Launch of €162 million leisure scheme in Wales (UK)

Final plans for the development of Bluestone - a unique €162 million green holiday village in the heart of Pembrokeshire in West Wales - were unveiled by Andrew Davies, the Welsh Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks and Bluestone Chief Executive William McNamara. This follows final approval for the project from the House of Lords, making it one of the largest public/private funding partnerships to be agreed in the UK this year, allowing an immediate construction start.

Bluestone will be a new leisure destination of International significance and a flagship for Wales and will be the first holiday village to be developed in the UK for nine years, the only one in a coastal location and in a national park, and is seen as the forerunner of a new generation of UK holiday destinations.

Bluestone anticipate the development will attract up to 100,000 new high value staying visitors annually while the two all weather facilities are each anticipated to attract an additional 250,000 day visitors a year.

The development of the 1 million sq ft leisure, retail and holiday accommodation proposals, set in 500 acres, will be built around a central village. The development will comprise a health spa and sports club for guests while a sub tropical water world and state-of-the-art snow centre will be open to day visitors. There will also be 335 luxury log cabins set in woodland as well as 30 two bedroom terraced cottages and 30 fully serviced open plan studio apartments.

Development will be in two stages. Construction on Phase 1 will start immediately with the development of the sub tropical waterworld and associated holiday accommodation. Development of Phase 2, incorporating the snow centre, is expected to begin in 2009.

Andrew Davies said: "This is a flagship project for Wales and will set new standards of quality and become a beacon for eco-tourism and sustainable development within the UK. Bluestone will play a pivotal role in developing the short breaks market, expanding the tourism season and bring added value to the market."

Source: Financial Dynamics

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