A venture linked to one of the creators of the Eden Project could bring a significant new attraction to South Wales. The organisation behind the renowned botanical garden, which was established on a former clay extraction site, is backing proposals for an interactive museum-style development celebrating arts, crafts, science and technology. The initiative aims to combine education with entertainment while promoting collaboration on health, environmental and societal issues.
Documentation for the scheme, named Xanadoo, indicates a location in Torfaen could draw 600,000 visitors annually, alongside an extra 100,000 during its inaugural year, producing £15 million yearly income and providing employment for 250 full-time workers. The attraction would feature four principal components: a Gallery of Marvelous Solutions displaying items currently held in storage by institutions worldwide; a Trading Place marketplace offering sustenance, regional products and repair workshops; a Playground encompassing an oversized helter-skelter, vast labyrinth and life-sized snakes and ladders designed to restore visitors’ inventive thinking capabilities; and a Tomorrow’s World exhibition partnering with academic institutions, businesses and charitable organisations to present pioneering concepts through virtual and augmented reality technologies.
Gaynor Coley, who co-founded the Eden Project when it launched in 2000, stated the initiative would become a destination of international standing with substantial environmental and community benefits, generating £840 million in economic returns across three decades and sustaining in excess of 1,000 positions. While a potential venue near Pontypool appears to have been discarded, Coley and associate Susan Hill, both former Eden Project staff members, are evaluating locations throughout Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent, as well as Swansea, raising concerns that Gwent might miss out on anticipated advantages.
Their enterprise, Road to Happiness, previously collaborated with Torfaen Borough Council on revamping Greenmeadow Community Farm in Cwmbran, is holding conversations with the authority while Coley has called for anyone possessing suitable land to make contact. Coley, who hails from Cwmbran, expressed confidence that Welsh tourism deserves this opportunity and suggested Xanadoo could replicate for South Wales what the Eden Project achieved for Cornwall, having contributed £6 billion to the region and West Country, surpassing total European funding allocations. She indicated the venture would foster sustainable tourism while supporting hospitality, creative industries, narrative traditions, digital sectors and wellness initiatives.
The grade II-protected former Nylon Spinners Factory at Mamhilad Park had been under scrutiny but seems likely to be rejected as landowners plan residential development there, despite recent approval being quashed through legal proceedings. Coley emphasised her team’s continued flexibility regarding locations and intensive search across the three areas. The two Gwent authorities maintain a formal collaborative arrangement. Anyone believing they have an appropriate site has been urged to reach out. The scheme documentation acknowledges contributions from Torfaen Borough Council and the UK Government towards feasibility assessment, with projections grounded in 2023 research and a 2028 launch target. Beyond its role as a visitor destination, Xanadoo would also provide facilities for commercial and academic collaboration.
The proposal features prominently within a draft Torfaen visitor economy strategy document, which notes such a substantial attraction could fundamentally reshape the locality while serving as a significant draw for both Torfaen and South Wales. When elected members examined the tourism strategy, Reform UK councillor Alan Slade for Llantarnam sought clarification regarding the initiative. Council deputy chief executive Dave Leech responded that specifics could not be disclosed due to commercial confidentiality but characterised the venture as a potential tourism offering at an extremely preliminary phase with locations within the borough under review.