New Zealand firm gets £4m of taxpayers' cash for £34m Welsh cable cat
New Zealand-based adventure company secures £4million in taxpayers’ money from Welsh government to build giant cable car ride over Swansea
- The £34million ride will zip over Swansea from the 633ft-tall Kilvey Hill nearby
- The news comes just days after a similar lift just 40 miles away was shut down
A New Zealand-based adventure firm has bagged £4million of taxpayers’ cash to build a huge cable car ride over Swansea.
Skyline Enterprises plans to build a £34million sky-style cable car and chair lift system, luge runs, a sky swing, walking trails and a zipline.
It will zoom from the 633ft-tall Kilvey Hill above the Welsh city down to the coast in the hope of attracting tens of thousands of visitors.
But news of the proposal comes just days it was announced a similar £2.3million cable car 40 miles away was shutting after just eight years, sparking concerns Swansea’s proposal was doomed to fail.
The Labour-led Welsh government has agreed to pump in £4million towards the plan, with Dawn Bowden, Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, insisting: ‘This project is significant in the further development of Swansea as a vibrant city destination.
New Zealand-based Skyline Enterprises plan to build a sky-style cable car and chair lift system, luge runs, a sky swing, walking trails and a zipline. Pictured is an artist’s impression of what it would look like
The Welsh Government is investing £4million into the attraction, which will zoom from a mountain above the Welsh city down to the coast in the hope of attracting tens of thousands of visitors. Pictured is the Swansea cityscape with the mountain in the background
‘It complements other regeneration projects in the area as well as supporting economic growth and all year-round jobs.
‘When in New Zealand last year, I saw first-hand how Skyline Enterprises in Queenstown has used the natural landscape as a beautiful backdrop to a successful enterprise.
‘This is a unique inward investment opportunity for us, and I wish the team well with their latest venture in Wales.’
But Tom Giffard, Tory Shadow Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport and member of the Welsh Parliament for South Wales West, had his reservations.
Mr Giffard, who grew up in Swansea, said there was no clear business plan to prove the multi-million attraction would be a success – or was even wanted by locals.
And he added last week’s news the breakdown-plagued Ebbw Vale cable car – which cost £52,000 a year to run and is just 40 miles away – would be be axed was a real concern.
He told MailOnline: ‘I’m really conscious that doesn’t happen again. I want to see a robust business case to show the demand is there because just 40 miles down the road we’ve seen one last week close.’
He also voiced concerns about the ‘connectivity’ of the scheme, claiming it’s outside the city centre.
But concerns have been raised about the viability of the plan, with Tom Giffard, Tory Shadow Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport and member of the Welsh Parliament for South Wales West saying no clear business plan had been drawn up
The £4million funding is dependent on the £34million scheme being granted planning approval and work starting on site. Pictured is an impression of what the site could look like when built
‘It’s got great views but unless you’re driving there how do you get there,’ he added.
Skyline Enterprises has two outdoor adventure parks featuring cable car rides and other attractions and restaurants in New Zealand – ands luge parks in Canada, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia.
Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart said: ‘What’s being proposed by Skyline Enterprises for Kilvey Hill is a world-class leisure attraction for the people of Swansea and visitors to the city.
‘I’d like to reassure residents in communities close to the proposed development that no aspect of the scheme would pass over peoples’ homes.’
The funding is dependent on the £34million scheme being granted planning approval and work starting on site.
Skyline Enterprises chief executive Geoff McDonald said it was grateful to the Welsh Government for its support.
He said: ‘Ever since we first came to Wales in 2017 and mooted plans for Kilvey Hill, we have enjoyed an extremely positive relationship with them, and they have shown great enthusiasm for our vision which has a strong strategic alignment with their own tourism strategy.’
The Ebbw Vale lift was scrapped as part of a £6.6m of cost-cutting effort by Blaenau Gwent council.
The mechanical lift was built to help people walk 140ft up a steep hill to a town centre. It carries up to 22 passengers from Ebbw Vale town centre.
It was paid for with part of a £12m European Convergence Programme grant, a European Union programme for poorer areas.
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