A well-known UK theme park has announced plans to add four new attractions to its grounds, the most eye-catching of which would be a 30-metre-high thrill ride.
Pleasurewood Hills, located in Lowestoft in Suffolk, first opened in 1983 and currently offers around 35 rides and attractions. After the park was acquired by the French leisure operator Looping Group in October 2025, the new owners submitted a planning proposal outlining a broader strategy to revitalise the site and secure its long-term future.
The proposal includes four new rides: a Star Flyer, a Spinning Coaster, an Apple Coaster designed for younger children, and a Big Wheel.
The headliner would be the 30-metre-high Star Flyer, which has been described as a “high-profile thrill ride.” A slightly smaller, 12-metre Spinning Coaster will cater for families, while the Apple Coaster will be aimed at younger visitors. The Big Wheel, which would rise to 36 metres, is designed for visitors of all ages and would offer panoramic views of the park.
This investment comes at a time when some of the park’s long-standing attractions are beginning to show their age. One of the park’s most iconic rides, the Cannonball Express, is closed for maintenance during the 2026 season. Introduced in 1995, the high-speed ride had become something of a local institution, but it was in need of serious refurbishment and probably a good oiling.
Freddi Stokes, one of the three brothers who manage the park, told the BBC that the team believed the site had lost some of its former sparkle.
“It’s a little bit shabby around the edges – the rides, the performance level – I just feel like it’s not as it should be,” he said.
The park typically operates from April to October, attracting visitors from across East Anglia and the rest of the UK.
In its planning statement, the company said that the proposal forms part of a ‘wider strategy to reinvigorate the park’, with the aim of increasing visitor numbers and the time that guests spend on site, while ensuring that Pleasurewood Hills remains competitive within the regional tourism and leisure market.
However, not everyone in the seaside town is convinced.
Some residents have raised concerns about the proposed location of the Big Wheel. One resident told the BBC that the panoramic views highlighted in the proposal would extend not only across the park, but also allow riders to look directly into neighbouring properties.
The same resident questioned the park’s claim “that visuals would be offset with the tree line.”
Others, however, welcomed the plans, saying the investment could benefit a region “still suffering from the after-effects of the pandemic and the less-than-ideal economic climate.”
“In my opinion, any reasonable investment in the leisure industry should be approved,” said one supporter.
A final decision on the proposal is expected to be made by local authorities on 9 April. If approved, the project could mark the beginning of a broader wave of investment across regional theme parks in the UK.
Elsewhere in the sector, new family-focused attractions are also under development, including an immersive PAW Patrol-themed area planned for another UK park. The area – just over half a hectare – is expected to feature a lookout tower and four themed rides upon opening.
