PLANNING SOLUTIONS LIMITED

What PLANNING SOLUTIONS LIMITED does

Planning Solutions Limited (PSL) is a privately-held UK operator of visitor attractions, leisure venues, and hospitality businesses, founded in 1995 by Mike Stickland and headquartered in Havant. The company runs two related lines of business: contract management of third-party-owned attractions on behalf of local authorities, charitable/heritage trusts, and private landowners (via long-term leases, joint ventures, or management contracts), and direct ownership and operation of consumer-facing hospitality assets including hotels, breweries, and self-catering lodges. Its managed attraction portfolio includes CONKERS (National Forest, Leicestershire), Cotswold Country Park and Beach, Kent Life, Springfields Adventure Land, and two Vertigo Adventures high-ropes parks; owned assets include the Royal Esplanade Hotel on the Isle of Wight, Burton Bridge Brewery, Heritage Brewing Company, Burton Bridge Inn, and Burnbake Forest Lodges in Dorset. A sister company, Planning Solutions Consulting Limited (PSCL), delivers feasibility studies, visitor-experience strategy, and research for tourism, heritage and environmental clients across the UK and Ireland.

The business combines a B2B contract-management revenue stream (won through competitive tenders and direct partner engagement) with a diversified B2C revenue base across owned venues. Pricing at the consumer level is per-attraction (e.g., Kent Life family tickets at £48, annual membership at £135), while contract terms are long-duration (e.g., the 2015 Maidstone Borough Council award is a ten-year arrangement). The company has invested considerable capital into upgrading managed sites and has acquired operating assets outright (Royal Esplanade Hotel in October 2015, Molson Coors brewing equipment in August 2015). Technology is described as standard hospitality and leisure management systems; PSL does not develop proprietary technology and there are no AI/ML capabilities disclosed.

Go-to-market is led by the executive team (CEO Kev Smith and Executive Chairman Mike Stickland), pursuing direct business development conversations, tender responses, and inbound enquiries from councils, trusts and private operators. The firm reports welcoming over 25 million cumulative guests across its businesses and operating across at least eleven UK regions, supported by a leadership bench with prior senior roles at Rank, Center Parcs, Virgin Active, David Lloyd Leisure, and Bannatyne Fitness.

Name

PLANNING SOLUTIONS LIMITED

Legal name

Planning Solutions Ltd

Website

https://planningsolutions.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Planning Solutions Limited is a privately-held UK operator founded in 1995 that manages and owns visitor attractions, leisure venues, and hospitality businesses on behalf of local authorities, charitable trusts, and private clients across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Visitor Attraction and Leisure Venue Management

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Traveler Accommodation (7211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Remote/Alternative Accommodation Management (Cabins, Tiny Homes, Glamping) (BPAJAIAG), Hospitality (Hotel) Property Management (BPAJAGAG)

Keywords

• Visitor attraction management
• Leisure venue management
• Hospitality management services
• Tourism consultancy services
• Attraction operations management

Headquarters

HQ city

Havant

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Attraction Management Contracts: Planning Solutions generates revenue through managing visitor attractions and leisure venues on behalf of partners (local authorities, charitable trusts, private clients) via long-term leases or management contract arrangements. They provide operational management of attractions, leisure, accommodation, retail, catering and compliance.
2. Owned Leisure and Hospitality Businesses: The company owns and operates several businesses including The Royal Esplanade Hotel on the Isle of Wight, Burton Bridge Brewery, Heritage Brewing Company, and Burnbake Forest Lodges, generating revenue through direct customer sales.
3. Consultancy Services: Sister company Planning Solutions Consulting Limited (PSCL) provides consultancy services including business planning, feasibility studies, visitor experience strategies, and research for clients across the UK and Ireland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Planning Solutions Limited operates and manages visitor attractions, leisure venues, and tourism businesses across the UK on behalf of local authorities, charitable trusts, and private clients through long-term leases, joint ventures, or management contracts covering operational management, accommodation, catering, retail, and compliance. The company also owns and operates hospitality businesses including hotels, breweries, brewing companies, pubs, and forest lodges, while its sister consultancy provides business planning, feasibility studies, visitor experience strategies, and research for tourism, heritage, and environmental projects.

