BLUESTONE has unveiled plans for its ‘groundbreaking’ SkyDome project which is expected to inject millions of pounds into the local economy.

A UK first, the £7million development will see a transparent canopy arched over a massive 7000 sqm area encompassing cafes, shops, activities and a 600-seat amphitheatre.

Expected to take around 15 months to build, it is anticipated that SkyDome will open to resort guests in spring 2019. Initially it will create 55 new jobs at the resort and will see around £3m spent within the local construction industry. It’s predicted that the new all-weather facility will herald the creation of an additional 300 jobs, taking the workforce at Bluestone to 1000 by 2020 .

With its sweeping, undulating landscape of natural grass, trees and ferns, SkyDome’s clear span roof would easily cover an area the size of a football pitch. The internal terrain will rise and fall in excess of ten metres which will give the space a genuinely organic atmosphere and a sense of being outside.

The concept was the brainchild of Bluestone’s CEO William McNamara, who wanted to create a landmark project for the resort offering quality holidays and short breaks whatever the weather.

“We’ve got lots of plans for the facilities within SkyDome which will take guests on a journey through its winding, gently sloping paths, to a choice of activities for all ages,” said Mr McNamara.

“Proposals include caving, a high ropes course, ‘free-range’ craft activities and an adventure play area.  The vision is to provide a spectacular undercover venue bringing the great outdoors indoors.

An additional £22m will be generated for the local economy over a ten year period which includes £3m spent with local contractors during the construction phase.”

SkyDome aims to continue Bluestone’s ecological ethos where the holiday resort has already seen more than 330,000 trees and shrubs planted since 2008, and the creation of two biomass energy centres, producing 7,000 mwh of carbon neutral energy per year.

The environment has been carefully designed to reflect its natural surroundings, drawing on expert advice from physicists and horticulturalists and as a result the area will not be heated, relying instead on solar gain for warmth, while still allowing indigenous plants and trees to grow and flourish. The dome itself, supplied by Novum structures, will cost more than £3m and will be made up of hundreds of ETFE (Ethylene Tetra Flouro Ethylene) roof panels, similar to those used on the resort’s water park.

Terry Morley, partner at Holder Mathias Architects said: “The SkyDome creates a 7000 sqm covered Leisure Attraction which is a unique project and one which we are delighted to be involved in. The use of an ETFE covering on such a scale and in a UK holiday resort environment is, we believe, groundbreaking and will make a significant contribution to further enhancing the attractiveness of the Bluestone offer.”

The project leaders have been working with horticulturalist Ivor Stokes who worked at Kew Gardens, and more recently at the National Botanical Garden of Wales as its Director of Horticulture.

Head of Projects Liz Weedon said: “Ivor’s knowledge and expertise has helped us devise the perfect environment to achieve our vision.”

Mrs Weedon added: “As the area is rain-free, water run-off from the SkyDome will be collected in what is essentially a French drain system and used to manually irrigate the plants and trees inside. We have worked carefully to create an area which is still a genuine Pembrokeshire climate; therefore the SkyDome’s edges will not be hermetically sealed. Instead a perimeter bund has been designed to provide additional shelter allowing guests to have a real authentic outdoor experience – indoors.”

Mr McNamara concluded: “At Bluestone, we know that families like to relax and engage with the natural environment when they are here and with almost ten years of feedback from our guests we know they are really inspired by the beautiful, natural landscape of Pembrokeshire; our new SkyDome is the perfect compromise between the great outdoors and a dry all weather family activity area.

“We see this as a massive boost to the tourism offering at Bluestone and for Pembrokeshire, providing all-year-round, all weather holidays.”