Time Out London asks ‘who needs the Alps when we’ve got Wales’

Ella Groves

Time Out London has shared information about the longest ski slope in Britain, which is set to be built in Wales, and asked, ‘Who needs the Alps when we’ve got Wales?’

Plans to build the £300m ski resort in Wales have been under consideration for over a decade, but they may now be closer than ever to becoming a reality.

The proposed Rhydycar West scheme aims to bring the UK’s longest indoor ski slope, a tropical waterpark, an indoor and outdoor adventure centre, and a range of hotel offerings to Merthyr Tydfil.

If approved, the £300 million resort would be the UK’s largest indoor snow centre with its 400m long slope being one of the longest in Europe.

With suggestions of the resort being used as the headquarters of Team GB’s Winter Olympic and Paralympic teams, Rhydycar is hoping to be a ‘world class’ destination for sports teams and athletes as well as tourists.

Time Out London shared the news to their Facebook followers on 28 December and many commenters were quick to share their opinions.

One commenter said: “That’ll sort out all this countries problems. A massive 300 million pound slope. Wish I’d thought of that.”

Another added: “But you can only ski at 20mph. And it’s in Wales. Two good reasons to visit the ski centre in Norwich. Plus we won’t speak our own language when another English person speaks to us. And we aren’t in Wales.”

A third commenter said: “I can see the tourist board strapline now: Think downhill. Think Merthyr Tydfil.”

The fate of the resort is now in the hands of Merthyr Tydfil council as the Welsh Government announced last month it would pass the final planning decision onto the local authority.

In a meeting in March, the local planning committee demonstrated their support for the resort, noting the economic benefits the development could bring to the town.

Ali Tyebkhan, Rhydycar West CEO, said: “We are delighted with the Welsh Government’s decision. Achieving this key step is the result of many years of hard work and commitment from our team and partners. I would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has worked hard alongside us to achieve this milestone.”

Robin Kellen, chief executive at Snowsport Cymru Wales, added: “This news is massive for snow sports in Wales and the wider GB community and will result in increased opportunities for people to participate in skiing and snowboarding at a local and national level within Wales, as well as a huge step forward in the potential to develop competitions and training of our GB team athletes.”

The application to build the resort will be presented to Merthyr Tydfil council again in early 2026 before a final decision is made.