What is Wildfox Resort Afan Valley ?

Wildfox Afan Valley will offer an adventure-filled escape for all ages who wish to take part in a range of activities including mountain biking, walking and cycling trails, canyoning, zip wires,  climbing, bouldering, family adventure pool and electric off-road experiences to name a few.  For those looking for a more relaxing stay or some well-deserved rest and recovery, the resort will offer a unique spa as well as a selection of restaurants and bars that champion regional produce. 

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Guests will be able to choose between a range of high-quality lodges or stay within the bespoke 100-bedroom hotel and our Wildfox apartments, all set within the stunning Welsh valley with easy access to the motorway and rail networks.  
Whether you’re a couple wanting to escape the daily grind, a family seeking adventure or a group of friends looking to create memories, a Wildfox Resort is the place for you
 

What attracted Salamanca Group to this project?

Salamanca Group identifies complex regeneration projects with the potential to integrate their real estate, planning and financial experience with a focus on environmental and social governance:  driving a new era of cleaner, greener investment, creating genuine social value in host communities. 

When will it be open?

The Afan Valley resort is a hugely ambitious endeavour – with the potential to be the largest regeneration project ever undertaken in Wales. This level of scale takes time, but we aim to open the resort in 2025. This will require a monumental effort by all parties and we are looking forward to the challenge.

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It would be fantastic to get the resort open in Q4 2024/Q1 2025 and we are fully resourced and committed to delivering on programme. There is a tremendous amount of ground to cover and we are working closely and collaboratively with Local Authority ecologists, landscape consultants, arboriculturists and planners, as well as Natural Resources Wales and a multitude of experienced architects, engineers and lifestyle and leisure consultants.

Is there any relationship with the former Northern Powerhouse organisation?

No. This is a new team, a new company with new finance and new leadership and operational team, with the experience, track record and commitment to regenerate the site and achieve positive outcomes on the ground. We have in some instances retained certain specialists that we believe add value and ensure the continuity of the project. However, these are not connected to the former owners of the Northern Powerhouse Group.

How will the environmental issues be considered?

The outline planning permission sensitively considers the environment and how the site can be regenerated and enhanced sustainably. As we work through detailed design we are looking for opportunities to strengthen and improve the local environment at all times.

What benefits are there for the local community?

Wildfox Resorts selects its sites for future resorts based in part on the economic development that the location holds for the local community. Ensuring the local community is informed and engaged in the development is essential to its delivery, and ensuring the local region benefits from each of our resorts is central to our goals. More specifically, we have established a Business and Skills Charter to maximise benefits to local communities and businesses. This charter aims to give residents the opportunity to secure employment and training at the resort, plus through the wider supply chain.

Where can local businesses register their interest?

We have created a dedicated form for local businesses to register their interest in Wildfox Resorts.

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Click here to access the Wildfox 'Local Business' form.

How can I subscribe to receive email updates from Wildfox Resorts?

Click here to subscribe to the Wildfox Resorts newsletter.

What key companies are behind the Wildfox Resort?

Salamanca Group is a privately-owned Merchant Banking business with a background of co-investing in real estate projects globally.  The Group has transacted over $1billion of real estate assets since its inception in 2002.

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Operating across the globe, the Group purchases land, develops sites and buys businesses across commercial, residential and retail sectors. Importantly, the Group has an ‘owner, operator and maintainer’ structure to ensure value add to all investment projects.

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Pure Advisory Group is a multi-skillset financial services business headquartered in Cardiff. Pure’s core business model is to primarily focus on UK Real Estate and has extensive experience in the financing and delivery of a wide variety of projects across multiple sectors.

What is their track record of delivery?

Salamanca Group has delivered projects across the globe.  Examples include;

• Bulgaria Mall -  One of the largest mixed-use property projects in Bulgaria, 50,000 meters of retail and office space  that was let to  a number of international tenants including Debenhams, Guess and H&M.

• One Ocean Port Vell - Salamanca Group delivered a 5-year transformation programme to create one of the largest superyacht destinations in the Mediterranean.

• Gravity Smart Campus - Owner of a 616 acre site in the South West of England in Somerset, creating the UK’s first smart campus, comprising 1.1million square metres of commercial floorspace and up to 750 homes, to attract international business and enable 7,500 jobs.

Who are the key people behind the project?

• Lord David Triesman

• Martin Bellamy

• Benjamin Lloyd

• Claire Pearce

• Peter Moore OBE

How is planning going to be progressed?

We have brought onboard additional capacity and a Director of Sustainability and Economic Development, highly skilled in delivering major projects who will work with the Council and stakeholders to discharge all reserved matters pursuant to the recent planning approval. The team has been reviewed existing information and will recruit additional key team members to ensure continuity and enable efficient mobilisation.

Is there finance available to implement the project and where is it from?

Full funding to deliver the next phase of the resort has been secured from Octopus Real Estate. This will enable us to immediately progress with reserved matters.

Like Salamanca Group and Pure Advisory, Octopus Real Estate has ambitions to establish a new holiday destination that promotes Welsh tourism, whilst creating genuine social value by offering employment benefits and training to local communities, as well as opening up new opportunities for local business.

Where can I view key documents relating to Wildfox Resorts

The Wildfox Resorts team has created a dedicated page to house all the key project documentation. As the project progresses more documents will become available to view and download.

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Click here to visit our Key Documents page.

Where can I ask specific questions? 

Complete and submit our online contact form below a member of our team will respond to your query as quickly as possible.

Click here to access the contact form.

Where can I leave feedback on my website experience?

Wildfox Resorts is committed to providing its website visitors with a positive experience, Click here to leave us anonymised feedback on how to improve our web offering.