Green light for major resort development in the Afan Valley
Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter
Neath Port Talbot Council has confirmed that conditional planning permission for the Afan Valley adventure resort project to go ahead has been granted after the signing of a legal agreement.
Conditional approval for the Salamanca Group to progress the project to its next stages was granted by members of Neath Port Talbot Council’s Planning Committee on October 12 last year.
This was subject to the signing of legally binding agreements – to provide a solar farm, mitigate ecological impacts and contribute £180,000 towards the nearby national cycle network route – which has now been done.
It is believed that the project – the first of a planned series of UK leisure developments under the Wildfox Resorts brand – could create hundreds of jobs.
Neath Port Talbot Council chief executive, Karen Jones, said: “The members of the team behind the Wildfox Resort have firmly demonstrated to me their passion and commitment, not only to delivering a scheme which has the potential to drive economic recovery and invest in the landscape but also to creating a new generation of training and job opportunities to inspire our community and local businesses.”
The Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, Councillor Ted Latham said he was “delighted” that planning permission had been granted.
He said: “Neath Port Talbot Council is committed to the regeneration and transformation of the Afan Valley and we are excited about the potential of the Wildfox Resort to help achieve this.”
Martin Bellamy, chairman and CEO of the Salamanca Group said: “I am delighted to have received a positive decision from Neath Port Talbot Council.
“This is an important milestone and I look forward to working with the council and local stakeholders to progress the project this year.
“We will want to work at pace to turn our vision into reality and create a new asset for tourism in Wales.”
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Whoopee, more minimum wage seasonal contracts to keep our brightest and best in Wales. Much as some new ventures may be welcome it does beg a few questions about the level of ambition our government has for our communities.
Local jobs for local people, they’ll no doubt proclaim, as long as you are looking for part-time cleaning, catering or security posts. This is hardly the sort of sustainable and skills-based project that our communities require.
So when the steelworks finally closes the workers will all be able to get jobs as chamber maids and ice cream sellers.
Useless politicians that offer no hope always play the tourism card when they have failed to bring in any real investment.
It is ‘green’, so the authorities will throw money at it, whilst the steelworks is dismantled to meet our Net Zero target.
It’s worth you googling Jac o The North’s blog on this topic to read about the company involved on this development. You won’t see it anywhere else in the Welsh media. The development has a long list of dubious people involved in it
Hopefully the house pricing will go up to match the minimum wage jobs so locals can’t afford to buy a home there either…
Let me know when anyone finds any aspect of this new tourism project that benefits Cymru in any way whatsoever. I won’t be holding my breath.