A popular South Derbyshire tourist attraction struggling to cope with its incredible rise in demand has been given permission to create an overflow car park crating an extra 200 visitors.
Earlier last year, Mercia Marina, in Findern Lane, Willington, was given the green light for a £2.5 million extension which included more shops and restaurants and an extension to its current car park.
It is now planning to cope with an increase to its 800,000 visitors a year bu installing another car park.
Madecorn Leisure, which runs the marina, applied to South Derbyshire District Council for permission to create an overflow car park on the opposite side of Findern Lane on the site of two fields already owned by the marina.
Also included are plans for footpaths and a pedestrian footbridge, as well as landscaping and screening.
Robert Neff, general manager of Mercia Marina, previously told the Burton Mail that with around 800,000 visits a year, the marina is especially busy on special days such as the monthly Makers' Market and Bandstand Busk, as well as the Christmas Market and Guy Fawkes night, and on most sunny summer weekends, hence the desire for additional overflow parking.
Mr Neff said the additional car park would be extensively landscaped, ensuring it complemented the surrounding natural environment.
Over the last few years the development to the marina has included the Boardwalk building offering retail, food and offices. A chandlery building and a selection of holiday home log cabins are well-established and over the next couple of years the implementation of the next phase of holiday homes and sports field is proposed along with the construction of the recently approved Piazza building.
The Piazza building will become an extension of the services provided with more retail, restaurants and offices.
What's happening at Mercia Marina?
Plans for a car park extension is just the latest in a long line of changes Mercia Marina has made for improvement.
Enveloped in a quiet and idyllic setting the marina is a far cry from the trout fishery which originally called the site home.
Not only does it have room for the boaters to moor, it also creates a home-from-home experience, along with the many events held there over the course of the year from summer markets to the popular Christmas light-switch on. It is no wonder the marina welcomes 800,000 visitors a year and what comes with a successful company is the need to grow - which means catering for motorists travelling some distance. A larger car park is imperative for a growing business and will be welcomed by its visitors young and old
Mercia Marina
May 2007
Plans are revealed to create a 'super marina' in South Derbyshire.
October 2007
More details are revealed for the marina which is currently a trout fishery, and the plans are approved.
December 2007
Work gets under way to create the £7 million Mercia Marina with a summer finish date.
May 2008
New marina berths are snapped up.
May 2009
The Mail reports that 10,000 people turned up to see the marina officially open.
June 2010
Proposals are submitted for a £2.5 million 'iconic' development complete with gastropub and hotel boutique spa. It later becomes known as The Lighthouse development.
July 2010
A couple snap up the first in a series of planned holiday lodges at a marina during the site's second successful canal festival.
October 2010
The Lighthouse development is given approval.
September 2011
The £1 million Boardwalk development is given approval and will include seven shops.
October 2011
Mercia Marina scoops a David Bellamy Conservation Award for its conservation and environmental achievements in its first three years of business.
February 2012
The marina seeks permission to revise the originally approved Lighthouse development by including four new two-storey retail units in place of a spa, gym and swimming pool.
July 2012
Plans to open a 'gastropub' and restaurant as part of The Lighthouse development have been changed to include more offices.
May 2013
Proposals to build a shopping and restaurant facility at Mercia Marina have been scaled back because of the continuing economic downturn in the UK nationally.
August 2013
Revised plans for The Boardwalk are given approval.
February 2014
The Mail gets the first glimpse of Mercia Marina's £1.7 million retail scheme as the development rises from the ground.
July 2014
Six floating businesses given approval for the marina.
October 2014
The Boardwalk opens with a bang.
December 2014
Application is made for 80 more moorings at Mercia Marina.
January 2015
Mercia Marina wins a gold David Bellamy Conservation Award for the fourth year running.
July 2015
The marina's £1.7m Boardwalk was voted overall winner in the East Midlands round of the Local Authority Building Control awards, as well as winning the best small commercial building category.
January 2016
The Boardwalk wins the award for the best small commercial building at the Grand Final of the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Building Excellence Awards.
March 2016
A planning application has been submitted by Mercia Marina to more than double the number of luxury holiday lodges on its site, as well as providing new gym and sports facilities.
July 2016
The new plans are approved by South Derbyshire District Council.
September 2016
Mercia Marina applied for permission to expand its facilities in a £2.5 million plan.
