Wales' first £60m holiday village development was granted outline planning permission by both Pembrokeshire County Council and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park this week.

Permission for the controversial Bluestone holiday village in Pembrokeshire was issued following the agreement of outline planning consent signed off by local planning chiefs on Wednesday. Detailed plans have now been submitted to both authorities.

The legal agreements include a host of environmental benefits for the intensively farmed site, including an environmental management plan, the appointment of a monitoring environmental officer, the restoration of Newton North Church and maintenance of public rights of way in the area.

Bluestone will also sign up to the internationally-renowned environmental standard ISO 14001, EMS, and the Green Dragon Award and create a number of economic benefits, including 600 full-time jobs, a £32m boost for the economy every year, plus knock-on effects through partnership working, Bluestone's renewable energy, supplier development and training academy programmes.

Said Bluestone chief executive, Mr. William McNamara: "This is a very important day for Pembrokeshire as it lays the foundation upon which the Bluestone holiday village can grow to become an important economic and environmental achievement in the county and in Wales.

"Bluestone envisions a short break destination that brings visitors close to nature, and care of the surrounding countryside is at the heart of that experience. Bluestone will greatly enhance the biodiversity of the area recently described by experts as 'an ecological desert'.

"We now look forward to the successful conclusion of the judicial challenge by a London-based lobbying charity so that site works can begin in time for a 2006 opening."

The agreement of planning clears the way for the construction of Wales' first major indoor aqua adventure complex, Waterworld, featuring a beachside wave pool, wild water river, two aqua splash water flumes, a lazy river ride, spa and plunge pools, a jacuzzi, plus dedicated children's discovery lagoons, all in a steamy sub-tropical environment.

Joint venture partners, Alfred McAlpine, who will construct Waterworld, are not new to creating this type of destination experience.

They built the highly successful Eden Project in Cornwall, which since opening has created 650 full-time jobs, injected £160m into Cornwall's economy and attracts around two million visitors every year.

Mr. McNamara added: "Waterworld will be a destination venue that will put Pembrokeshire firmly on the tourism map.

"Positioned alongside the Bluestone holiday village and the Snow Dome, it will create a world-class attraction that will be the first coastal development of its type in the UK and an icon for Wales."

Legal challenge

The issuing of the Bluestone permission now will have no impact on the legal challenge currently being mounted by the national charity, the Council for National Parks, against the National Park Authority's decision to approve the development.

Indeed, should any party wish to challenge the actual terms of the permission then, under the current timetable, such a challenge could be added to that already made in the High Court.

Not to do so could have provided a further opportunity to challenge the terms of the permission, so delaying the final outcome.

Since the decision to approve the project in outline, constructive meetings have been held with the developers and their architects in developing the detailed design.

It is understood that those drawings will shortly be submitted to the authority for consideration.