New Spa Resort to Be Opened in the UK

The £40 million Seahive wellness resort in south-east England was inspired by the concept of "blue health".

The Seahive, a proposed surf health resort in the UK's Betteshanger Country Park, has had a planning application filed to Dover District Council. The project designed by Hollaway Studio will be an important part of the bigger country park located near Deal in Kent.

The centrepiece of the 15-acre site's master concept is a surf lagoon called Wavegarden Cove, which can produce more than 20 distinct wave types and provide rides suitable for people of varying ages and skill levels. The clubhouse will have a surf school in addition to a restaurant and bar, conference room, retail store, chill-out areas, a dedicated work space, and a panoramic rooftop balcony overlooking the lagoon.

An array of linked hubs, including a spa with yoga and exercise zones, cold water treatment and meditation pavilions, a pump track, a splash pool, a learning hive, and a handful of ecologically constructed vacation cottages, will be built around the lagoon as well.

The specialized training hub will provide a variety of classes around the clock to aid local kids via surf therapy and vocational intervention programmes designed to boost and safeguard their mental well-being. However, the project is still in the preliminary stages of development and authorization.

Founder and CEO Jim Storey commented:

“My vision has always been far greater than just creating an inland surf lagoon. The Seahive is a purpose-driven, inclusive business anchored around the power of blue health and its impact on both physical and mental well-being.

“We’re passionate about creating an immersive, authentic destination that empowers people to push boundaries in a safe environment, improves and protects well-being, encourages communities to connect, creates environmental change makers, equips kids with knowledge and self-belief, increases tourism, supports local businesses and generates hundreds of jobs.”

Through the UK government's "Holiday Activities and Food Programme" and in collaboration with universities in Kent, The Seahive team plans to provide summer camps for disadvantaged children. Using some of the tenets from the Green School movement, the organisation plans to organise ocean safety and awareness workshops and programmes meant to inspire young people to reconnect with the natural environment.

Resort facilities include a lagoon and clubhouse. The materials utilised, operating methods, energy sources, waste management, water management, and planting schemes all contribute to The Seahive's commitment to sustainability. By using renewable energy to power all of the waves, the project will attempt to be carbon neutral from the get-go.

A new, wholly independent section of approximately 28 acres will be ring-fenced and committed to an ecologically-led regime of upgrades and maintenance, including an ecology warden, in order to achieve major long-term advantages from an ecological perspective for the property.

The overall goal of these actions is to increase biodiversity by more than 10%.

The Seahive is expected to produce more than 100 jobs throughout peak season, in addition to a number of indirect employment possibilities owing to increased tourism, longer length stays, and the accompanying support of local enterprises.

 

Source: spabusiness.com