The Green Man of Kilvey, a mythical figure built by local man Pete Thomas in 1998, has stood proudly for nearly 30 years. But as tree harvesting operations clear the way for the proposed leisure destination, his sudden exposure in a barren landscape has reignited tensions between local campaigners and developers.
‘Evicted’ from the Forest
Local volunteers, who have been vocal in their opposition to parts of the development, have hit out at the “eviction” of the Green Man from his shaded home. They argue that the sculpture is a vital piece of Swansea’s community heritage that has been treated as an afterthought.
David Lang, from Kilvey Woodland Volunteers, said:
“The Green Man has been our guardian for nearly 30 years. Neither the landowners nor the developers took any precautions to safeguard such an important part of Swansea’s heritage during the initial tree harvesting. It speaks volumes of what they think of him.”
(Image: David Lang)
Despite the sharp criticism, volunteers did offer a “thank you” to the contractors on the ground, who they say listened to their concerns and prioritised the sculpture’s safety during the felling.
A Landmark Development
On the other side of the debate, the Skyline Swansea project is seen by many as a once-in-a-generation investment for the city. With £4m in Welsh Government backing, the project aims to create a world-class tourism destination featuring cable cars and luge runs, promising significant job creation and economic growth.
Supporters of the scheme point to the long-term environmental benefits, noting that the current felling of diseased, non-native trees is a necessary step to replanting broadleaf native species and revitalising the hill’s ecology.
(Image: Skyline)
Skyline: ‘We Are Listening’
Skyline Swansea has moved to address the community’s fears, insisting that the Green Man remains a “priority” and that they are committed to a collaborative future.
A spokesperson for Skyline Swansea said:
“We recognise how important the Green Man sculpture is to the local community. We are committed to securing his long-term future, whether that means safeguarding it in its current location or relocating it to a suitable alternative site on Kilvey Hill.”
A Community Divided?
The fate of the Green Man has become a symbol of the wider crossroads facing Kilvey Hill. While some see the development as a vital step forward for Swansea’s economy, others fear the loss of the hill’s wild, community-led character.
As the planning process moves forward, the challenge for both the Council and developers will be to prove that the “mythical guardian” and the modern leisure destination can truly coexist.
What do you think of the changes on Kilvey Hill? Is it progress or a loss of heritage? Have your say below.
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The “Headroom” Crisis
The council’s own budget papers suggest we’re basically maxing out the city’s credit card for one leisure project. In 2026/27, there’s only £2.757 million of capital “headroom” left for the entire city — the same pot that’s meant to help deal with things like roads, schools, and urgent repairs.
But at the same time, the budget confirms £2.499 million of unsupported borrowing is being used specifically for the Skyline scheme.
So the worry is obvious: we’re using what little financial breathing space we’ve got to help fund a privately run gondola, while were facing a deep cost of living crisis and this will only bring part time job what could we us the head room Welsh government money for education new Tec jobs.
Swansea council should be ashamed by the staggering amount of money they are wasting by ploughing it into the Skyline project, which will be the biggest white elephant ever.
Better the money was spent addressing the really appalling state of the pothole ridden roads throughout the city!
If the roads are not repaired with urgency no one will ever be able to reach the Skyline anyway!
This scheme is a shocking waste of public money, and destruction of quiet open space.
The increased traffic will cause greater hazards, more pollution, increased noise and worse congestion in the area.
The wanton destruction of natural habitat will cause more unstable ground, greater water run off leading to potential damage to private properties, poorer ecosystem. Building works will churn up poisonous industrial waste, safely covered for decades. The works will, and are destroying the work of the community over many years, losing valued natural play space.
The construction itself will cause noise pollution, light pollution, more litter, all negatively impacting the quality of life.
The track record of Skyline is poor. Previous projects have caused environmental and property damage.
The project is in direct opposition to Swansea Council’s own purported plans ( ‘environmental plan for green spaces’.)
‘ Biodiversity Enhancement & Protection: Key actions include retaining veteran trees and hedgerows, creating,wildlife-friendly spaces, and using,site specific,native,plant,species,to,support,pollinators.’
Nature Recovery Action Plan: Developed with the Swansea Nature Partnership, this plan seeks to reverse the decline of nature, enhance biodiversity, and promote “gardening for wildlife” by using native species, wildflower meadows, and creating,woodpiles/ponds.’
This project will REDUCE green space, ACCELERATE the decline of nature.
It is a novelty which will require constant maintenance, and have a short usage life before potential users bore of it. When the company are forced to pull out due to poor sales, the site will be left to decay, and it will take decades until the scar is covered and reclaimed by nature once more. The Council and Skyline will have destroyed a valuable local resource used by many for many years, for a few years of damaging use.
apart from the loss of wildlife, I have a really personal reason to be so very concerned by this terrible destruction and de-stabilisation of Kilvey Hill Lets Have a Think about it/Green Fingers Gardening Swansea Bay. My father worked for years with basic slag(as was disposed of on Kilvey. It was used to make fertiliser on the Margam site. Inhaling it in an accident, caused him a very long + painful death having to use oxygen just to survive. When our GP came on his passing in bed, he asked had he ever been a miner, and explained the slag had formed a hard ball at the base of each lung. dying from pneumoconiosis. Our council + Skyline know of this toxic waste on the hill, yet are ignoring the possible outcomes, just like that in New Zealand.