Aqua Park to be installed at a popular beauty spot despite opposition from more than 2,000 people
An inflatable water park is set to be installed at a popular beauty spot despite opposition from more than 2,000 people.
Vale of Glamorgan Council has approved the use of the eastern lake at Cosmeston Country Park, Penarth, to pilot the new Aqua Park attraction ahead of the school summer holidays.
It follows the announcement that Aqua Park Cardiff won't be re-opening this summer in Cardiff Bay due to poor water quality.
It is expected that the Aqua Park will open in its new location on Saturday 5th July 2025, and will remain open until mid-September. It will feature an inflatable obstacle course, including climbing walls, trampolines and giant slides.
Cllr Bronwen Brooks, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Places, said: 'The Aqua Park will be another great addition to the already fantastic offer at Cosmeston Country Park as the Council continues to promote sustainable tourism and leisure activities in the area.
'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.
'Trying new things is at the heart of what we do as an ambitious Council, and this pilot could also enable further income opportunities for our Country Parks – especially in supporting the re-wilding and conservation work already underway at Cosmeston.
Locals previously raised concerns and started a Change.org petition.
Rachel Morgan, who started the petition, said: 'For years, Cosmeston Lake has been officially deemed unsafe for swimming, raising serious concerns over the safety measures underpinning the Aqua Park's proposal.
'Contained within this park are some of Penarth's most diverse and fragile ecosystems, home to numerous species of wildlife. The recent proposal to introduce an Aqua Park this coming summer poses a significant and direct threat to this refuge.'
Cosmeston Lake Country Park contains areas designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), protected by law against damage from development or damaging management practices due to the rare and diverse plants and animal species found there.
Home to swans, mallards and otters among other waterfowl, 25.6 hectares of the lake also hold SSSI status to protect the endangered starry stonewort plant.
And in 2019, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) completed a four-year reintroduction project of water voles to the lake, which are a protected species in the UK.
While the east side of the lake has been used in the past for water-based leisure activities such as boating, paddle boarding and canoeing, local residents fear that relocating the aqua park there will threaten public health, swimmer safety, as well as the wildlife and habitats in and around the lake.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council says it has worked with a number of partner agencies to ensure that the lake is safe for Aqua Park visitors to enjoy – including a detailed programme of water testing work - and there will be on-site security to reduce any opportunities for anti-social behaviour – including unauthorised camping, lighting of fires, vandalism, fly-tipping.
Connor James, founder of Aqua Park Cardiff, said: "The Country Park is a fantastic venue for our exciting watersport experience, perfect for supervised adventure and family fun. With an exciting new course of obstacles, we can't wait to welcome visitors to our incredible new home.
"We are also really excited to be playing our part in giving people and families much-needed access to active outdoor experience, in a controlled and supervised environment to help boost their physical and mental well-being.
"With household budgets likely to be limited again this year, we've got an amazing offer on our Aqua Park Season Passes, which means people can book up to twice a week for the whole summer giving families an easy and cost-effective way to keep the kids active throughout a staycation summer.'
All visitors to Aqua Park Cardiff will be provided buoyancy aids, but must be aged six and over, 1.2m tall and able to swim 25 metres unaided to take part.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Tributes after long-serving councillor dies aged 79
Books of condolence have been set up at the council offices in Barrhead Main Street and at Eastwood HQ for members of the public to pay their respects. Betty was first elected in 1999 and was Provost of East Renfrewshire Council from 2003 to 2007. She received an OBE from the Queen in the New Year's Honours List of 2011 for services to East Renfrewshire and Malawi. She had first travelled to the African country in 2007 and set up a charity - the Betty Cunningham International Trust - which built a health clinic and nursery schools. READ MORE: Council Leader Owen O'Donnell, who signed the book of condolence at the Council's Eastwood HQ, said: "Betty's passing has left me with a great sense of grief and sorrow which will be shared by the wider Labour family, council staff and colleagues, the many lives she touched in Barrhead and East Renfrewshire and much further afield in her beloved Malawi. This all still feels so raw and a time of personal grieving. We will have time in the days and weeks ahead to more fully celebrate her life together. "Social justice and the sense of what is right and wrong was ingrained in Betty's DNA. She was a ferocious fighter for the people of Barrhead and beyond and would leave then Prime Minister Tony Blair and First Minister Jack McConnell trembling in her wake! She had the biggest heart but was also great fun and someone you wanted to spend time with. "Betty was no prouder than when she received the Lifetime Legend award at the LGIU awards last year. This was a fitting award and well-deserved tribute to mark her career. "My thoughts and prayers remain with her family at this time who graciously welcomed me into their home so I could say my final goodbyes in the hours before Betty passed away. Betty will remain an inspiration for us all." Steven Quinn, Chief Executive of East Renfrewshire Council, said: "As a new chief executive spending time with Betty as she took me around Barrhead (or Borrheid as I was often corrected), it was incredible to witness at first hand her passion and dedication for her community and the work she had done to support so many people. Betty was always thinking of others and took a special interest in helping people who were facing challenges in their lives. "It was a privilege to get to know and work with Betty. Her death is a massive loss to her community and to East Renfrewshire Council. My thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time."
