Popular summer attraction set to move due to water quality issues

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

A popular water park in Cardiff Bay is likely to move elsewhere this summer because of issues with water quality, a council official said.

Vale of Glamorgan Council is set to enter into a licence agreement with Aqua Park to run a pilot from May, 2025, to September, 2025, at the eastern side of Cosmeston Lake in Penarth.

The council’s director of place, Marcus Goldsworthy, said the decision to close the aqua park at Cardiff Bay and move it presented an opportunity for the council to generate income for improving park facilities at Cosmeston.

At a Vale Council environment and regeneration scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday, March 11, Mr Goldsworthy said: “In terms of the funding opportunity it did come to us in very short notice which is why it has moved quite quickly.”

Water issues

He went on to say that the operator had a “number of issues in Cardiff Bay around water quality” and was not able to operate for the days it needed to.

Mr Goldsworthy added: “Essentially every time there was heavy rain, the water quality was so bad that they were unable to operate so they basically just couldn’t carry on functioning in a financially viable way in Cardiff Bay.”

Cabinet members have agreed to pilot the aqua park at the eastern end of Cosmeston Lake, with a licence agreement set to be signed on April 1.

Aqua Park Group welcomed tens of thousands of visitors to Cardiff Bay in 2019, but had to close during the 2021 and 2022 seasons due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It re-opened in 2023 and also ran during the 2024 season. A post on the Aqua Park Cardiff’s Facebook page in September, 2024, shows it intended to re-open in June, 2025.

Assault course

Mr Goldsworthy described the attraction opportunity for Cosmeston Lake as an assault course with inflatable equipment, slides and climbing frames.

Aqua Park Group also operates at two other locations, Rutland and Lakeside. The move to Cosmeston Lake was described as temporary by Mr Goldsworthy.

At the end of September, the council will carry out a full evaluation of the pilot and decide if it will go out to tender for someone to operate an attraction on site for the following season.

Scrutiny committee members asked the council officer how wildlife would be protected at Cosmeston Lake and whether the water quality there was adequate.

Cllr Anthony Ernest said: “The more I hear about it the more concerned I am about the impact it is going to have on the park as a whole, but this is the way the council is going.

“We need money and more money and if we have to destroy the peace and tranquillity of our county parks so be it.”

Mr Goldsworthy attempted to reassure councillors by reminding them that the lake had been used for water-based activities before and that a number of conditions had been in place for these in order to minimise the impact on wildlife, like the cleaning of equipment before bringing it into contact with the lake.

He added: “The area which this will be used on will be marked out and will be kept away from the most ecologically important areas.

“That will be really important and there will be a number of conditions attached to any licence to ensure that happens.”

Another member of the scrutiny committee, Cllr Elliot Penn, asked about water quality monitoring on site.

Mr Goldsworthy said: “In respect of water quality, the water is tested twice a year at Cosmeston to ensure that quality is maintained.”

Again he referenced past activities that had taken place on Cosmeston Lake, like paddleboarding and boating, adding: “We are fairly confident that there is no issue with the water quality.”