Opening date announced for water park

A new water park is set to open this summer, despite concerns being raised for wildlife in the area.

The attraction will open at Cosmeston Country Park on 5 July, Vale of Glamorgan Council has announced, after it entered into an agreement with Aqua Park Group to trial a water park during the summer months.

Residents and councillors raised concerns about the plans, but council officials insisted conditions would be in place to protect wildlife and the attraction would be restricted to the eastern side of the lake.

The water park will be similar to the Aqua Park attraction which used to be at Cardiff Bay, featuring an assault course with inflatable equipment, slides and climbing frames.

The attraction was moved because water quality concerns left it "unable to operate" at the bay.

The council's director of place, Marcus Goldsworthy, said the decision to move the attraction presented an opportunity for the council to generate income for improving park facilities at Cosmeston, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, concerns about the impact it could have are ongoing, with a petition opposing the plans gaining 3,965 signatures so far.

At a scrutiny committee meeting in March, Conservative councillor Anthony Ernest said the more he heard about plans for the water park, the more concerned he grew about its potential impact.

Meanwhile, Elliot Penn, a Labour councillor, asked about water quality monitoring on site.

Mr Goldsworthy said the water at Cosmeston is tested twice a year to ensure quality is maintained and added the lake has been used for water-based activities in the past.

Vale of Glamorgan Council's cabinet member for sustainable places, Bronwen Brooks, said the water park would be a "great addition to the already fantastic offer at Cosmeston Country Park".

"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," she said.

At the end of September, the council will carry out an evaluation of the water park pilot and decide if it will go out to tender for someone to operate an attraction on the site next year.