AN outdoors firm says it is moving close to submitting its plans for a high-adrenaline adventure centre after staging a successful consultation.

Go Below canvassed views of residents after revealing an ambitious scheme to use a 60-acre site previously earmarked for a ski slope.

The land at Gresford Wilderness Tip is situated just off Bluebell Lane on the outskirts of Pandy and Go Below, who operate centres at both Conwy Falls and Tanygrisiau, plan to erect three zip wires running a total of 1km in length to attract thrill-seekers from far and wide.

The plans include an adventure tower with climbing activities and a free-fall jump, a family-sized giant swing and an artificial cave system to narrate the history of mining in Gresford.

The one-time colliery land was bequeathed to the council by the former National Coal Board (NCB) and Go Below want to lease the site.

Go Below director Miles Moulding said: "The consultation was quite a success. We had an open evening and we got a lot of emails from local residents and most of them were positive.

"We have now finished all our surveys and we haven't found any problems. There are some protected species in that area, but not on the land we are proposing to use."

The Betws-y-Coed-based firm is confident that a planning application will be ready before the end of the year with building work likely to start next year once external funding is in place to complement the company's own investment.

The main issues of concern have been highway access and some Pandy residents wanted to know whether the adventure park would operate in the evening.

Mr Moulding added: "As far as access is concerned the Highways Department will come back to us with some conditions for traffic management on the lane.

"We have no desire to run the park at night. People were very supportive that there are plans for the land to be used. They have a lot of problems with illegal motocross biking and it can be quite noisy."

Go Below is viewed as a large player in the North Wales adventure tourism market, which has seen the imaginative use of natural settings for thrilling zip wire rides.

Rivals Zip World run wire attractions at three sites in Snowdonia, but Mr Moulding says one of the reasons Go Below chose the Pandy side in North East Wales was to be nearer the large potential market of the North West and Midlands.

"We run zip wires at our two underground sites, but this will be our first on the surface. It is a really good location for people coming off the A483 from Liverpool, Manchester and the Midlands and the council has been very supportive.

"The fact that there is already an artificial mound in the middle of the land after it was landscaped in preparation to be a ski slope has helped.

"We are investing some of our own money and there will be loans to secure before work starts."