First look at splash park

A FIRST look at how a planned splash park and children’s play area in Ebbw Vale could look has been revealed.

Plans have been lodged with Blaenau Gwent Council to develop the facility at the Festival Park shopping centre.

The splash park is planned to be one of the first projects in the redevelopment of Festival Park into a leisure and tourist destination.

Mountain biking, a zip wire and a cinema are among the attractions which the new owners of the site hope to develop.

The plans aim to enhance the legacy of the final UK Garden Festival which was held at the 75-acre site in 1992.

Blaenau Gwent Council has already given the go-ahead to develop the facility at the former garden festival site, after the authority was awarded £110,000 from the Welsh Government for the project.

Parc Bryn Bach in Tredegar was chosen as the preferred site for the splash park, with the facility planned to be ready for the summer of 2018.

However, the delayed scheme planned with the Aneurin Leisure Trust was eventually abandoned due to concerns over cost, with the council instead choosing to work with the owners of Festival Park to develop the facility.

The development will include a soft-play area and a splash park planned to open all year.

Speaking previously about the plans, Paul Jones, of the scheme’s asset managers Metis Real Estate, said: “What we are trying to produce for the wider Valleys is a family day out with some physical activities and a strong shopping, food and beverage offer to complement it.”

The planning application is expected to be decided in the coming months.