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The Bluestone Project, valued at about £50 million, involves some 340 timber chalets surrounding a 'Celtic Village' of 80 permanent buildings within the National Park in the Canaston Bridge area. Adjoining it, but outside the Park, is the existing Oakwood Leisure Park, next to which a Snow Dome, Waterworld and Sports Centre are proposed. These would be shared facilities used by 'residents' and day visitors. It is fair to describe the proposal as a community of up to 2,000 residents and 5,000 day visitors.

Pembrokeshire Branch CPRW have lodged an initial objection to this proposal, as have numerous other organisations and individuals. The main grounds are that the project is in conflict with the Joint Unitary Development Plan of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (PCNP) and Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC), particularly policies on major tourist attractions, housing constraints and nature conservation. Bluestone would form a new settlement in the PCNP only exceeded in size and population by Tenby and Saundersfoot. The permanent dwellings would take up nearly all of one year's allocation for new housing in the PCNP.

	The developer insists that although the proposal is partly in the Park and partly in the County (PCC) development control areas, it should be considered as a single proposal standing or falling as a whole. The term 'synergy' is widely used in connection with the existing facilities at Oakwood. This makes it particularly difficult for objectors who may wish to welcome the additional attractions for Oakwood, but reject the residential proposals in the Park. Pembrokeshire certainly needs new inward investment and a wider range of job opportunities. /td>
The present Oakwood Leisure Park viewed looking north towards the Preseli Hills

The loss of jobs at the Pembroke Dock Call Centre was a serious blow. It is hoped that the project will extend the tourist season and provide wet weather entertainment. The holiday village is claimed to be aimed at an 'up-market' clientele drawn from all over UK (and perhaps Europe) to enjoy the unique ambience of a Pembrokeshire holiday experience. There will be some economic gains. How much, who knows?<

A similar facility has recently been given planning permission at Cwmafan near Port Talbot. Can south Wales hold two 'Centre Parcs' 50 miles apart? And finally, why does it have to be in the National Park? Could not all the assumed economic benefits be gained at numerous other sites outside the Park? The Environmental Statement discusses this topic at length but the conclusions justifying this site are unconvincing and reduce to 'the proposer owns most of the land involved and would have difficulty acquiring other land'. This is a fair business argument but not relevant in the face of serious environmental and planning objections.

Such a contentious proposal constitutes a major development in a National Park which much surely lead to a Public Inquiry.

All this land is in the National Park Foreground: Site for chalets and 'Celtic Village' Middle distance: Miineweir and Canaston Woods bordering Eastern Cleddau Location: Near Newhouse farm on A4075 looking north

The application is more than of local interest and all the issues need to be argued in public and a Public Inquiry is the means of doing that.

The matter would then be finally decided by the Planning Decision Committee of the Welsh Assembly. This is a Committee that is formed of Assembly Members of all parties but who do not represent the area where the application lies - thus ensuring greater impartiality. Impartiality would be hugely difficult for local councillors having to face up to all the pressures imposed by the developers. Some of them being both County and National Park Councillors would be placed in an almost impossible situation because, if they were to apply their National Park duties fully, they would have to refuse it but, as County Councillors ...? Impartiality will be difficult for the Assembly as well because Andrew Davies, the Economic Development Minister, announced in January, with much fanfare, £16 million support from the Assembly Government, the WDA and the Wales Tourist Board.

Whatever anybody says this gives a clear signal that the main economic agents of the Welsh Assembly are totally in favour. However, it seems that they do not give much consideration to the actual location and the fact that a National Park carries with it fundamental obligations for development. Of course, it is not the Economic Development Minister who decides on planning matters but it will surely place the Planning Decision Committee in an invidious position if and when they do meet.

Bluestone is going to be one of the toughest tests of our planning and landscape designation systems - and CPRW knows where it will stand.

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