Adventure resort could create up to 1,000 new jobs
FIRST-STAGE plans have been submitted to bring a £130m Center Parcs-style adventure retreat to South Wales.
Around 1,000 jobs will be created if the Afan Valley Adventure Resort goes ahead, and the man leading the charge has said he is “confident” that will happen.
Bosses hope the adrenalin-fuelled holiday destination will attract up to 260,000 visitors, where they will be able to sample a “menu” of outdoor sports. A “scoping report” recently submitted to Neath Port Talbot Council reveals 600 cabins, a 100bed hotel, spa, central “plaza” with restaurants and shops, and dozens of different adventure sports.
Peter Moore brought Center Parcs to the UK and added its defining features of spa facilities and countless sporting activities.
Now he’s teamed up with the chairman of Northern Powerhouse Developments (NPD), Gavin Woodhouse, to bring the high-octane resort to the Afan Valley.
The proposed site is just south of Afan Forest Park, close to Cymmer and Croeserw.
“The area looks tailormade for it, the natural topography is just perfect – it’s God’s own country,” Mr Moore said.
“I was seeing examples everywhere of people doing adventure experiences, like in Surf Snowdonia and at the zip wire nearby – people want the buzz of adrenalin. It became clear there was appeal for adrenaline activities.”
Plans show a resort split into four main zones: Trail, Xtreme, Forest and Alpine, the last of which will include three different ski slopes.
Elsewhere thrill-seekers can try go-karting, offroad adventures, canoeing, climbing, paintballing and mountain biking.
There will also be less adrenaline-fuelled sports, such as dog agility, ice skating, curling and Swegway tours.
Indoors there will be simulated skydiving, inside surfing, roller skating, trampolining and “Ninja warrior” training.
It is also set to contain the headquarters of the Bear Grylls Survival Academy, the adventure man’s own bush craft school.
They have billed the 485-acre resort as “the world’s ultimate outdoor adventure”.
NPD wants 400 of the cabins, the hotel and all facilities to be in place by 2021. The final 200 cabins and extra work would be phased in over the next 15 years.
“People want to say goodbye to every day life and do something different,” Mr Moore said.
“We’ve done lots of research and we think it’s something people will like.”
He added that they had a team of planning experts working with the local authority to find a solution that could benefit everyone.
They aim to get a complete planning application before councillors by Christmas.
He also hinted that other “big names” would come in to run some of the activities, joining the Bear Grylls Survival Academy. Mr Moore said they would look, where possible, to employ the 1,000workforce from 15 to 20 miles around the resort.
He also said that having such a “significant” destination in the valley would be good for the surrounding communities, Wales and the UK.
However, concerns have been raised that the expected £6.5m annual spend will be concentrated inside the centre’s walls and will not trickle into the villages and towns nearby.
The Afan Valley is already well-known for its outdoor sports, particularly mountain biking.
Confidence in the project is so high that by June agents were selling the cabins – before a single plan had been submitted to Neath Port Talbot Council.
Northern Powerhouse Developments hopes to fund much of the project by selling 80 to 85 per cent of the cabins to the public, who are offered an 8% net annual return for seven years and two weeks use of the cabin each year.
Jean Liggett, managing director of Properties of the World, which is marketing the cabins, said earlier this year: “They’ve delivered a model that doesn’t depend on bank loans.”
She added yesterday: “Admittedly, purchasing a lodge in this way is a new concept to many, but once we describe the deal to potential clients, they are extremely excited about the prospects of purchasing a ‘trophy’ property – a property that leaves their friends envious of this unique addition to their portfolio.”
Center Parcs is said to run at a very profitable 96% capacity, something bosses at the resort will seek to replicate. They hope that its location close to the M4 will open it up to a wide audience.
Nicola Pearce, head of planning and public protection at Neath Port Talbot Council, said the scoping report submitted by NPD would be considered by council officers.
“An application for a scoping opinion seeks the opinion of the planning authority as to the extent of issues to be considered within the developer’s Environmental Statement,” she said. “The Environmental Statement would in due course accompany a planning application.
“The scoping opinion does not consider the merits of any proposal. As a result, these types of applications are normally dealt with under delegated powers and this is also likely to be the case with this submission.”