The former managing director of the popular American Adventure has dismissed calls to open the theme park despite a petition battling for its reopening reaching 10,000 signatures.
Stuart McLoughlin believes it is 'extremely unlikely' that the Wild West themed park would ever reopen after it closed 10 years ago due to financial difficulties.
His comments come as Declan Salmon, of Birch Avenue, Newhall, triggered a council discussion after he spent 22 months collecting more than 10,000 signatures. Amber Valley Borough Council will now discuss his plans to bring the old theme park back to the site near Derby.
The 19-year-old has sent his petition to the authority stating that already-approved proposals for 307 homes, a hotel, and a retirement village on the site will be 'no good' and with 'the right people' the theme park can be great again.
But the theme park's former managing director Stuart McLoughlin has dismissed Declan's ambitions as "highly unlikely" to succeed.
The petition will be discussed at a full council meeting on January 24. Declan says he is unable to make the meeting but hopes a representative will speak on his behalf.
It comes as almost all traces of the park in Shipley, near Heanor, have been eradicated since it closed in 2007. Council bosses have already given the green light to the 307-home development on the 112-acre plot next door to Shipley Country Park.
In his plea to the council, Declan said: "I have more than 10,000 signatures to bring it back. Houses will be no good for that land. It has been 11 years since it closed.
"I hope that you can try to seek entertainment investors to bring it back. It has taken me two years to get to this point. Derbyshire needs something like this to come back. American Adventure was a big hit, in the 90s especially.
"I think with the right people we can make American Adventure great again. With the right people we can make it a place to visit every day of the year. I have put a lot of passion and pride into this petition. And I just hope you can see how much the public really want the park back."
However, his dreams are not shared by the theme park’s former managing director Stuart McLoughlin.
Mr McLoughlin is now managing director of Waystone which was chosen by Derbyshire County Council to redevelop the site situated in the heart of the Shipley Valley Country Park.
Among the rides and attractions, the park even had a replica life-size town from the Wild West, complete with a saloon, where Lazy Lil and her show girls used to perform.
There was also 'white knuckle' roller-coaster rides and a water log flume.
The theme park closed in 2007 following financial struggles and little remains of the original park, although some of the rides are in use at other venues.
A spokesman for Amber Valley Borough Council said: "As the petition contains more than 1,200 signatures it will be scheduled for a debate at the Full Council meeting on January 24.
"The petition organiser will be given five minutes to present the petition at the meeting and the petition will then be discussed by councillors.
"The council will decide how to respond to the petition at the meeting, provide written confirmation to the petition organiser of the decision and publish the confirmation on our website."
Managing director
The park's former managing director whose company has been given permission for the 307-home development said he hopes work on the site will begin in the next few months.
Stuart McLoughlin, managing director of Waystone told the Nottingham Post: "You never say never, but it is unlikely. We have no plans to reinstate a theme park there and nor do our partners. As far as I am concerned there is no prospect of a theme park being built there.
"We have planning consent and an allocation of funding and we hope that will come through in the next few weeks. We hope to get started on site in three to four months."
Mr McLoughlin says none of the rides are now operational and the only remaining feature will be the 30 acre lake, which will be a focal point of the new development.
Waystone says that Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has also been given the go-ahead to buy the 160 acres surrounding the site to create "the largest nature reserve in the country, subject to it raising the necessary undisclosed funds."
The reserve, comprising an eco-visitor centre, staff headquarters and small car park, is set to create 20 jobs.
