An old quarry near Newport has just been bought for £1.5m and the new owner wants to create a holiday park with luxury eco lodges.
Penrhos Quarry in Caerleon in the Usk Valley, is reported to have been in operation from the end of World War II but has been silent and unused since its closure in the 1970s.
But in December 2019 planning was granted by Newport County Council for a change of use at the 35-acre site.
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The planning consent, granted with conditions, was described as ' a change of use of part of the disused quarry to holiday park, including the siting of holiday lodges and pods, with improved access, parking facilities and maintenance building'.
The applicant with the initial holiday lodge vision was entrepreneur James Norvill.
According to the planning application, he saw the site as appealing to families and couples, "with an emphasis on quiet enjoyment of rural surroundings" on a site with a diverse range of wildlife whilst offering a well located base to explore the tourist attractions and landscape of the area.
Now a new owner of the quarry has been announced who intends to realise Norvill's dream of luxury lodges and glamping pods coming to the site.
The land has been bought for £1.5m by the Actually Group, a UK hospitality and leisure developer who specialises in low-carbon and environmentally sensitive holiday developments.
The company was attracted to the sale by its location on the banks of Afon Lwyd, in the historic town of Caerleon, near Newport, and adjacent to the new National Cycle Route 88, which follows a traffic-free riverside trail to Newport city centre.
The site was also seen to be ideally located for guests to explore Cardiff and Newport and beyond, plus all the stunning areas of Wales that surrounds it, including Vale of Usk, the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the Brecon Beacons National Park.
The site was sold with planning permission for four holiday lodges and 24 holiday pods, and CGIs released by the company give a good idea of the high standard of luxury the lodges can offer paying guests.
The Actually Group says it will now invest £3m to transform it into an upmarket holiday lodge destination, and work will get underway in the coming months.
The plan is that the site will welcome its first guests in late summer to early autumn 2022.
Andy Sutton, CEO of the Actually Group, says: "We are delighted to be welcoming the Penrhos Quarry site to the Actually Group portfolio.
"We look forward to creating a sustainable site which will complement its beautiful natural setting and inspire more visitors to come and explore this uniquely beautiful part of Wales."
Actually Group recently acquired Preseli Lodges and Garden Rooms, one of the UK's leading lodge manufacturers, based in Whitland, Pembrokeshire.
The manufacturer, which has re-branded as Actually Lodges since it was purchased by the Actually Group, will supply the ultra-low-carbon sustainable luxury lodges and pods for the Penrhos Quarry development.
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