People living around the Kilvey Hill area of Swansea have expressed their concerns about a high profile development being planned there, with many expressing their concerns that "part of their family" will be lost for good.
We reported in November how plans for the much-talked about cable cars attraction at the scenic Swansea location were gathering pace as site investigation were carried out over three weeks. The development led by New Zealand-based Skyline Enterprises is proposed to include a cable car and chair lift system, luge runs, a sky swing, walking trails, a zipline, and food and drink offerings. It would run to the top of Kilvey Hill from the area of the Hafod Morfa Copperworks.
Richard Williams was born on Kilvey Hill within the Grenfell Park estate, with his family keeping ponies in the 1970s. He moved away, then returned and bought 20 acres of land there on the St Thomas side of the hill, where he keeps animals, ponies and goats, some for himself, and some for other people. He decided to organise a protest against the plans for development on the hill before Christmas, something which was attended by more than 20 concerned residents.
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He said: "We were very lucky growing up to have the hill as our playground and we had no restrictions. It was very open, like a prairie. We had a smashing time when we were kids up there, just like many generations. It was as if we all owned it. I thought I'd organise a protest to air our concerns about the plans, and if there was a lot of people there, that we'd make a bit of a wave, and I think we did make a bit of a wave.
"The general concerns are loss of nature, loss of wildlife, loss of the hill as a place for solace for people to go and get some air, walk their dog, ride their horse. It's almost like part of our family, the hill, people are very attached to it, and I believe a lot of people around Swansea look upon that hill, having never been there, as an incredible haven for wildlife and haven for humanity around there.
"People have had it tough in the Eastside of Swansea over the last few hundred years, with the hill recovering from the industrial revolution, yet it was very used by people with small holdings, riding horses up there, it's still an outlet for people's frustrations. People can go up to the top of the hill, get some clean air, take a view over the city and pop back down a bit better than they were when they went up there.
"We all love the hill as our personal playground, and that comes over a bit selfish, but I think if this thing does go ahead, it's the beginning of a lot more concrete. People there were very much saying they were against any more nature being taken over for perceived profit or visitor numbers. The fact that the hill will change immensely, they fear that."
The planning application has not officially being lodged yet, but at that stage, it will give people opportunities to provide feedback on the scheme.
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