Outdoor adrenaline activity venture Zip World has spoken about plans to build a new cable car attraction and electric bus network after securing over £6m in funding. The Conwy-based company has been allocated £6.2m in provisional funding, from the North Wales Growth Deal, subject to the approval of a business case.
The North Wales Growth Deal is a £240m fund jointly backed by Welsh and 海角视频 governments. If successful in its bid, Zip World said it will use the funding to “widen” its offering to tourists visiting north Wales all year round.
The company plans to use the capital to fund its ambitious ‘Responsible Adventure’ project over the next two years, a multi-element project proposal as part of a sustainable and eco-tourism packaging. It would see the development of a new sustainable cable car attraction and an electric bus network providing sustainable transport links between sites.
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Zip World, whose activities include the Velocity zipline at Penrhyn Quarry and Tower Coaster at the Tower Colliery site in the Cynon Valley, estimates the funding will boost the north Welsh economy by an additional £6.8m per year. Zip World chief commercial officer Andrew Hudson led the strategy behind the North Wales Growth Deal bid.
He said: “This funding will play a crucial role in transforming and widening our offering to tourists visiting North Wales all year round to help strengthen the region’s sustainable and thriving economy.
“Among the exciting new projects on the horizon is the creation of a cable car experience that will enable people of all abilities to enjoy the stunning North Wales landscape from an easily accessible view point.
“The project will also benefit local communities by creating more year-round job opportunities that reduces the dependency on peak holiday periods, and the new eBus network will help ease seasonality congestion in the area.”
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Zip World’s project is one of five in line for a multi-million pound funding boost as part of the North Wales Growth Deal. The other projects to receive provisional allocation of funding include the Kinmel Studios project by Stage Fifty (£6.8m), the Holyhead Hydrogen Hub project by Menter Môn (£3.8m), Deeside waste to fuel plant project by The Circular Economy (£6.4m), and the Wrexham Gateway project by Wrexham County Borough Council (£4.79m).
Subject to agreement of certain conditions, each project will now go on to develop an outline business case. The total investment of Growth Deal cash could be around £28m - which would be backed by millions of pounds more in private or other public sector investment.
Zip World’s head of projects for the North Wales Growth Deal bid Rhodri Owen said: “We are extremely honoured and excited that our new Responsible Adventure project is one of five to join the North Wales Growth Deal. The funding from the bid is an extremely positive next step towards us becoming a B Corp company, as well as helping us to build a more vibrant, sustainable, and resilient local economy.”
Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn, chair of the North Wales Ambition Board, said: “We are pleased to support the recommendation that these five exciting new projects can proceed to the next phase in order to secure Growth Deal funding.
“They are transformational projects which have the potential to be significant additions to the North Wales economy and to generate additional investment and employment opportunities in key sectors. They reflect our vision for innovative and sustainable economic prosperity through collaboration between public and private sectors."
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