Sandown dinosaur park and museum scheme unveiled

The British Dinosaur Museum attraction would be a partnership between an Island residents association called Dinosaur Isle Group and Dinosaurier-Park International.

Dinosaurier-Park International is an established company, with extensive experience in developing, building, and operating dinosaur parks and dinosaur museums in Europe.

A statement from the partners said: "This new attraction will bring together a new museum, a dinosaur park and a science research facility to display and preserve the Island’s heritage for future generations. "The development will be both exciting and educational, making it perfectly suited to the needs of families, tourists, schools and universities."

Read more: Dinosaur Isle plans up in the air as council thinks again

Dr Jeremy Lockwood, chair of the Dinosaur Isle Group, said: “The Isle of Wight is Europe’s premier dinosaur hotspot, with amazing new discoveries regularly being found under our feet. We literally walk on dinosaurs.

"We can make our Cretaceous Coast as famous as the Jurassic Coast, protecting the island’s heritage, providing education and ensuring that Sandown becomes a major national tourist destination.

"We are living in a golden age of dinosaurs, and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It will enhance Sandown’s regeneration plans.”

Another of the dinosaur parks operated by DPI.

"Our plans involve opening the British Dinosaur Museum on the Isle of Wight, run on a not-for-profit basis by a charitable trust, alongside a dinosaur park created by our consortium partners, Dinosaurier-Park International, who will set up a UK-based company to run it.

The statement said the aim was to secure the long-term financial viability of the Island’s internationally important fossil collection in a new, fully accredited museum with significantly extended science and research activities.

The accompanying park, with its blend of education and entertainment, would further boost tourism. The partenrship believes the combination would make the new British Dinosaur Museum an international destination and a nationally important landmark.

Dinosaurier-Park International opened its Parque dos Dinossauros da Lourinha in Portugal, after which, the town became known as a capital of dinosaurs and is a destination for families and tourists from across Europe.

Its tourism is booming, with thriving and expanding hotels, restaurants and bars.

Another of the dinosaur parks operated by DPI.

The partnership fears after years without investment and a failure to market the attraction to visitors, Dinosaur Isle in its current form is no longer financially viable and may be forced to close its doors.

Read more: Fantastic dinosaur footprint found on Isle of Wight beach.

So, the consortium hopes within the next few months it will receive the green light from the Isle of Wight Council.

It says it intends to work with the community to not only establish the British Dinosaur Museum as an international landmark, but to ensure its contribution to the regeneration of the Bay area and the IW as a whole.

Jeremy said: “Our detailed plans include building a new larger museum, Dinosaur Park, education and research facility, whilst remaining sensitive to the ecology of the surrounding land and enhancing existing heritage, such as the PLUTO building.”