Council Leader welcomes planning milestone for £250m Afan Valley Wildfox Adventure Resort

PLANS for a £250m adventure resort in Port Talbot’s Afan Valley with a 50-bed hotel, spa, restaurant, viewing area, 570 lodges and biking and walking trails have taken a major step forward.

On Tuesday (November 8th), members of Neath Port Talbot Council’s Planning Committee, which has already granted the project outline planning permission, approved a reserved matters application from developers Wildfox Resorts Afan Valley Ltd.
The reserved matters involve outstanding details not covered in the original outline planning application including those relating to access, layout, landscaping, scale and appearance.

The committee also approved a discharge of conditions application from Wildfox meaning the developers have detailed how they will meet planning conditions so work can start on the Afan Valley project. It will be the first of a series of new Wildfox resorts across the UK. Wildfox Resorts Chief Executive Martin Bellamy, in addressing the committee, said when completed, the resort would create 1,000 jobs.

Afterwards, Mr Bellamy added:

“These consents mark a key milestone in project development and demonstrate our commitment to delivery. I am delighted to be working with Neath Port Talbot Council on the first of a new generation of UK adventure resorts, born and based in Wales.”
The Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, Cllr Stephen Hunt said: “This is a transformational project for the Afan Valley and this region as a whole as it will provide a large number of jobs in the construction phase and when it is finished local people will have many jobs available to them. “It promises to make the Afan Valley the go-to place for adventure tourists and will also have a spa and wellness offering with many spin-off benefits for Neath Port Talbot.”

Cllr Alun Llewelyn, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Deputy Leader, said:

“Neath Port Talbot Council has a commitment to regenerating our valleys and this will be huge investment in the Afan Valley.”
Claire Pearce, Director of Sustainability and Economic Development at Wildfox Resorts said: “From the outset, we have been committed to working closely with Neath Port Talbot Council to drive local regeneration
in the Afan Valley, creating new opportunities for individuals and families. “The team at Wildfox Resorts is now preparing for the next stage of project development and will continue to put people and planet first by proactively engaging with local businesses and communities and potential partner organisations to restore and revitalise the area.”

An officers’ report to the committee said the Wildfox Resort, on 132 acres of land at Pen y Bryn, close to Croeserw and Cymmer, offered ‘significant economic benefits’ to the area.

The report added:

“The proposal represents an appropriate form of development that would have no unacceptable impact on visual amenity
and the character of the area as a whole, highway and pedestrian safety, residential amenity, pollution and biodiversity.”
Over the winter months when site conditions are challenging, the delivery team will continue to refine the resort design and finalise a procurement and construction programme, ahead of site preparation in Spring 2023.