Bluestone delay costs £100,000 a month (From Western Telegraph)

Bluestone delay costs £100,000 a month

Costs of the planning process for the £60 million Bluestone development are now running at around £100,000 a month and each deferment is detrimental to the project, the developers have warned.

The go-ahead for preliminary work for the multi-million pound Bluestone development received the approval of Pembrokeshire County Council on Thursday. But the National Park section of project has been deferred again. The application for a waterworld, snow dome, landscaping, car parking and highways works associated with the proposed holiday village at Newton Farm, Canaston Bridge, was submitted by J. William McNamara, Bluestones Holdings Ltd and Alfred McAlpine Construction Ltd.

The Pembrokeshire National Park's development control committee on Wednesday deferred a decision on the accommodation aspect of the dual planning application on the basis that further information had been received that was subject to further consideration by statutory consultees.

The developers of the £60m proposals have pledged the creation of more than 600 full-time jobs and to plough £32 million back into the Pembrokeshire economy every year. Said the chief executive of Bluestone William McNamara: "I am delighted with the county council's decision which is justly representative of the views of the majority of Pembrokeshire people. It is now down to the National Park to determine so that the county can benefit from these jobs and economic prosperity.

"Bluestone will ensure that the most recently requested information, which is not subject to statutory consultation, will be available in time for the National Park's August meeting, not least because the costs are now running at around £100,000. "Any further deferments could result in the failure of Bluestone to go-ahead in the county."

National Park planners have stressed that they were not using delaying tactics after they again deferred making a decision on the multi-million pound Bluestone Project last week. They said further information had been received from the applicant on July 12th, and in accordance with guidelines the consultation had to be started anew.