and 35 water slides.

Therme Manchester – which already has a waterpark in Bucharest – will feature a top-of-the-range spa too with more than 30 saunas and steam rooms, a few yards from the Trafford Centre.

It will even have the UK’s first all-season beach and “living” waterslide.

If you are happy to go a bit further, here are the best waterparks in Europe.

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