County could face Bluestone legal bill (From Western Telegraph)

County could face Bluestone legal bill

THE drawn-out legal battle over the £60 million Bluestone project could land Pembrokeshire taxpayers with a hefty bill.

A High Court judge announced on Monday that The Council for National Parks (CNP), did not have to pay the legal costs of the Pembrokeshire National Park Authority.

Mr Justice Jacks, who recently turned down the CNP's bid for a judicial review, said that although costs would normally be awarded to the successful party, the National Park Authority had not provided financial information on the costs it incurred.

This statement has been challenged by the park authority, which said: "In this case the judge accepted CNP's argument that they had brought this legal challenge on a public interest basis and he has decided not to make an order for costs."

The judgement will undoubtedly boost the prospects of the CNP in its legal battle. This view was immediately demonstrated by the CNP's vow to continue its legal fight against the holiday village.

The decision could not only jeopardise more than 600 jobs, but add to a growing legal bill which may top tens of thousands of pounds.

The CNP's continuing legal challenge has been described by county council deputy leader John Allen-Mirehouse, as 'intolerable'.

"The Council for National Parks continues to ignore all the legal judgements at great cost to the public purse," he said.

"Every time this matter comes to court it incurs considerable costs, not only to ourselves and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, but also the developer."

At one stage it was estimated that the costs of the planning process for the Bluestone development were running at around £100,000 a month.

Bluestone chief executive, Mr McNamara, said: "Now that the legal processes have been followed and the people of Pembrokeshire have voted democratically in favour of it, the time has come to get on and deliver it,".

The £61 million development will comprise of 340 timber lodges, a health spa and sports club, sub-tropical Waterworld and a state-of-the-art snow centre.

A Solva businessman has launched a bitter attack against The Council for National Parks, branding its legal challenge as an 'obsessive vendetta'.

"Just who do these obsessive eco-warriors in London think they represent?" Mike Shaw asked. "If they succeed they will not be easily forgiven by those young people of Pembrokeshire desperate for the good and exciting year-round jobs Bluestone should bring."