Leading planners are predicting planning bottlenecks as a result of Lucky Goldstar’s decision to invest £1.5bn in an electronics factory on 101ha (250 acres) in Newport, Gwent, South Wales.
One senior planner in the region said: “The full ramifications have not been thought through. There is insufficient land for housing and there are insufficient staff in the various local authorities to process all the planning applications.”
Councils are also concerned that already inadequate roads in the region will become severely congested unless something is done. Possible solutions include the reopening of the Ebbw Vale railway line and the implementation of a special bus service between the valleys and Newport.
According to an economic development officer in the area, there is also a shortage of industrial development sites for potential LG suppliers. In Caerphilly, for instance, two sites earmarked for use by components suppliers will not be be ready for development until 1998.
The Welsh Office has organised a conference in November to discuss the issues thrown up by LG’s decision to invest in South Wales.
The conference is intended to identify specific problems and consider ways of raising funds. But, as one local authority official commented, “It is not enough for the Welsh Office to convene a meeting to discuss the problems. Funding will have to be found.”
See Estates Gazette’s “Analysis” on 12/10/96 for more details.
EGi News 11/10/96
