The chief executive of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority has expressed surprise and concern over press comments made by a 'Bluestone Project' developer.
Nic Wheeler said on Friday that anyone reading the statements of Mr. William McNamara would have gained the distinct impression that the Park Authority was responsible for delaying the decision making process, and that it was acting unreasonably in seeking 'additional information'.
"This is most certainly not the case," said Mr Wheeler. "The only information the Authority has ever requested was clearly identified from the outset of the project.
"As long ago as March, 2001, Park officers explained to the developers in some detail the amount and nature of the information required to support a proposal of this magnitude. Matters that have to be addressed for major development proposals in a National Park are set out - not by the individual Park Planning Authorities in Wales - but by the Welsh Assembly Government in their own Planning Policy document.
"After some initial discussions we received no further approach from Mr. McNamara for 13 months, despite advising him strongly that preparatory work should continue immediately and professional consultants should be engaged to address the requirements of a planning application."
Mr. Wheeler said that between July, 2002, when negotiations with the applicants' agents actually formally started, and the following November when the application was submitted to the National Park and Pembrokeshire County Council, the need for all this information was continually emphasised.
"However, when it was finally submitted, it was still not all there. Indeed, even after the submission of further information last week (March 11) there remain gaps in the detail required."
Outstanding matters currently being addressed include groundwater problems, noise issues, the archaeology of the site and the means of access, he added.
"Until we get the necessary information we cannot begin in earnest the job of appraising the application and reporting on it to the National Park Authority.
"It is up to the applicants to supply the details needed to enable all the issues to be addressed. It is, in our view, unfair of Mr McNamara to blame this planning authority when the information which he should have ensured was part of the original application has not yet been submitted.
"This Authority must follow the due and proper process in dealing with this major application. It must be open and transparent in its deliberations. It cannot give a 'quick' decision without all the information and assessment that National Government requires of it. To do so would be abrogating its duty and would also run the risk of opening up any decision to legal challenge, which would not be in anyone's interest, least of all the developers, as demonstrated by the recent quashing by the High Court of a planning permission in Cornwall."
FOOTNOTE: A complaint by Mr McNamara that the National Park is commissioning its own economic feasibility study has also been answered by chief executive Nic Wheeler.
"This is untrue. What we are doing is engaging specialist expertise to assist in carrying out the socio-economic impact assessment required by the Assembly's 'Major Development Test'. This is intended to help speed consideration and not delay it.
"It is not the same as a business or financial viability study as has been repeatedly pointed out to the developers and other people who have made similar representations."