by David Sands
Derbyshire council is spearheading a £500m scheme to develop a major tourist resort on the Black Sea’s Crimean coast in the Soviet Union.
A joint venture company between the Crimean regional council and Derby council, together with millionaire businessman Owen Oyston, has been set up to develop the land. The Soviet side of the partnership will take a 51% share in the venture.
Known as Blue Bay, the project will include two hotels, a 200-acre golf course, luxury villas, timeshare accommodation, a Disneyland style-adventure park, a marina and a factory selling western goods, fashions in particular.
The Derbyshire and the Crimean authorities are twinned and the idea for the scheme arose from a week-long visit to the Soviet Union by councillor David Bookbinder. Consultation about the scheme with Yalta city council, Intourist — the Russian tourist agency — and the airline Aeroflot is under way.
Architects Robshaw Richmond have drawn up designs for the site, which is in an area of “outstanding natural beauty”. David Richmond, partner with the London firm, commented: “The master plan is intended to give the Soviet authorities an insight into the way we want to approach this development with a strong emphasis on quality and protection of the environment.” There is approval for the scheme from both the Ukraine and Soviet governments, but the project’s future will depend on a feasibility study to be undertaken over the next few months.
The announcement follows the news that Sibec Developments are negotiating to take an equity stake in a £2.5bn project in Leningrad (see our issue of December 17.)
