A major tourism attraction in Swansea would create 100 new jobs in its first year of operation and bring an £84m boost to the local economy by 2039 if it goes ahead, a report has claimed.
The Skyline Swansea project has been proposed by New Zealand company Skyline Enterprises. The company wants to build a gondola (cable car) route, gravity-fuelled Luge ride, a zipline, sky swing, new walking and mountain bike trails, and food and drink outlets on Kilvey Hill.
The project is set to receive a £4m investment from the Welsh Government, via a £3m grant plus £1m in repayable finance. Additional funding from Swansea Council is also expected after the company asked the council’s help in meeting the build costs of the £40m attraction to make the project profitable quicker.
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The economic impact report into the planned high-profile leisure attraction was published by economic development consultancy Kada. It says the proposed development would create 478 local construction jobs during the build phase and, in its first year of opening, create 100 permanent jobs across all sectors including catering, operations, apprenticeships, and senior management.
The report also estimates that Skyline Swansea would contribute £84m to the local economy over the next 15 years. Broken down this would be £11m during the construction phase, £19m in local employee spend, and £54m in visitor spend.
Skyline Enterprises chief executive Geoff McDonald said: “We hope our economic impact report, compiled by independent consultants at Kada, gives a valuable indication of the financial benefits a Skyline development could bring to the region.
“What we also know to be true from our previous developments across New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Canada and Malaysia, yet what the report cannot quantify, is the value a Skyline site can bring to communities in the long-term.
“Through community partnerships, Skyline would support local education and training initiatives meaning those who previously had to relocate for careers in leisure and tourism could stay in their hometown. Schools could access on-site, real-time lessons in engineering and technology in action, colleges and universities could access industry placements and work experience.”
He added: “As such, not only would Skyline Swansea provide an immediate boost to the local economy during construction, but the development would also support sustained prosperity in the area. We plan to recruit as many locals as possible if successful with proposals, and would champion long-term career development through apprenticeships, training opportunities, and managerial roles.
“These educational and professional benefits have proved invaluable to communities at other Skyline sites, and we’d hope to continue this trend of investment in local communities at our proposed Swansea site.”
The company says it aims to roll out various employment schemes throughout its construction and beyond, including engaging with the long-term unemployed. Apprenticeship schemes would be offered across construction, engineering and environmental science, as well as tourism and leisure management.
Mr McDonald said: “The proposals include some plans for seasonal workers, alongside long-term career opportunities for those wanting to work in management, hospitality, tourism and marketing. We’ll be looking to hire teams at all stages of their careers, from school leavers and university graduates through to senior management roles.
“As a result of this, profits would be funnelled back into the Swansea economy through employment and training, employee and visitor spend, and investment back into the site – contributing to economic growth in the area for decades to come. Overall, our goal is to create a world-class leisure destination that the local area can be proud of, serving visitors and locals alike.”
However, the plans were criticised earlier this year by owner of Welsh adrenaline attraction venture Zip World, Sean Taylor, who believes the Swansea attraction should have been subject to a competitive tendering process for other firms to bid.
He said: “Why wasn’t there a tender where Welsh companies could have got involved in this? I’m not against competition, but there has been no tender process for the proposal. No opportunity for Zip World to put their name in. All I want is a level-playing field. We might not have had it but we never even had an opportunity.
“It’s not as if we’re a small business either. Our brand is known throughout the world. We’ve got five sites across Wales and attract over a million visitors into the country. The proposal should have gone to tendering, not just my business but any business in the UK. There’s been no tender at all and no procurement.”
Swansea Council said the scheme was proposed by Skyline and is not in breach of any procurement rules. A spokesperson said: “What’s being proposed by Skyline is neither a public works contract nor is it a development agreement, so procurement rules don’t apply. The council is viewing this as a potential land transaction within the scope of the council’s land transaction procedure rules. These rules permit negotiations with one party without any form of competition.
“No other company has approached the council about delivering the type of facility being proposed by Skyline, although we welcome discussions with any company or organisation that wants to invest in Swansea.”
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