Disappointment at refusal for film studio at Llanilid

Peter Black Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West has expressed his disappointment that the National Assembly's for Wales has directed Rhondda Cynon Taff and the Vale of Glamorgan Councils to refuse planning permission for a film studio theme park in Llanilid.

The development, which is in the Ogmore Constituency, would have included a state of the art film and television studio complex, a leisure park attracting approximately 1.2 million visitors a year, an International Screen Academy, business parks and other developments such as hotels and a private hospital. There was also a potential of creating 2000 to 6000 new jobs at the site.

In a letter to Mr Black, the Minister for Planning, Sue Essex, said that the Assembly's transport department had directed that the planning application be refused on the grounds that it would cause unreasonable traffic congestion to the road network and that a new junction on the M4 for access to the site is unnecessary.

Mr Black said "I am very disappointed that the Assembly has directed that planning application for this very important project be refused. If permitted to go ahead the complex would have been of huge economic benefit to the area. It would have created a large numbers of jobs in an area that has suffered in recent years from losing jobs in coal and steel. The project could also have been a major attraction for tourists, encouraged further

investment into the area and would have made use of a currently unused site."

"I hope that this decision has not sent out a message to future potential investors about the unwillingness of Wales to do what is necessary to attract new business on a major scale."

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