Opening date for new North Wales water park as summer arrives

A new aqua park has announced its updated opening date as summer arrives in North Wales. Sblash was given the green light by planners at Conwy council.

Owners James and Debbie McAllister are transforming Graiglwyd Springs Fishery in Penmaenmawr into an inflatable water attraction. They say it will create jobs, attract visitors, and boost the economy in the town. It will employ up to seven additional staff from May to October each year.

Staff training is currently underway and today they announced a planned opening date. They said it will open to the public on May 24 - just ahead of the school half term.

Read more: The 20 cheapest and most expensive places to live in Wales

Read more: Wales tourism tax: What we know so far about visitor levy, from when it's coming in to who will pay

The wild water adventure will include the towering 3.8m Mount Rainier, exhilarating slides and a range of obstacles, floating trampolines, a freefall experience and the Waverider. Proposals for the seven-acre site also included parking, changing facilities, hot and cold drinks, snacks, and ice cream. Each customer will be kitted out with a wet suit and buoyancy aid before taking on the course.

"The fishery continues to be successful, but we wanted to make this site a more sustainable year-round enterprise, which is why we have diversified," said James.

"Sblash will be perfect for families, school groups, parties, team building, and anyone wanting to get active and have fun! We already attract people from all over the UK and this will give us another USP to create a buzz in the area."

He added: "Importantly for us, we want to contribute to the local economy for 12 months of the year, creating jobs and capitalising on our surroundings in a sustainable, responsible manner. The aqua park allows us to do that, and by training our lifeguards with RLSS qualifications and keeping the capacity low to ensure a high-quality and safe experience for visitors, we have the peace of mind everyone will leave here having had a brilliant time.

"We are thankful to Business Wales for its support and to the amazing community here in Penmaenmawr; we look forward to opening very soon."

Debbie says residents and business owners have been "hugely supportive" and the knock-on effect will be very positive for the town. "We will be helping to be promote Penmaenmawr as a tourist destination, with its beautiful beaches, cafes and other activities in addition to what we are doing with Sblash," she said.

North Wales Tourism CEO Jim Jones said: "I have every confidence that this new venture will not only succeed but also become a popular tourist attraction for both locals and visitors alike."

The existing fly-fishing business will be open from October for the remaining months of the year as it is seasonal, and future proposals for the park include glamping pods and cold-water therapy retreats.

Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community

See the news in your area: