Eden Project co-founder behind plans for new tourist attraction in Wales

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

One of the founders of Cornwall’s Eden Project is behind a plan to bring a major tourism attraction to south Wales.

A firm set up by one of the founders of the project, that transformed a former clay mine into a botanical garden, is behind plans for a hands on museum style attraction to showcase arts, crafts, science and technology intended to blend learning with fun and inspire understanding of how people can work together to address health, environmental and social challenges.

A prospectus for the project, named Xanadoo, estimates a site in Torfaen could regularly attract 600,000 visitors a year and an additional 100,000 in its first year and generate £15 million in annual revenue while employing 250 full time staff.

It would have four “core elements” as a visitor attraction including a Gallery of Marvelous Solutions to showcase exhibits currently in storage in galleries and museums across the world and a Trading Place market space offering food, locally sourced products and workshops on repairing goods.

Other attractions include the Playground with a “super-sized helter-skelter, enormous maze” and “life-sized snakes and ladders” to reconnect people with their “creative problem-solving ability”.

The Tomorrow’s World exhibit will work with universities, companies and charities to showcase “groundbreaking innovations and ideas” to the public including through virtual and augmented reality technology.

Gaynor Coley, who was a co-founder of the Eden Project that opened in 2000, said Xanadoo would be a world class visitor destination with a major environmental and social impact and an £840 million economic impact, over 30 years, which would support more than 1,000 jobs.

One site near Pontypool is likely to have been ruled out but Ms Coley and partner Susan Hill, who also worked at the Eden Project, are currently looking at sites in Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent, but also Swansea meaning the potential benefits for Gwent could be lost.

Their firm, Road to Happiness, which worked with Torfaen Borough Council on redesigning Greenmeadow Community Farm in Cwmbran, is in discussions with the council but Ms Coley has also urged anyone with potential sites in mind to contact it.

Ms Coley, who is originally from Cwmbran, said: “I’m Welsh and grew up in Cwmbran and my partner, Susan Hill, and I think Welsh tourism needs and deserves this fantastic opportunity.

“We believe Xanadoo can do the same for South Wales as the Eden Project did for Cornwall. An economic impact assessment has just been carried out and it has bought £6 billion to Cornwall and the West Country which is more than the whole of European funding and we’d like to do the same for South Wales.

“It will bring sustainable tourism, support hospitality and creativity, storytelling, digital and health and wellbeing.”

The grade II-listed former Nylon Spinners Factory, at Mamhilad Park, had been under consideration but has likely been ruled out as the site owners intend developing it for new housing, despite the most recently approved plans having been overturned following a judicial review.

Ms Coley said she and her partners are “still open minded” on potential sites and “actively looking for sites” in Swansea, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent. The two Gwent councils have a formal partnership in which they work together.

She said: “I would encourage anybody who thinks there is a location that could be right for Xanadoo to get in touch.”

A prospectus for the project lists Torfaen Borough Council and the UK Government under those that have further developed and contributed to the feasibility study which cites figures based on research from 2023 and a projected opening in 2028.

As well as a visitor attraction Xanadoo would have space for businesses and universities to work together.

Xanadoo is also highlighted in a report on a proposed Torfaen destination management plan intended to guide the development of a visitor and tourism economy in the borough.

The report states: “A potential major visitor attraction development such as Xanadoo could help to transform the area”. It also states: “Xanadoo would be a major draw for Torfaen and South Wales.”

When the tourism plan was discussed by Torfaen councillors Reform UK member for Llantarnam, Alan Slade, asked what Xanadoo is.

Council deputy chief executive Dave Leech said he couldn’t go into details “as they are commercially sensitive” but described it as a “potential tourism product” in “very, very early stages” with sites in the borough being looked at.