Multi-million pound plans to redevelop the Elan Valley Visitor Centre have been submitted

Multi-million pound plans to redevelop the Elan Valley Visitor Centre - the lead project of the Mid Wales Growth Deal – have been submitted.

With an expanded café incorporating a training kitchen and an external grab and go area and external servery, a planetarium experience to enhance the Dark Skies Park status and a larger retail and foyer area – the aim is to turn the centre into a flagship visitor destination.

The plans include the up-grading of the existing facilities and infrastructure, providing new amenities, services and experiences for public enjoyment.

The application by Welsh Water said the current visitor centre has a number of challenges including under capacity at park times, stressed infrastructure and services, maintenance and operational efficiency issued and limited visitor content program and amenities.

The Elan Valley covers 70 square miles of lakes, countryside and it is owned by Welsh Water.

Each year the Elan Valley Lakes welcome around half a million visitors and there are four dams on the Elan River – Craig Goch, Pen Y Garreg, Garreg Ddu and Caban Coch as well as Claerwen Dam the newest and largest and the unfinished Dol Y Mynach.

The visitor centre was converted in 1985 and extended in the 1990’s and it currently includes a reception/foyer, café and shop, exhibition and meeting rooms, conference hire, staff facilities, picnic sites, toilets, parking for cars, coaches and bikes, an adventure playground and interpretative landscape, walking and bike trails, a bike hub and bike hire.

The plans aim to remodel the small exhibition space to create a multi-media exhiboition.

As a Dark Skies Park there is an opportunity to include a year-round planetarium experience with a presentation to tell the story of the night sky.

A newly expanded café seating 100 instead of 60 would have views of the river, forest, dam and relocated playground, with direct access to an external terrace with a dam view lawn and river terrace.

The main kitchen would incorporate a training kitchen for apprentices and external servery protected from the wind to serve visitors enjoying the outside space and it could incorporate a grab and go offer.

The plans say the current café and kitchen should be repurposed as the shop as the existing large windows would create a stunning panoramic backdrop of the river and ancient Celtic Rainforest.

The Planetarium with space for about 38 people would deliver presentations related to the universe, solar system, astronomy, space travel and cosmic events with special events to coincide with eclipses, cosmic phenomenon, moon landings etc.

The exhibition hall would be increase from35 metres2 to 190 metres square and include new interpretation mediums including an audio visual booth.

The applicant states: “The Elan Valley Visitor Centre should be a nexus to introduce, connect and act as the place which visitors journey to and/or return from exploring the 70 square miles of dams, reservoirs, Dark Skies and unique Welsh landscapes that comprise the Elan Valley lakes.”

The aim is to provide visitors with a range of sensorial experiences including learning and discovery, aesthetic, escapism and entertainment.

Having looked at options including demolish the current centre and rebuilding, the architects prefer the option of remodelling the current centre so the original workshop would become the new entrance hall with a storm lobby. They say this would heighten the visitor’s understanding of the original purpose of the building by incorporating railway doors and transport them back in time.

The Elan Valley Lakes Project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The plans have been submitted to Powys County Council which will make a final decision by  September 4.

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