Bay zip wire attraction looks set to take off despite concerns

PLANS for a zip wire across Cardiff Bay look set to be given the go-ahead by the council.

Council planners have urged that a proposed zip wire ride from the top of St David’s Hotel to a landing site near the Norwegian Church are given the go-ahead.

The council’s planning committee will decide whether to allow the 350m-long zip wire, which has received 62 objections due to concerns over noise and disturbance to neighbours.

If the attraction goes ahead, people would travel from the hotel at a height of almost 150ft at up to 59km an hour along a 1,180ft-long wire before landing at the waterfront. People had bought tickets to the zip wire attraction earlier this year but the project was put back until next year.

Council planners have deemed the zip wire acceptable if City Zip Company Ltd, which is behind the plans, meets certain conditions. If approved, the zip wire would only be allowed to operate between March 24 and September 27 next year between 11am and 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am and 7pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

No amplified music would be allowed and a screen would be installed at the launch pad on top of St David’s Hotel, to prevent riders overlooking nearby properties. All the zip wire structures would have to be removed by October 11, 2020.

MP Stephen Doughty, AM Vaughan Gething and Councillor Saeed Ebrahim have objected raising concerns about noise and disturbance to neighbours.

But Cardiff council planners say the hours of operation should alleviate noise concerns and there won’t be any more intrusion into residents’ privacy. The report says: “It is considered that the visual impact of a zip wire will be minimal, and while in operation, the prospect of people moving across the area in the air may be unusual, it is not considered harmful, especially given the hours of operation.”

The council’s planning committee will decide on the plans on Wednesday at a meeting at 1.30pm.