Council paves the way for multi-million-pound leisure attraction

Richard Youle, local democracy reporter

Swansea Council has disposed of land to help pave the way for a multi-million-pound leisure attraction – and some preparatory work has already started onsite.

A company called Skyline Enterprises has planning permission to build a gondola lift from the Landore park and ride site across the River Tawe up the hill to a sky swing attached to three towers, a zipline sending riders out on a 1km loop, and luge tracks.

There’ll also be a hilltop restaurant, mountain bike routes, walking trails, a play area, picnic benches, a new bridleway and additional greenery.

Financial support

The Welsh Government and the council are offering financial support for the project – £4 million and around £8 million respectively – and the council’s cabinet has now agreed to dispose of land at the hill and commit its funding.

The cabinet decision was taken behind closed doors last month but, in response to questions from the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a council spokesman has said: “Everything that’s needed for the scheme is now in place, apart from one area of land that we’re in continuing negotiations with Natural Resources Wales about.”

“The council’s financial commitment to support the scheme remains unchanged, subject to the conclusion of financial negotiations. Our investment is expected to be repaid in full as part of an agreement with Skyline.”

New Zealand-based Skyline Enterprises said the preparatory work being undertaken was to relocate reptiles.

Nesting birds

There have been some concerns about potential impact on nesting birds as the nesting season runs until August 31. Bonymaen resident and keen bird watcher Karl Squires said: “I’m just a bit annoyed that they’ve started when they did.”

A spokeswoman for Skyline Enterprises said the supervised reptile relocation work taking place this summer was approved as part of the planning application as it had to take place at specific times of year.

“The reptile relocation work is being managed by a team of qualified ecologists who review areas of work before any activity starts each day, ensuring work follows all regulations,” she said. “A strict protocol is to be followed if an issue is found to ensure the best possible outcome. This work has been approved as part of the planning conditions, and no licence is required.”

The council said it was satisfied with the work currently being undertaken.

Skyline Enterprises’ plans were first revealed in 2017, and public consultation events took place in 2023. Its planning application was approved in March this year by the council’s planning committee by seven votes to two with one abstention. The application had led to around 560 letters of objection and 40 letters of support.

Objectors who spoke at the planning meeting focused on Kilvey Hill’s quiet area designation and how they felt it would be threatened, visual impact, potential impact on private water supplies, increased traffic, and what would happen if the scheme didn’t deliver on its expectations.

Benefits

The committee report said the cumulative benefits of the proposal would outweigh “significant harm” arising from landscape and visual impacts. Planning agent John Hurley, speaking on behalf of Skyline Enterprises, said the development would attract an estimated 450,000-plus visitors per year, create jobs, improve access to the hill, and result in a net biodiversity gain due to replacement tree planting and woodland management.

Skyline Enterprises has previously said the attraction would take up 9% of the total area of Kilvey Hill and that its board had approved a budget of 78 million New Zealand dollars – just under £35 million at current exchange rates – for the project. The firm operates other leisure developments worldwide but none yet in Europe.

Speaking in 2023, Dawn Bowden, Wales’ deputy minister for arts and sport, said the proposed leisure attraction was a “unique inward investment opportunity” for the Welsh Government and “significant in the further development of Swansea as a vibrant city destination”.