Swansea Skyline attraction approved

Richard Youle, local democracy reporter

A new leisure attraction on Swansea’s Kilvey Hill which supporters say will make it accessible for more people, boost tourism and bring jobs has been given the go-ahead.

Swansea Council’s planning committee voted in favour of the Skyline Enterprises project by seven votes to two, with one abstention, after a long and at times tense debate.

Kilvey Hill is around 630ft high and has panoramic views of the city and Swansea Bay. It overlooks St Thomas on one side, Bonymaen on another and, across the River Tawe, Landore on another.

New Zealand-based Skyline Enterprises wants to build a gondola lift running from the Landore park and ride site up the hill to a station at the top leading to a food hall and outdoor terrace.

At or near the top of the hill would be a sky swing attached to three towers, a zipline sending riders out on a 1km loop, and two luge tracks and a linking track. There would also be mountain bike routes, walking trails, a play area, picnic benches and a new bridleway.

Deferral

Nine objectors and a ward councillor, Joe Hale, who represents St Thomas, took turns to raise concerns and urge a deferral of a decision or a refusal at the meeting.

A planning agent on behalf of the applicants spoke in favour of the project, as did Bonymaen councillor Mandy Evans and council leader Rob Stewart.

The objectors focused on Kilvey Hill’s quiet area designation and how they felt it would be threatened, the development’s visual impact, its potential impact on private water supplies, increased traffic, the applicant’s consultation two years ago, and what would happen if the scheme didn’t deliver on its expectations.

One of the objectors, Chris Lewis, said he questioned Skyline Enterprises’ business plan and, citing other outdoor destinations like the Afan Valley to the east, wondered if this was a “saturated market”. Mr Lewis said Swansea was relatively remote in terms of having large population centres nearby. Referring to the Skyline project, he said: “Once people have done it, will they come back?”

Another objector, Clare Hughes, was critical of the way she felt the council had handled the application and objectors. Her 17-year-old daughter, she said, was part of the next generation of voters and had ended up writing to Sir David Attenborough to express her dismay. “They feel you are not listening to their concerns and are absolutely appalled,” she said.

Limited data

Cllr Hale said he felt there was limited data about the scheme’s tourism and economic benefits and wondered what happen if the project became a “white elephant”. He said: “What guarantees do we have that it (Kilvey Hill) will return to its former use?”

A planning officer report before the committee said the cumulative benefits of the proposal would outweigh “significant harm arising from landscape and visual impacts”.

Planning agent John Hurley said the Skyline 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 mitigation measures such as replacement tree planting and woodland management.

Cllr Evans said she and others had experienced threats and abuse on the subject of Skyline and “constant aggression” from a minority of people, which had been upsetting. She said she had lived in Bonymaen all her life and had listened to all sides, and concluded that the development would be a “world-class leisure destination” for Swansea, providing employment and work experience opportunities in things like hospitality and marketing. In her view a “blind eye” had been turned to crime, anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping on the hill.

Swansea Labour leader Cllr Stewart also said he and others had received “unreasonable and unacceptable abuse” about the Skyline project. He said it would bring more people to the city who would spend money in shops, restaurants and hotels and that this in turn could generate more investment and strengthen the case for a new railway station at Landore as part of a wider Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro project. “I believe we do want these things,” he said. “I believe the vast majority of people in Swansea want to see the city and county being successful.”

Councillors on the committee sought answers from planning officers on a number of points, such as why Skyline Enterprises intended the operate the gondola lift and food hall up until midnight seven days a week, and whether there could be impacts on private water supplies. Cllr Mark Tribe asked if there could be a “short-term deferral” to address matters raised by objectors. “Visitors get the chance to walk away, residents don’t,” he said.

Investment

Cllr Mary Jones said: “We do want to put Swansea on the map. Do we want to put in on the map at any cost? I don’t know.” Cllr Mike White backed the project, saying it was good to see investment coming to what was once a heavily industrialised part of the city. “We need to let people know that Swansea is open for business,” he said.

A planning officer responded to concerns and queries raised during the meeting, saying that public access would remain for the vast majority of the hill and that many parts of it would still be quiet and tranquil spaces if the development went ahead. He said Skyline Enterprises has suggested it would monitor water samples before and after construction, that noise impacts had been assessed thoroughly, and that the “significant” visual impacts “will soften over time”.

Skyline Enterprises’s application led to around 560 letters of objection and 40 letters of support. The Welsh Government Government has awarded a £4 million subsidy for the project with £1 million being repayable. No financial support has been directly provided by the council to Skyline but it is considering an investment of approximately £8 million which it expected to be repaid in full.

‘Delighted’

Danny Luke, chief operating officer at Skyline Enterprises, said: “We are delighted that Swansea Council’s planning committee has agreed to our proposal for Skyline Swansea, as this decision marks a vital step in the development process.

“We have a successful track record of delivering accessible tourism destinations across the world, and our new leisure destination at Kilvey Hill would be our first European attraction and our ninth site globally. Our Swansea site would join the Skyline portfolio of much-loved, family friendly sites across Asia, North America and Oceania.

“Ultimately, Skyline is all about bringing accessible fun to families across the world. We look forward to working closely with Swansea Council – and continuing to collaborate with partners and local community groups – as we deliver Skyline Swansea: an accessible adventure destination which welcomes tourists and locals alike, providing a boost to this wonderful city.”

Skyline Enterprises has previously said the attraction would take up 9% of Kilvey Hill. The company’s board has approved a budget of 78 million New Zealand dollars, which is around £35 million at current exchange rates. Skyline operates eight other leisure developments worldwide but none yet in Europe.