Plans for Afan Valley Adventure Resort unveiled

Fresh plans for a £130m adventure park near Port Talbot have been unveiled.

Rock climbing, alpine and water sports would be on offer at the Afan Valley Adventure Resort in Croeserw along with a Bear Grylls Survival Academy, 600 holiday lodges and a hotel.

It will create the equivalent of nearly 700 full-time jobs when fully open, according to the proposals.

Neath Port Talbot councillors are expected to consider the project at a planning meeting in the new year.

A 325-acre (130 ha) former forestry plantation at Pen-y-Bryn has been earmarked for the resort, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The application says the scheme is "significantly more developed" than previously approved proposals for a leisure complex in the area, for which planning permission has lapsed.

Four activity zones - Alpine, Forest, X-Sports and Trails - would offer activities ranging from zip wires and paintballing to aqua-caving and white water rafting.

"The vision has been developed to take advantage of the stunning topography and wider landscape setting for the resort," it says.

It also claims a staff salary bill of just under £13m a year would boost the local and regional economy.

The company behind the scheme, Northern Powerhouse Developments, has Center Parcs UK founder Peter Moore on its board.

It owns a string of hotels and country houses, some of them in Conwy county and Pembrokeshire.

The outline planning application could be considered by the council's planning committee as early as 15 January.