Thorpe Park recently confirmed details about The Launchpad, the redevelopment of Amity Beach to a “recharge zone”. We look at all the details! 

When the park announced The Launchpad via social media, they said that this was “goodbye to Amity Beach”, making some people think that the new space would make use of both sides of the Beach. The plans that were approved last year, as well as plans from this with minor updates, shows that the smaller side of the Beach will not be touched, and do show it filled with water. At the very least, this shows that the space is capable of being used as a Beach, like it was during the 2025. Whether the park choose to still do so depends on many factors, but the smaller side is not set to be redeveloped.

It has also been seen that the stage which was mentioned in plans was not included in the concept art. The original plan featured a brand new, large stage space at the far-end of the Beach, close to Depth Charge and where Wet Wet Wet once stood. Updated plans showed a smaller stage, similar to the one used for Lucifer’s Lair during Fright Nights, instead.  

The most recent plans, released a couple of weeks ago, still show this smaller stage in place. If the stage is indeed the one used for Lucifer’s Lair, or very similar, the park do not need to build it at the same time as the rest of the development, nor do they have to have it permanently set up (though they can). It is unknown whether the park will choose to put the stage there at some point, or when they would do so. The original plan seemed to suggest the space would be more used for entertainments and shows, but with changes in strategy from Merlin since, it is likely that Thorpe Park have changed the plan for the space too.

What are these new plans mentioned?

In late-January, the park submitted minor revised plans for what is known as Project Pivot. This will not affect the going-ahead of The Launchpad, but rather some small tweaks. One of these was the level of the pavement, which the council have currently refused as they’d want more information. Despite this, this will not cause any major issues.

When will The Launchpad be ready?

The park haven’t said this. We’d expect it will be ready for the start of the season, since it will also be a clear welcome space for the park.

What will it actually be?

The Launchpad will be a place to “rest, reset and refuel” according to the park. It will be a calmer zone where people can sit down, eat and be a central point that people can meet up at. It will also reflect the park’s new branding in colours and style. There will be some plants and trees in the new area, as well as a couple of small food / retail shops will open up too.