The first steps are being taken in the creation of a brand new £250m holiday resort in the Afan Valley. The development will take a long time - with the man leading the project hoping it will be ready by 2027.
But work has to start somewhere, and fencing and temporary footpath closures are now being set up around a development site in the upper Afan valley, as the development gets underway.
Located on 132 hectares near the border between Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend County Borough, a joint letter from the local authorities for both areas and developer, Wildfox Resorts, is being issued to residents living in communities near the site, to advise them that the temporary measures are necessary for maintaining public safety. You can get more Neath and Port Talbot news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Read more: Huge £250m Wildfox Adventure Resort approved for Afan Valley near Port Talbot
With construction taking place in stages, it is likely that more footpaths will also need to close on a temporary basis before becoming fully accessible again once work has been completed.
This will be the first resort developed by new company - Wildfox Resorts Group - and when it finally opens, guests will be accommodated in 570 lodges and 130 apartments and rooms, while enjoying a wide range of indoor and outdoor adventure activities such as wild swimming, mountain biking, hiking, canyoning, bouldering and more. The project received planning permission from Neath Port Talbot Council last year.
Cllr Huw David, Bridgend Council leader, said: “This hugely ambitious development will be a catalyst for a new wave of employment and tourism in the south Wales valleys.
“The resort is set to employ around 1,000 people in addition to the jobs that will be generated during its construction phase, and with access routes running through both the Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend County Borough areas, it will offer plenty of supplier, training and investment opportunities. The temporary fencing and footpath closures are necessary in order to ensure that construction can proceed safely and to protect residents.
“Every effort will be made to minimise inconvenience and avoid disruption while the resort is being built, and all public rights of way will be reinstated again as soon as possible.”
The first resort, nestled in the Afan Valley will offer a unique combination of experiences set against panoramic views of the area. The idea behind Wildfox Resorts Group's mission is to create lifestyle resorts that build "memorable experiences" according to the company.
Afan Valley will be the first of three proposed resorts in the UK, and will include facilities like two state-of-the-art zip wires giving people views of the valley like never before, canyoning and coasteering experiences, which will be the first of their kind in the UK, forest lodges and more. The Afan Valley resort will be located seven miles north east of Port Talbot, nestled between the communities of Cymmer, Caerau, Croeserw and Duffryn Rhondda.
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