AN opening date has been announced for a new water park which is coming to a popular regional country park.

Vale of Glamorgan Council entered into an agreement with Aqua Park Group this year for it to trial a water park at Cosmeston Lake during the summer months.

The council and Aqua Park, which runs a number of other water parks across the country, have announced the attraction will be open on Saturday, July 5.

Residents and councillors have raised concerns about the plans to allow the attraction at Cosmeston, but council officials insisted conditions will be in place to protect wildlife and the attraction will be restricted to the eastern side of the lake.

The water park will be much like the Aqua Park attraction which used to be at Cardiff Bay, featuring an assault course with inflatable equipment, slides and climbing frames.

It was revealed at a Vale of Glamorgan Council scrutiny committee meeting in March that Aqua Park was unable to operate at Cardiff Bay this year due to issues with water quality.

The council's director of place, Marcus Goldsworthy, said the decision to move the attraction presented an opportunity for the council to generate income for improving park facilities at Cosmeston.

However, concerns remain about the impact it could have. A petition opposing the plans has so far gained 3,965 signatures.

At the Vale Council scrutiny committee meeting in March, Conservative councillor, Cllr Anthony Ernest, said the more he heard about the plans for the water park, the more concerned he grew about its potential impact.

A Labour councillor on the scrutiny committee, Cllr Elliot Penn, asked about water quality monitoring on site.

Mr Goldsworthy said the water at Cosmeston is tested twice a year to ensure quality is maintained and added the lake has been used for water-based activities in the past.

Vale of Glamorgan Council's cabinet member for sustainable places, Cllr Bronwen Brooks, said: "The Aqua Park will be another great addition to the already fantastic offer at Cosmeston Country Park as the council continues to promote sustainable tourism and leisure activities in the area.

"Consultation with residents through the council's placemaking work has shown there is appetite locally – particularly among young people – for more varied leisure activities, and the re-introduction of water-based activities at Cosmeston will help us to ensure that our country parks are for everyone.

"Trying new things is at the heart of what we do as an ambitious council, and this pilot could also enable further income opportunities for our country parks – especially in supporting the re-wilding and conservation work already underway at Cosmeston."

At the end of September, the council will carry out an evaluation of the water park pilot and decide if it will go out to tender for someone to operate an attraction on site for the next season.