A GIANT tropical paradise could be created in Gwent at an estimated cost of £250 million.
A location in the Caldicot area is being considered for the site of the world's largest freshwater aquarium, which is expected to attract up to two million visitors each year.
Four times the size of the Eden project, the project would create a 100-acre complex.
Conceived by 64 international scientists, the National Institute for Research Into Aquatic Habitats (NIRAH) project will be a world first in terms of size, scope and ambition, according to those behind the exciting proposal.
Set under two 15,000 sq m transparent domes, it will contain 20 million gallons of fresh water, warm-water tropical rainforests and up to 200 exhibits, including Mekong catfish, Komodo dragons, giant tortoises, sharks and rays.
A number of locations including the Monmouthshire site, the Wirral, Bradford and Bedfordshire, are being discussed for the scientific, education and leisure scheme.
It will include a research centre and visitor experience and could become one of the UK's top five attractions. NIRAH, which will be a public/private initiative, is currently engaged in a number of confidential UK site discussions. The aquarium is being designed by Nicholas Grimshaw, the architect responsible for the Eden Project, and is backed by Oxford University. John Paton, a director of merchant bank MacArthur and Co, which is providing financial advice, said negotiations with various sites were at different stages. He would not be drawn on whether there was a preferred site, but said they hoped to make a decision by the end of the year. However, the site under consideration in Monmouthshire is part of the controversial Gateway to Wales scheme, proposed by P & O Developments, which has been in the air for several years and includes a major housing development. Council deputy leader Councillor Graham Down is cautious about the prospects of the project coming to the area, but would welcome a major tourist attraction. "The NIRAH project is very exciting and I would be delighted to see it in Monmouthshire. It is likely to attract lots of tourists to the area and, because of the science that goes with it, some high-quality jobs. "The difficulty is the price you have to pay in order to achieve that and it (Gateway to Wales scheme) includes a couple of thousand new houses, whichwould mean more congestion and strain on services."
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