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire councils crackdown on dog fouling
Two councils have set up schemes to clamp down on dog owners not cleaning up after their Riding of Yorkshire Council said it was stepping up efforts to tackle dog fouling and has urged people to send in doorbell videos or CCTV footage of incidents in order to issue East Lincolnshire Council said it had issued nearly 300 fines between September 2023 and August 2024 for dog-related offences including pet owners leaving dog said it would be rewarding those who pick up mess left by their pooch through a new scheme. Dog mess can pass on a disease called neosporosis which can affect other animals, like cattle. It can also cause infections in humans. Lyn Healing, an East Riding of Yorkshire councillor, said everyone needed to play a part in helping to keep areas clean. "We know that many dog owners are responsible and conscientious members of their communities, but there are a minority responsible for antisocial behaviour and unsanitary conditions," she said."We highly encourage everyone to play their part in helping to keep their areas clean and to use technology such as doorbell cameras to assist the council in its work in tackling dog fouling offences."Anyone with evidence of dog fouling incidents have been advised to get in touch with the council. A total of 284 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) of £100 have been issued by North East Lincolnshire Council for dog-related offences including "having no means to pick up, dogs not on leads and dog fouling".The authority said offenders could be prosecuted and face up to £1000 fine if they fail to has started a "responsible dog ownership" initiative to recognise those who clean up after their pets, with people being offered the opportunity to enter a prize draw as part of the Shepherd, a North East Lincolnshire councillor, said: "Whilst there are rules that need to be enforced, it's important we reward the people who are acting in the appropriate manner." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
Warning issued over return of venomous weever fish lurking under sand on British beaches
UK beachgoers have been warned to watch where they stand as venomous fish could be lurking in the shallows. Weevers are one of the only venomous fish in UK waters. Spending much of their lives buried under the sand, they shoot up their black dorsal fin in defence when disturbed, which injects painful venom into unsuspecting victims. East Riding of Yorkshire Council is in the process of putting up warning signs, urging bathers not to walk barefoot on the sands during weever season, which starts in June when the weather becomes warmer. A spokesperson said: 'We are currently putting up posters on noticeboards and sending out social media messages to warn people about the possible risks of stings from weever fish on our beaches. 'We are urging people to please not walk barefoot on the sands during the weever fish season, just in case.' Weevers can be found near any coastline around the UK, according to the Wildlife Trust. The Trust says on its website that to avoid being stung: 'You should always wear beach shoes when paddling in sandy waters! Always follow the Seashore Code when rockpooling, be careful to leave everything as you found it - replace any rocks you turn over, put back any crabs or fish and ensure not to scrape anything off its rocky home.' British Marine Life Study Society said 'the pain is usually described as excruciating as the spines embed into the human flesh and discharge their venom', according to its website. The pain is at its most intense for the first two hours after contact, when the area can get red and swollen, the society added. The Wildlife Trust advises people who are stung to place the affected body part in 'as hot water as you can bear, as quickly as possible. After 15 minutes or so, the pain should ease.' NHS advice says victims should pour salt water over the affected area, rather than fresh water, and remove any visible tentacles by pulling them out, using tweezers or the edge of a bank card.
