Talks between a development company and a Suffolk council over SnOasis – a £500million indoor snow park – are ‘going as planned’, three months after the project was given the green light.
The controversial SnOasis development has been on and off the agenda for nearly 20 years - but the project took a huge leap forward in March when Mid Suffolk District Council's planning committee voted the application through to the next stage.
The project - which would bring a professional level ski slope, ice rink and bobsleigh run to Suffolk - could create 3,500 jobs during construction and a further 1,900 when it is fully operational.
Earmarked for a 350-acre site in Great Blakenham, SnOasis would also feature an entertainment centre with a casino, nightclub, pool hall and cinema - plus opportunities for shops, a hotel, hostel and chalets.
MORE: SnOasis 'could be complete by 2023' following funding breakthroughTo be given the final go-ahead, the developers still have to negotiate and fulfil a range of conditions without which the project cannot go ahead.
Now, three months on from its approval, the district council have said negotiations are going to plan.
A spokesman said: "We are currently working with developers to agree all of the point in the conditions agreement at the moment.
"For a project of this size, this will take time but it is all going to plan at the moment."
A payment to the council for improvements to road links, including the Copdock roundabout, features in the agreement.
Further improvements to roads into Great Blakenham from junction 52 of the A14 are also due to get £350,000 boost.
A revamp for Stowmarket railway station and cash for shuttle bus services to and from the site are also on the cards.
MORE: Final plans for £500m snow centre win approvalOriginally, plans had been approved by the Secretary of State during a 2008 public inquiry on the condition that a new station would be built in Great Blakenham to service the site.
However, efforts to agree an extra stop along the Norwich to London Liverpool Street line with Greater Anglia were unsuccessful.
Documents released by planning representatives earlier in the year revealed funds were in place for the project to go ahead.
Developers say early environmental work could start by the end of 2019.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here