Plans for a £350m “Welsh Hollywood” at a former opencast coalmine have been thrown out by the Welsh Assembly.
Last August, JV Partnership unveiled plans for a film studio, film academy and theme park at Llanharan, close to the M4 between Bridgend and Cardiff.
JV is a joint venture between Fairfield Properties and Westair.
Business parks, a hotel and a conference centre were also mooted in JV’s plans for the 840-acre (340ha) site.
However, the Assembly has ruled that the scheme’s creation of a new M4 junction would contravene Welsh transport guidelines, which stipulate that new junctions can only be built for motorway service stations.
The Assembly has therefore ordered Rhondda Cynon Taff council to reject the scheme.
JV spokesman Brian Willott said that he was “hugely disappointed” that the Assembly had quashed plans for ‘Llanharanwood’.
An Assembly spokesman said: “The decision was taken after very detailed and lengthy consideration of all aspects of the application.
“We would stress, however, that while we could not accept the application in its present form, we would always be prepared to review our appraisal should further changes be made to the scheme.”
Jonathan Huish, the council’s cabinet member for economic and community development, said that he was dismayed at the decision.
EGi News 27/05/02
