Councillors at Merthyr Tydfil Council gave the final green light this week, clearing the way for what is being billed as the UK’s longest indoor snow centre on land to the south west of the A470/A4102 roundabout.

The Rhydycar West development will feature a 400m-long indoor ski slope, a tropical water park, indoor and outdoor activity centres, up to 418 hotel bedrooms, 30 woodland lodges and around 830 car parking spaces.

Developer Marvel said the centre will become the official training base for GB and Welsh Olympic and Paralympic snow sports teams, putting Merthyr Tydfil on the international winter sports map.

The proposals first emerged in 2017, with a planning application submitted in 2023.

When the scheme went before councillors in March 2025, members voted against officers’ recommendations to refuse consent on the former coal and ironstone mining land.

Following referral to the planning inspectorate, the Welsh Government confirmed in November 2025 it would not intervene, sending the application back to the council for a final decision yesterday.

Marvel said the centre would eclipse the current UK benchmark at Manchester’s Chill Factore, which has a 180m slope, and rank among the largest indoor snow centres globally.

The developer estimates the project will create around 1,500 construction jobs, with roughly 1,200 expected to be sourced locally, followed by around 800 permanent roles once operational.