Product overview

Planning Solutions Limited operates a portfolio of visitor attractions and leisure/hospitality businesses across the UK. The company offers two primary service lines: operational management of attractions, leisure venues, accommodation, catering, retail and compliance (Planning Solutions Limited), and consultancy services for tourism, heritage and environmental projects (Planning Solutions Consulting Limited). The attractions portfolio includes CONKERS (National Forest), Cotswold Country Park and Beach, Kent Life (heritage farm park), Springfields Adventure Land, and Vertigo Adventures (high ropes). The hospitality businesses include The Royale Esplanade Hotel (Isle of Wight), Burton Bridge Brewery, Burton Bridge Inn, Heritage Brewing Company, and Burnbake Forest Lodges (Dorset). The company works with local authorities, charitable trusts, private landowners, and independent operators through leases, joint ventures, or contract management arrangements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Planning Solutions Consulting Limited (PSCL): Sister company providing consultancy services for tourism, heritage, environmental, and community projects including business planning, feasibility studies, and visitor experience strategies.
• Burton Bridge Brewery
• Heritage Brewing Company
• Vertigo Adventures

Products and services

• CONKERS An environmentally themed visitor centre at the heart of the National Forest in Leicestershire offering indoor and outdoor adventures including a 4D cinema, high ropes, and nature trails, operated by Planning Solutions on behalf of the National Forest Company.
• Cotswold Country Park and Beach A destination featuring the UK's largest inland beach, AquaVenture water park, kayaking, paddle boarding, and mini golf in the Cotswolds, managed on behalf of the Cotswold Water Park Trust.
• Kent Life A 28-acre family-friendly heritage farm park in Maidstone, Kent offering hands-on animal encounters, historic buildings, and seasonal events.
• Springfields Adventure Land A family-friendly attraction in Spalding, Lincolnshire featuring the UK's largest JCB Young Drivers Zone, Dino Golf, and an American Diner.
• Vertigo Adventures High ropes adventure parks in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire and Sandwell Valley, offering aerial assault courses, climbing walls, zip wires, and outdoor activities for families, schools, and corporate groups.
• The Royal Esplanade Hotel A Victorian Grade II listed seafront hotel in Ryde, Isle of Wight with 72 bedrooms, offering sea-view rooms, dining, and function facilities for weddings and events.
• Burton Bridge Brewery An award-winning traditional cask ale brewery established in 1982, operating from the 17th-century Burton Bridge Inn in Burton upon Trent, brewing traditional bitters and pale ales.
• Burton Bridge Inn A 17th-century historic pub and Burton's oldest running brewery tap in Burton upon Trent, offering traditional ales, skittle alley, and function room hire.
• Heritage Brewing Company A classic British ale brewery in Burton upon Trent that recreates historic beers including Worthington White Shield IPA and Offilers Best Bitter using traditional brewing methods.
• Burnbake Forest Lodges Luxury woodland retreats in Dorset featuring private hot tubs, wood-burning stoves, and two or three-bedroom lodges near Corfe Castle and the Jurassic Coast.
• Visitor Attraction and Leisure Venue Management Services Operational management of visitor attractions, leisure venues, accommodation, catering, retail, and compliance under long-term leases or management contract arrangements for local authorities, charitable trusts, and private clients.
• Planning Solutions Consulting Limited (PSCL) Sister consultancy offering business planning, feasibility studies, visitor experience master planning, operational reviews, revenue generation strategies, and National Lottery Heritage Fund project support for tourism, heritage, and environmental projects across the UK and Ireland.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25 million guests welcomed through businesses
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Cotswold Water Park TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017PSL won a competitive tender in March 2017 to manage the Cotswold Country Park and Beach on behalf of the Cotswold Water Park Trust. The Country Park and Beach is set within the wider Cotswold Water Park which covers over 40 square miles.
