Park holiday village plan backed

[Paul Mobbs]

Hi all,

Coming at the same time as the news about Brithdir Mawr it confirms my view 
that there are two really unpleasant things about members of the 
Pembrokeshire National Park Authority -- their face.


P.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/4104637.stm

Park holiday village plan backed

BBC News Online, Friday, 17 December, 2004


Last month, the High Court heard arguments for and against the £60m Bluestone 
scheme.

Bluestone would include a snow dome and a water park and 430 timber lodges, 
some of which would be built in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Mr Justice Jack has ruled that the granting of outline planning permission by 
the park authority was not unlawful.

The Council for National Parks (CNP) had claimed there were flaws in the 
planning process and had argued that the Pembrokeshire park authority had 
disregarded its own policies when granting planning permission in January.

But the judge ruled there was no case of bias at a hearing in Swansea last 
month. 

The parks watchdog said it was seriously disappointed that its legal challenge 
had been thrown out.

"CNP considered that the challenge was a strong one and was powerfully 
presented by our legal team," said the watchdog's head of policy Ruth 
Chambers.

"The judgment is long and complex and raises a number of issues which require 
careful thought."

She added that the national parks body would consider the next step in its 
campaign in three weeks.

The Bluestone project was first put forward two-and-a-half years ago for a 
site near Narberth, neighbouring the Oakwood theme park, part of which falls 
on national park land.

The developers have said it will create 600 permanent jobs and a further 200 
jobs for contractors and suppliers.

'Intense scrutiny'

William McNamara, chief executive of Bluestone, welcomed Friday's judgement, 
saying he believed that the village would be "an environmentally and 
economically beneficial project" for both Pembrokeshire and the national 
park.

"During the intense scrutiny of a lengthy planning process, this view has been 
independently upheld by members of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, 
Pembrokeshire County Council and Welsh Assembly Government," said Mr 
McNamara. 

 "Subsequently the ombudsman and now, finally, the High Court have examined 
that planning process and confirmed that it was properly conducted.

Mr McNamara said the firm was now looking forward to working positively with 
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Pembrokeshire County Council and other 
stakeholders "to deliver this project and its many benefits to the people of 
Pembrokeshire".

Pembrokeshire councillor Rob Lewis said the ruling was "excellent news".

"The Bluestone Project will be a world-class operation which will take the 
tourism industry in the county into a new era.

There will be 600 high quality jobs which will be year-round."

Economic Development Minister Andrew Davies said he was very pleased that the 
project could take advantage of significant backing from the Welsh Assembly 
Government.

"With tourism being one of Wales' most important industries, this project will 
be a huge boost, both to the local economy and to the economy of Wales as a 
whole, by bringing much-needed jobs to Pembrokeshire and providing high 
quality leisure facilities for locals," he said.

"Once the project is underway, it will be also act as a catalyst to attract 
new business opportunities and inward investment into the area." 


-- 

==============

"We are not for names, nor men, nor titles of Government, nor are we for
this party nor against the other but we are for justice and mercy and
truth and peace and true freedom, that these may be exalted in our
nation, and that goodness, righteousness, meekness, temperance, peace
and unity with God, and with one another, that these things may abound."
(Edward Burroughs, 1659 - from 'Quaker Faith and Practice')


Paul Mobbs, Mobbs' Environmental Investigations,
3 Grosvenor Road, Banbury OX16 5HN, England
tel./fax (+44/0)1295 261864

email - mobbsey at gn.apc.org
website - http://www.fraw.org.uk/mobbsey/index.html