Brits could soon skip Alps for £300,000,000 indoor ski runs in Wales

For ski lovers looking to dodge the snow-less slopes in the Alps, you might want to consider a holiday closer to home.

This is because plans have been submitted for a £300 million ‘world class’ ski resort south of the Brecon Beacons in Wales.

It would include an indoor ski slope built into the hills and a water park.

The Rhydycar West scheme in Merthyr Tydfil would create 500 jobs in an area with high unemployment and could be used by GB athletes to train for the Winter Olympics.

It is around a three-hour drive from both London and Birmingham and would include three hotels and 30 woodland lodges.

Chief operating officer Richard Arnold said plans for the 575-acre site are likely to be submitted later this month.

He said: ‘We wanted to get it in before Christmas so it would be a talking point. The legal review of the planning application showed no major issues, but there were small details that came up, so it has now been revised for the end of January.

‘We’re at a point now where 80% of all the aspects of planning are complete.’

The proposed 400m long indoor slope is being planned with winter sports experts.

Mr Arnold said: ‘We’ve collaborated with Snowsports Wales and Team GB is in favour of the project. It will be the longest in the UK and the objective is to make it the UK Centre of Snowsport Excellence because that’s where Team GB will bring their athletes in the summer months and [for] progressive training.

‘It will be approved by the Federation of International Skiing so there will be international competitions. There is a full-size board park inside it too. It’s a completely new ball game.

‘It’s conceivable – we like to think – that having these world-class facilities on the back door of Merthyr, it’s only a matter of years before somebody from Merthyr will be a winter sports medal winner.

‘We want to be a base camp for the uniqueness of the Welsh valleys area and there’s no better place. We want to create that guarantee that will make people want to come and engage and stay longer – many trips here are one day trips or short trips.

‘The real jobs are in the hands of local entrepreneurs to seize the opportunity and bring footfall into the town restaurants – we want the clientele to be roaming into the valleys having great accommodation. If the weather isn’t good, they’ve always got something to do.’

Once plans are submitted, it should take up to 16 weeks for Merthyr Tydfil County Council to reach its decision.

But the scheme could be called in by the Welsh Government who could take up to a year to give an approval.

If given the green light, the project is estimated to take two and a half years to complete.

However, the price for the resort has already doubled in price from an estimated £150 million to £300 million.

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