D-day looms for massive development plan (From Free Press Series)

D-day looms for massive development plan

AMBITIOUS plans for a new village and marine ecology centre near Magor will reach make or break time in September.

P&O Developments proposed their concept for a 'Gateway To Wales' scheme more than two years ago.

The massive development, spanning 1,100 acres of land around Magor and Caldicot, involves creating new housing, a retail complex, leisure facilities, new road and rail links and a university campus.

A prestigious ecology centre for marine life, similar to the Eden Project, has also been proposed under the plans.

If the scheme is a success it could create over 10,000 new jobs for Monmouthshire.

However, the scheme will hit a major hurdle in September when an inquiry is launched into Monmouthshire council's Unitary Development Plan.

P&O Developments have submitted an objection to the UDP - the council's blueprint for development in the county - and will call for it to be amended to include their scheme.

The company is in the process of providing evidence for the inquiry, which starts on September 14.

In order to progress the planning application, P&O Developments say they have been working on a number of areas including an environmental impact statement, the UDP objection and negotiations with landowners.

The company says it is keen to push this plan forward.

William Edgerley, managing director of P&O said: "We are hoping to do that very shortly, but it is dependent on other matters being resolved which are progressing very well, but relate to other commercial aspect of the scheme. We are hoping to progress this year."

A planning application for the Gateway To Wales scheme was submitted to Monmouthshire county council in November 2001.

It proposes a new centre extending from Steelworks Road at Llanwern to Caldicot and including land near the motorway at Magor.

The development will spill over into a small environmentally sensitive area of land, which is compensated by providing a wildlife reserve as an area of special scientific interest.

The University of Wales College Newport want to establish a campus to provide science facilities for research and development.

P&O Developments say the marine ecology centre will not only be an education facility, but also a visitor's site in its own right and a resource for research with a gene pool for species of marine mammals.

A diverse range of jobs will be created by the development and out of the 10,000 jobs created 7,000 will be recruited from local sources.