SWANSEA: Construction begins on Skyline Swansea — the £49m cable car and luge attraction that’s been years in the making

After years of planning, consultation, debate and controversy, Skyline Swansea is finally being built.

Earthworks have begun on Kilvey Hill to prepare the site for the downhill karting luge tracks — clearing and shaping the land while creating sustainable drainage systems to manage stormwater and support biodiversity.

At the Landore Park and Ride, groundworks are getting under way to prepare the site for the cable car system itself. For anyone who has watched this project develop over the years, the sight of machinery on the hill will feel significant.

When complete, Skyline Swansea will be a £49m adventure tourism destination featuring an accessible cable car, downhill luge rides, a free children’s adventure playground, a sky swing and food and drink facilities — all with sweeping views across Swansea Bay and beyond.

It will be Skyline Enterprises’ first site in the UK and Europe, joining its international portfolio of destinations across New Zealand, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Canada.

Geoff McDonald, Chief Executive of Skyline Enterprises, said: “With early preparation works now complete, people will soon begin to see real progress as we move into construction. We’re proud to be bringing our first UK site to Swansea and to be working with local partners to deliver something truly unique for the city and the region.”

Construction is expected to continue for the next two years, with the attraction scheduled to open in 2028.

The Landore Park and Ride will remain open during the works, though the number of available spaces will reduce. Penderyn Distillery, which operates a visitor centre at the nearby Morfa Copperworks site, will also remain open. Additional fencing will be installed to ensure the safety of workers, hill users and visitors to both sites.

Public access to Kilvey Hill will be maintained throughout, with temporary diversions and signage near active work areas. All existing public access routes will be kept open and new trails created as part of the project.

The Landore Park and Ride’s role as the cable car basecamp is significant — and directly feeds into plans being developed to relocate the Park and Ride to a new site on Alamein Road, just across from the Swansea.com Stadium, once the Skyline basecamp is established.

On ecology — one of the most contentious issues raised by those who opposed the scheme — McDonald was direct. “Our focus remains on delivering something of lasting value for Swansea — from the jobs and skills this project will create, to the biodiversity outcomes we are committed to delivering for Kilvey Hill,” he said.

Trees and vegetation will be replaced at a ratio of at least 3:1, with native broadleaf species including field maple, alder, silver birch, beech, Scots pine, sessile oak and wild cherry planted alongside more than 14,000 native shrubs, new meadow and grassland seeding, and sustainable drainage planting. The work will be overseen by certified ecologists.

That commitment comes in the context of sustained opposition from a small but vocal campaign group who raised concerns about the ecological impact of development on the hill throughout the planning process. Police warned protesters that action would follow as demonstrations continued at the site, and the Green Man sculpture on Kilvey Hill became a symbol of that campaign as work began to transform the face of the hill.

Those concerns haven’t gone away — but the project has cleared the planning process and construction is now a reality.

For Swansea, the arrival of an attraction of this scale is a big deal. Reports have suggested the project could deliver significant economic benefits for the city, and it forms part of a wider transformation of the stadium district that also includes Swansea City’s proposed fan zone, the Penderyn visitor centre at the copperworks, and a new riverside walking and cycling path.

Our Skyline Swansea coverage

Council approves plan for Skyline development
The moment planning consent was granted — and what it means for Kilvey Hill.

Police warn protesters as demonstration continues over Skyline development
The opposition that accompanied the project throughout its planning stages.

New report reveals Skyline’s potential economic impact to Swansea
The case made for why this project matters to the city’s economy.

Landore Park and Ride set to move across the road to Alamein Road
How the Park and Ride is being relocated to make way for the Skyline basecamp.

Council approves plan for Skyline development

The New Zealand-based leisure operator can now press ahead with it’s plans for Kilvey Hill that include an accessible gondola (cable car), downhill karting known as the Luge, a zipline, a sky swing, a restaurant and bar, enhanced walking and mountain bike trails, picnicking areas and a children’s adventure play park.

Danny Luke, Chief Operating Officer at Skyline Enterprises, said: “We are delighted that Swansea Council’s planning committee has agreed to our proposal for Skyline Swansea, as this decision marks a vital step in the development process. We have a successful track record of delivering accessible tourism destinations across the world, and our new leisure destination at Kilvey Hill would be our first European attraction and our ninth site globally. Our Swansea site would join the Skyline portfolio of much-loved, family friendly sites across Asia, North America and Oceania. 

“Ultimately, Skyline is all about bringing accessible fun to families across the world. We look forward to working closely with Swansea Council – and continuing to collaborate with partners and local community groups – as we deliver Skyline Swansea: an accessible adventure destination which welcomes tourists and locals alike, providing a boost to this wonderful city.” 

The scheme has drawn a mix of opinions from the public, both for and against the scheme.

A group of around 50 objectors gathered outside Swansea’s Guildhall today (Tuesday 4 March) where the planning committee met to determine the application.

Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the Open Spaces Society, one of the objectors, said: “We are dismayed that Swansea Council is forging ahead in the face of so many objections.  It knows that the development will destroy the unique countryside of Kilvey Hill, so loved by the community, yet it proposes to trash it with an ugly megadevelopment.

“The council doesn’t seem to realise that Kilvey Hill already attracts visitors who are drawn to its open space, sea views, woodland, and peaceful natural charm.  Arguably, Wales’s best tourist feature is its natural beauty.  The attractiveness of Kilvey Hill to Swansea’s residents and visitors will be lost by building this noisy, ugly monstrosity.”

In response, Skyline say that all current footpaths and access points to the Hill would remain, with free and unhindered access continuing for those who use the Hill for recreation. 

It says that the development is planned to be built with sustainably-sourced materials, using local suppliers as much as possible and include plans to work with local training providers as well as further and higher education facilities to provide training schemes and employment for local people.  

Skyline add that the plans feature ecological conservation strategies to ensure net-positive impact on biodiversity at the site. This includes extensive ecological studies and mitigation procedures, lighting schemes, tree planting, wildflower and grassland planting, sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), and habitat protection measures, proposals which have been designed in collaboration with the Environmental Dimension Partnership (EDP) to ensure compliance with Natural Resources Wales requirements.  

A Swansea Council spokesperson said: “We welcome the decision of the planning committee on this exciting development and now await a project programme from Skyline that will detail the timeframe of construction.

“Skyline say the project is anticipated to create 100 local jobs within 12 months of being operational and expects 450 jobs to be created during construction.

“They also say the scheme is anticipated to be worth £84m to Swansea’s economy over 15 years and that around 450,000 visitors are expected within its first full year.”

(Lead image: Skyline)

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