What is the Wildfox Resort?

The resort will be the first of its kind in the UK and will offer an active and adrenaline-filled escape for all ages who wish to partake in a range of activities including mountain biking, canyoning, zip wires, downhilling, rock climbing and electric off-road experiences to name a few.  For those looking for a more relaxing experience or at the end of an action-packed day, the resort will offer a state-of-the-art spa experience as well as a selection of restaurants, bars and relaxation areas to unwind.  Guests will be able to choose between a range of lodge types and sizes or stay within the 100 bedroom hotel all set within this stunning Welsh valley with easy access to the motorway and rail networks.  Whether you’re a couple wanting to escape the daily grind or a family or group of friends looking for excitement, Wildfox Resort has plenty to offer.

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.

Is there any relationship with the former Northern Powerhouse organisation?

No, this is a new team, new companies, new finance, new leadership and operational team, with commitment to deliver and the experience and track record to regenerate the site and achieve positive outcomes on the ground. We have 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.

Where do 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 related to the sector across commercial, residential and retail. 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 head quartered in Cardiff. Pure’s core business model is to primarily focus on UK Real Estate and has extensive experience in the financing and delivery across a wide variety of projects and 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 new deal?

• Lord David Triesman

• Martin Bellamy

• Ben Lloyd

• Peter Moore OBE

How is planning going to be progressed?

We have brought onboard  additional capacity and a new Director of Sustainability  and Economic Development to work with the Council and stakeholders to secure the necessary consent to commence the project. The team have reviewed existing information and are recruiting additional key team members to ensure continuity and enable efficient mobilisation.

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

Wildfox Resorts is working with Octopus Real Estate to generate the funding required to develop and open the resort. 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? 

If you fill out and submit our contact form below a member of our team will respond to your query as quickly as possible. 

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Click here to be taken to the contact form.