Aqua Park to be installed at a popular beauty spot despite opposition from more than 2,000 people
An inflatable water park is set to be installed at a popular beauty spot despite opposition from more than 2,000 people.
Vale of Glamorgan Council has approved the use of the eastern lake at Cosmeston Country Park, Penarth, to pilot the new Aqua Park attraction ahead of the school summer holidays.
It follows the announcement that Aqua Park Cardiff won't be re-opening this summer in Cardiff Bay due to poor water quality.
It is expected that the Aqua Park will open in its new location on Saturday 5th July 2025, and will remain open until mid-September. It will feature an inflatable obstacle course, including climbing walls, trampolines and giant slides.
Cllr Bronwen Brooks, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Places, said: 'The Aqua Park will be another great addition to the already fantastic offer at Cosmeston Country Park as the Council continues to promote sustainable tourism and leisure activities in the area.
'Consultation with residents through the Council's placemaking work has shown there is appetite locally - particularly among young people - for more varied leisure activities, and the re-introduction of water-based activities at Cosmeston will help us to ensure that our Country Parks are for everyone.
'Trying new things is at the heart of what we do as an ambitious Council, and this pilot could also enable further income opportunities for our Country Parks – especially in supporting the re-wilding and conservation work already underway at Cosmeston.
Locals previously raised concerns and started a Change.org petition.
Rachel Morgan, who started the petition, said: 'For years, Cosmeston Lake has been officially deemed unsafe for swimming, raising serious concerns over the safety measures underpinning the Aqua Park's proposal.
'Contained within this park are some of Penarth's most diverse and fragile ecosystems, home to numerous species of wildlife. The recent proposal to introduce an Aqua Park this coming summer poses a significant and direct threat to this refuge.'
Cosmeston Lake Country Park contains areas designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), protected by law against damage from development or damaging management practices due to the rare and diverse plants and animal species found there.
Home to swans, mallards and otters among other waterfowl, 25.6 hectares of the lake also hold SSSI status to protect the endangered starry stonewort plant.
And in 2019, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) completed a four-year reintroduction project of water voles to the lake, which are a protected species in the UK.
While the east side of the lake has been used in the past for water-based leisure activities such as boating, paddle boarding and canoeing, local residents fear that relocating the aqua park there will threaten public health, swimmer safety, as well as the wildlife and habitats in and around the lake.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council says it has worked with a number of partner agencies to ensure that the lake is safe for Aqua Park visitors to enjoy – including a detailed programme of water testing work - and there will be on-site security to reduce any opportunities for anti-social behaviour – including unauthorised camping, lighting of fires, vandalism, fly-tipping.
Connor James, founder of Aqua Park Cardiff, said: "The Country Park is a fantastic venue for our exciting watersport experience, perfect for supervised adventure and family fun. With an exciting new course of obstacles, we can't wait to welcome visitors to our incredible new home.
"We are also really excited to be playing our part in giving people and families much-needed access to active outdoor experience, in a controlled and supervised environment to help boost their physical and mental well-being.
"With household budgets likely to be limited again this year, we've got an amazing offer on our Aqua Park Season Passes, which means people can book up to twice a week for the whole summer giving families an easy and cost-effective way to keep the kids active throughout a staycation summer.'
All visitors to Aqua Park Cardiff will be provided buoyancy aids, but must be aged six and over, 1.2m tall and able to swim 25 metres unaided to take part.
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