• Maidstone Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2015In autumn 2015, Planning Solutions won a competitive tender organised by Maidstone Borough Council to manage Kent Life attraction for a period of ten years. PSL agreed to make considerable financial investment to upgrade the product and service.
• Molson Coors UKcoreOthers · 1 August 2015In August 2015, Molson Coors UK sold brewing equipment at the William Worthington Brewery to Planning Solutions Limited, enabling the formation of The Heritage Brewing Company. The sale allowed Planning Solutions to brew award-winning cask Worthington's White Shield IPA and Red Shield beers.
• National Forest CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCONKERS is operated by Planning Solutions on behalf of the National Forest Company. Planning Solutions has been involved with the project since 1998, appointed initially to research a brand and product concept for a visitor attraction that would provide a core visitor focal point for the National Forest.
• JCBflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect contract between Planning Solutions and JCB to introduce the JCB Young Drivers Zone at Springfields Adventure Land. This is the UK's largest JCB Young Drivers Zone, giving children an exciting opportunity to drive around in bright yellow, pedal powered mini diggers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Continuum Attractions: UK visitor attraction operating company that runs and manages heritage and leisure sites on behalf of public and private sector owners. The most directly comparable operator to Planning Solutions' managed attractions model; CEO Kev Smith was previously Main Board Director at Continuum before joining PSL.
• Forest Holidays: UK operator of luxury self-catering forest cabins and lodges in Forestry England woodlands. Directly comparable to Planning Solutions' Burnbake Forest Lodges business in Dorset, both offering premium remote/alternative accommodation experiences in woodland settings.
• Heritage Great Britain: UK operator that manages, conserves and opens heritage properties to the public. Closely comparable to Planning Solutions' heritage and country park management work (Kent Life, Cotswold Country Park) and to operating attractions on behalf of trusts and councils.
• Sykes Holiday Cottages: UK holiday rental agency and platform marketing over 25,000 properties across the UK and Ireland. Comparable to Planning Solutions' Burnbake Forest Lodges business as a UK short-stay accommodation provider in the alternative/leisure segment.
• Shepherd Neame: Britain's oldest brewer (founded 1698), operating traditional cask ale brands and a tied pub estate across Kent and the South East. Closely comparable to Burton Bridge Brewery's position as a heritage cask ale producer with on-site brewery tap.

Broad incumbents

• Merlin Entertainments: The largest UK and global visitor attraction operator (Madame Tussauds, Alton Towers, LEGOLAND, SEA LIFE). Comparable as a UK-based attraction operator and acquirer of heritage and leisure sites, though significantly larger and focused on owned/operated branded attractions rather than outsourced management.
• Center Parcs UK: UK operator of forest village resorts offering short-break accommodation, leisure and activity experiences. Comparable in activity-led UK family leisure hospitality; CEO Kev Smith was a unit leader at Center Parcs earlier in his career, reflecting shared operational DNA.
• Bourne Leisure: UK private leisure group that owns Haven Holidays and Butlin's holiday parks. Comparable as a UK domestic leisure and hospitality operator with multi-site family destination assets, though operating owned holiday parks rather than third-party managed attractions.
• Marston's PLC: UK regional brewer and pub operator focused on traditional cask ale and managed pub estates. Comparable to Burton Bridge Brewery and Heritage Brewing Company as a UK traditional cask ale producer with tied pub estate economics.

Regional players

• English Heritage: UK charity that operates and conserves historic sites and visitor experiences across England. Comparable as an operator of heritage attractions and visitor sites, though charitable and government-custodial in structure rather than a commercial outsourcing partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bbbburton

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PLANNING SOLUTIONS LIMITED