Welsh Assembly pledges £3m towards redevelopment of "Britain's highest slum".
The Welsh Assembly has pledged £3 million towards the redevelopment of the tea-room and rail terminal at the summit of Snowdon.
The café, infamously dubbed by Prince Charles as “Britain’s highest slum”, is used by 350,000 hikers and train passengers every year. It will cost an estimated £8 million to redevelop the 1935 building, which was designed by architect Sir Clough William-Ellis. Planning permission for the redevelopment was granted in January.
The cash injection from the Assembly will quell fears that the project could collapse due to lack of money. Before the announcement, funds stood at just over £1 million, made up of grant offers from the Wales Tourist Board, Welsh Development Agency and Snowdon Mountain Railway.
Snowdonia National Park Authority chief executive Aneurin Phillips said: “We are extremely pleased that the Welsh Assembly, through this valuable contribution, has acknowledged the importance of Snowdon Summit Project to the whole nation.”
It is hoped that with half the necessary funding secured, the scheme will attract more contributions from sources such as the National Trust and the national lottery heritage fund.
The scheme will protect 58 jobs, and create 20 new ones.
