Plans revealed for world’s biggest swing attraction at adventure site

Dale Spridgeon, local democracy reporter

A top adventure and activity centre has lodged plans to open a brand new attraction which it says would be “the largest of its type in the world”.

The North Wales adventure giant said the ride, named in planning documents submitted to Cyngor Gwynedd as “The Swing”, would see visitors swing back and forth over the historic slate landscape at its Penrhyn Quarry site in Bethesda.

Zip World said the planned new attraction comes amid a decline in visitor numbers and a need to “continue to be relevant and attract new and repeat visitors”.

Unique

An economic assessment describes the planned ride as a “unique product with its selling point of being the largest of this type of attraction in the world”.

They added: “It is also less susceptible to high winds than the zip line and would provide a bad weather alternative.”

The plans quote figures claiming the business brings £276m into the Welsh economy – but says a new attraction is needed for it to “stay relevant” and attract new and repeat visitors.

The activity would be located within the Zip World’s existing quarry site south-west of Little Top, expanding across the quarry lake towards the south-east gallery floor.

Concrete pad footings

Tensioned cables would traverse the quarry between anchorage points, fixed in place by pairs of upright steel columns on concrete pad footings.

The plans call for the the erection of a swing platform, structure, ramp and landing structure, associated cables and anchor structures with associated works.

The application explains how visitors would be taken on foot from a “kit-up tent” to a lower anchorage point.

They would then be escorted up a ramp, onto a landing and into a cart which transports them to a swing platform hanging from cables.

There, they are secured into the swing apparatus which moves horizontally away from the platform.

Once in the starting position the swing will fall under gravity, then swing back and forth around a pivot point until coming to a natural rest, and then moved back to the platform.

The plans note the ramp provides a viewing platform offering “unique panoramic views” of the quarry and would feature “heritage interpretation”.

The platform will also offer a place where family and friends can watch.

The activity would last two minutes with rides estimated to be dispatched every five minutes, providing a maximum of 12 operations per hour.

“Zip World employs 270 full-time members of staff, 82% of whom live near their workplace, 65% of whom are Welsh speakers,” the application says.

They said that “from 2023 to 2024, there has been a decline in visitor numbers” and it was recognised that “the adventure tourism industry is evolving”.

It adds: “In order to continue to be relevant and attract new and repeat visitors, Zip World recognise the need for them also to evolve.

‘Evolve’

“The proposed swing development has been brought forward following an observation by the applicant of a decline in visitor numbers at the site between 2023 and 2024.

“There is a need for Zip World to evolve alongside the adventure tourism industry, in order to continue to be relevant and attract new and repeat visitors.”

The economic impact assessment also adds the proposal is “particularly important” to plans for an Bus network between the company’s sites.

It said: “It will offer a different type of attraction providing an additional pull factor to visit multiple sites – ensuring maximisation of benefits and a wider spread of visitors across the region.

“The eBus network will support Zip World to encourage visitors to switch mode from cars to public transport.”