Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies opened a £150,000 leisure complex at a five star caravan holiday home park near the ancient market town of Machynlleth on Sunday.
The complex, located in a converted farm building, is the latest development at Maesperthi Holiday Park, Penegoes, which has seen the Davies family invest more than £300,000 over the past six years. David Eifion Davies, his wife Anwen and daughter, Angharad run the 53-pitch park alongside a 100-acre sheep farm in a picturesque location just two miles from Machynlleth.
The family received a £20,000 tourism grant from the Welsh Government and a £10,000 sustainable tourism grant from Powys County Council towards the leisure complex, which includes a sauna room, jacuzzi, well equipped gymnasium, pool table, Sky TV and a meet and greet room.
The Sustainable Tourism Powys Scheme is part-funded through the Rural Development Plan for 2007-2013, which is financed by the European Union and the Welsh Government. MP Glyn Davies congratulated the Davies family on its “superb tourism development” and said Mid Wales had become a popular destination for tourists.
“This type of development is a huge benefit to the area and raises the reputation of tourism in Montgomeryshire as a whole,” he added.
Owner David Eifion Davies said: “It’s important that we cater for the demands of the younger generation that is coming into the caravan and leisure industry. People like to make the most of their leisure time and there is a much greater focus on fitness.
“With the changeable weather in this country, we also need to provide something for people to do on wet days when they are not able to go for walks across the 100 acres of land that we have here.
“Our well equipped leisure complex is located in the last of the original farm buildings at Maesperthi, which was in a dilapidated state before its conversion. It is something that I have always wanted on the park and I’m delighted with the end result.”
Mr Davies moved to Maesperthi with his late parents, Huw and Freda, in 1969 and the family opened a caravan park as a diversification project, initially with just five holiday home pitches, 35 years ago.
The family is proud that the park has achieved five star status from Visit Wales, the tourism arm of the Welsh Government, for the past six years, but is always looking to improve.
The park is supplied with caravan holiday homes by Salop Leisure, which has sales centres in Machynlleth, Shrewsbury and Stourport.
The company’s managing director Dylan Roberts said: “The Davies family have recognised the importance of investing in their park and have consistently improved it over the past few years to ensure that they have a top quality, five star tourism product to offer.
“Salop Leisure is proud to be associated with the family and greatly values the loyalty they have shown over many years. The new leisure complex is an excellent addition to the park and shows the family’s commitment and determination to provide caravan owners with the best quality facilities possible.
“Vacant pitches at Maesperthi are very rare, which is testament to the significant investment made by Dai and his family in the park’s infrastructure coupled with their excellent customer relations.
“Fortunately for the Welsh tourism industry, Mid Wales is blessed with some of the best caravan holiday home parks in the UK.”
