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Skyline Swansea planning history and build phases

How the Skyline Swansea gondola and luge on Kilvey Hill got planning permission, what the permission covers, and the five build phases Skyline has published. For dated construction news, see our Skyline Swansea timeline and latest updates.

Where things stand (checked 27 October 2026): planning permission was granted in March 2025 and building work is under way. Skyline says it expects to open in 2028: its timeline page says "mid-2028" and its FAQ says it is aiming for "late 2028". No exact date or ticket prices have been announced, so both are to be confirmed.

The planning application at a glance

Reference	2023/1748/FUL
Site	Land at Kilvey Hill and Landore Park and Ride Facility, Swansea
Received	16 August 2023, according to the council's planning portal. Skyline's own timeline says the application was submitted in November 2023. We don't know why the dates differ.
Planning committee	Tuesday 4 March 2025
Decision	Approved. Decision issued Friday 7 March 2025.

Sources: Swansea Council planning portal: 2023/1748/FUL, Skyline project timeline. Checked 27 October 2026.

What the permission covers

In plain English, the council's description of the approved plans includes (Swansea Council planning portal):

gondola stations and the gondola itself
a visitor building selling food and drink, with outdoor seating
luge tracks and a chairlift
a sky swing and a zipline
mountain bike trails and access routes
staff and maintenance buildings
reshaping the ground, landscaping and drainage works
a temporary construction access and site compound
road works and parking
demolition of the old Park & Ride terminal building

At the time of the vote, WalesOnline described the plans as two luge tracks and a linking track, and a zipline on a 1km loop. Skyline's website now says there will be three luge tracks when it opens, and that the zipline will be added after opening (WalesOnline, 4 March 2025, Skyline FAQ).

The planning committee meeting, 4 March 2025

These details are from WalesOnline's report of the meeting (WalesOnline, 4 March 2025):

The vote: 7 councillors in favour, 2 against and 1 abstention, after a long debate.
Letters: the application drew around 560 letters of objection and 40 letters of support.
Objectors' concerns: Kilvey Hill's "quiet area" designation, the visual impact, possible effects on private water supplies, more traffic, and how the consultation was run.
The officers' view: a planning officer report said the overall benefits would outweigh "significant harm arising from landscape and visual impacts". An officer told the meeting that public access would remain for the vast majority of the hill.
Visitor numbers: the applicant's planning agent estimated 450,000 or more visitors a year. This is the applicant's estimate, not an independent figure.

How the money has been reported

The figures have changed over time, so here they are with their dates:

March 2025: the Welsh Government had awarded a £4m subsidy, £1m of it repayable. The council was considering an investment of about £8m, which it expected to be repaid in full. Skyline's board had approved a budget of 78 million New Zealand dollars, which WalesOnline put at about £35m at the time (WalesOnline, 4 March 2025).
July 2026: WalesOnline reported that the council's share could be up to £10.2m, which it expects to be paid back (WalesOnline, July 2026). The BBC reported the project cost as £49m (BBC, 12 July 2026).
Skyline's own summary: most of the money is private investment by Skyline. The council and the Welsh Government are providing a grant and a repayable loan, released in stages as agreed milestones are met (Skyline FAQ).

Skyline's five build phases

This is how Skyline's project timeline page describes the phases, as it stood on 27 October 2026 (Skyline project timeline):

Phase 1: Planning and consent (complete)Skyline first visited in 2017, consulted the community in 2023, applied for planning permission in November 2023, and was approved by Swansea Council in March 2025.
Phase 2: Site enabling works (marked "current")Tree removal, temporary access routes and a site compound, and slope and ground surveys, all with an ecologist supervising. Public access to the hill is kept, but work areas are fenced and the public right of way is temporarily rerouted. The council is also changing roads, footpaths and bus stops around Landore Park & Ride.
Phase 3: Main construction (upcoming)The cable car, the luge tracks, food and drink, the adventure playground and the supporting infrastructure.
Phase 4: Ecological restoration and planting (upcoming)Tree and shrub planting, meadow seeding, wetland habitats created as part of the drainage system, and wider landscape work, during and after construction.
Phase 5: Opening and operations (future)Opening details to follow. Skyline says the attraction will create over 100 jobs.

Skyline's news page says construction got under way in May 2026, with luge earthworks and groundworks at Landore Park & Ride, even though the timeline page still marks Phase 2 as current (Skyline news, May 2026). Our Skyline Swansea page lists each dated step.

Promises about the environment

Skyline's FAQ says (Skyline FAQ, checked 27 October 2026):

every tree removed will be replaced with native broadleaf species, shrubs and grassland seeding, at least three new native plants for every one removed
the landscaping plans include more than 14,000 native shrubs, and hydroseeding has already started on finished areas
there is a 30-year plan to monitor biodiversity, with checks every 5 years
an ecologist from the firm EDP is supervising the works
flooding and drainage were assessed with Natural Resources Wales, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and the council's drainage team
the attraction will cover less than 9% of Kilvey Hill, which stays mostly green space
the works are on council-controlled land, with an agreement to lease it to Skyline, and the council checks that planning conditions are met

Not everyone agrees the benefits outweigh the harm. See the objections above, and our Skyline page for reported opposition from residents and campaign groups.

Sources for this page

Facts on this page last checked: 27 October 2026. Things change during construction, so check the linked sources before you set off.