First look at plans for new £300 million theme park in UK

A new £300 million theme park has been proposed right here in the UK.

Prepare to add this to your travel list:

Covid may be slowly fizzling out - bar some unlucky people getting it over Christmas just when they thought three times was enough - and some people may prefer to jet off out of the UK on holiday, but the pandemic has resulted in many people discovering a new-found respect for the treasures which lie on this very island.

And soon, there could be one more location to add to your UK travel list.

Plans have been put forward for a £300 million 'world class sport and leisure resort' tucked away in the valleys.

Rhydycar West

You may associate South Wales with rolling hills and frolicking lambs but if planning permission goes through you could soon find yourself driving off for an action-packed adventure holiday at Rhydycar West - which is hoping to be built in the Valley opposite the town of Merthyr Tydfil between Cardiff and the Brecon Beacons.

The website for the theme park explains: "The resort is anchored around key elements including the UK’s longest Indoor Snow Centre, a Tropical Waterpark, an Indoor and Outdoor Adventure Centre, plus a range of Hotel offerings and Woodland Lodges."

The £300 million resort will have something for everyone too - if sport isn't really your thing, you can kick back and relax in a luxury spa.

Rhydycar West

Not wanting to put other companies in the area out of business, the plans for the resort state it will 'complement and enhance the existing sport, leisure and tourism offer currently thriving in the South Wales Valleys and Brecon Beacons such as BikePark Wales and Zip World'.

Moreover, it doesn't seek to disrupt the natural beauty of the surrounding area or 'local and regional economy, ecology, history and heritage' - all aspects of which the plans state have been 'carefully considered' over 'several years'.

It reassures: "The leisure resort development accords well with the Local Development Plan, Future Wales: The National Plan 2040 and Planning Policy Wales. Legislative requirements of the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, the Socio-economic Duty in force in Wales by virtue of the Equality Act 2010, and the s28G duty under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 are met."

Rhydycar West

The theme park won't just appeal to tourists and locals either, as it's also set to be 'the home and national training headquarters of the Welsh and UK national, Olympic and Paralympic teams' - if planning goes ahead of course.

The plan is set to be submitted by Marvel Ltd to the local planning authority Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and the draft planning application submission can be viewed on the theme park's website.

The plan addresses the effect the park would have on factors such as: Air quality, archaeological and heritage impact, ecological impact, flood consequence and noise.

Rhydycar encourages people to complete its public survey to show the plan their support but to also express any concerns they may have about the theme park.