Wiltshire's first ski slope given planning permission
It could soon be built in the Wylye Valley
Wiltshire is set to get its first ski slope, as plans for a new facility have been given the go-ahead by Wiltshire Council.
A planning application for an indoor ski simulator and climbing wall has been approved for a barn at Bapton Manor Farm in the Wylye Valley.
The ski slope simulator will be 12m x 6.5m in footprint and 5.5m tall and will allow users to benefit from a 'continuous skiing experience, rather than having to traverse up and down a slope'.
A maximum of 8 visitors will be allowed to use the simulator at one time, with users ranging from experienced skiers to novices.
The application stated:
“The barn is surplus to requirements by the farm owners and this new use will bring the building back into a viable and economically sustainable use, whilst also aiding the county’s policies on rural diversification and creating jobs.”
The case officer report noted that the modernising of the agricultural building, removal of asbestos and inclusion of additional solar panels also carried weight in favour of the proposal.
Wiltshire used to have a similar ski slope, based at Tedworth House in Tidworth and run by the charity Help for Heroes, but it's no longer in use.