Plans are underway for a £50m leisure and holiday scheme, which will give mid-Wales economy a massive boost.

Plans for the Adventure Holiday Parc, near Maesteg, include 240 villas, a 200-bedroom hotel and a subtropical pool area with a wave pool, river slides and rides, as well as tennis, squash and basketball courts, a gym plus a health and beauty spa. A second outdoor area will feature a golf course, ski slope, and provisions for canoeing, sailing, horse riding, wind surfing, archery and cycling.

The accompanying Plaza Centre will complete the all-weather element of the complex, offering a multiplex cinema, bowling alley, bars, restaurants and shops.

Proposed by developers Oak Asset Securities Ltd, the holiday complex will create up to 500 jobs for the Afan and Maesteg valley areas. This will be a major tourist attraction that will create a real future for this area, said Oak Asset's managing director, Brian Baker. Along with project architects AMEC, Oak Asset is awaiting planning permission, which is expected in the next few months. They hope to have the resort up and running by 2004. An operator has yet to be appointed to run the site when completed.