The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority is to face legal action over its decision to back the controversial Bluestone Project.

The National Parks' watchdog, the Council for National Parks (CNP), has confirmed it is taking the authority to the High Court over its decision to grant outline planning permission for the £60 million new generation holiday village at Canaston Bridge.

Said Ruth Chambers, head of policy at the CNP: "We have taken the exceptional step of challenging the National Park Authority's decision in the High Court because of serious legal concerns about the authority's disregard for its own policies and the way in which the decision was made.

"We have done all that we can to avoid a legal challenge as going to court should always be a last resort. However, given the major issues at stake for the future of National Parks we have decided to take that last resort and have instructed our lawyers to issue legal proceedings immediately.

"We take this decision with a very heavy heart. CNP is a staunch supporter of the work of the National Park Authorities. However, in the case of Bluestone, we think that the authority's judgement is seriously flawed and are prepared to challenge this in court".

CPRW SUPPORT

The Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) has confirmed its direct support for the High Court action.

Director, Peter Ogden, said: "CPRW has actively campaigned from the outset for the Bluestone development to be rejected. It recognises that now all the normal democratic procedures to resist it have been exhausted, the only recourse is to support CNP in their attempts to quash the decision through the High Court."

PARK RESPONSE

A statement issued by the National Park said the authority had been aware of the possibility of a legal challenge for some weeks.

"At this stage it is too early for the authority to provide a response. It now needs to seek advice, should CNP be granted leave to seek a judicial review in the High Court," said a spokesman.

DELAYING TACTIC?

Meanwhile, the developers behind Bluestone, which will create a 500-acre leisure and sports village complete with 340 log cabins, have slammed the legal challenge as 'yet another predictable delaying tactic'.

Bluestone chief executive, William McNamara, said: "We fully expected this to be their next step. However, the first part of any judicial review process will look specifically at whether there is any case to answer and the courts attach much value to the principle of democracy in planning decisions.

"The CNP is using this procedure as a delaying tactic by making this challenge again at the 11th hour.

"Pembrokeshire Coast National Park have advised that all the correct procedures in this democratic decision were strictly adhered to and that the lengthy planning process was to ensure that the application was not open to legal challenge.

"As the statutory decision-making body, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park has been legally advised throughout and has considered all the views democratically, fully considering the threat posed by the CNP, who are not a statutory body."

Martyn Osborne, of Alfred McAlpine, said: "The Bluestone planning application has been meticulously scrutinised at every stage by the two appointed planning authorities, who both approved the development, and independently examined by every official statutory consultees such as Countryside Council for Wales, the Environment Agency and CADW, the experts in their own fields, who all endorsed the project.

"More recently, the application was thoroughly reviewed by the Ombudsman who found in favour of approval, stating that 'the whole point of having county councillors as ex officio members of a National Park Authority is to enable the National Park's primary focus on conservation to be tempered by an understanding of the needs and wishes of local people', which is the duty of all National Parks."

Mr. McNamara added: "Lastly, we do not accept that Bluestone sets a precedent because of Pembrokeshire's economic need, the existence of other holiday village developments within these areas, even within Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, and the fact that every planning application can be judged on its own merits.

"Our question is this: What message does this send out to potential developers in Wales?"

RESIGNATION

In a further development, the CNP has expressed its disappointment about the decision by one of its members to resign.

Jackie Lawrence MP has decided to stand down from her role as one of CNP's vice-presidents because she does not agree with the legal action.

Kate Ashbrook, CNP chairman, said: "We are extremely disappointed that Jackie Lawrence has decided to resign.

"However we are buoyed by the calls we are receiving from across Wales and wider afield from people who are concerned about the Bluestone decision and who support the decision to challenge this in the High Court."

In a statement issued by Bluestone, Mr. McNamara 'applauded' Mrs. Lawrence's decision.