WRU Academy Blocked

Plans to develop a £10m rugby academy at the site of a former prisoner of war camp in Bridgend have been abandoned by the local council.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) planned to develop a state-of-the-art rugby centre at Island Farm alongside 210 homes.

Despite a campaign against the plan, it was approved by the Welsh assembly.

But the cabinet of Bridgend Council said on Wednesday it would not proceed with the plans. The WRU said it was already looking at different sites.

The plans had been frozen in June last year after a coalition of Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Independents took control of the council from Labour after the local elections.

The WRU had planned to build a rugby academy featuring an indoor arena, weight training facilities, four rugby pitches, an artificial surface and a 400m running track.

A business park, hotel and 210 houses were also planned for the rural Island Farm site, south of the A48 in Bridgend.

Island Farm is also the site of a World War Two prisoner of war camp.

Bridgend Council's planning committee originally rejected the rugby academy scheme in December 2002.

But the plan was submitted, unchanged, in January 2003 and the committee - later expanded to comprise all council members - approved it in April, before the plans were handed to the assembly where it was given the go-ahead in May 2003.

'Common sense'

Some local residents held a long-running campaign against the plans, claiming it would have caused problems for existing communities if extra housing was built.

They also said the site had to be protected as an important habitat for dormice and other wildlife.

Ann Morgan, chair of the Island Farm Action Group, which opposed the plans, said: "We are delighted with today's decision.

"(We are) delighted that common sense has prevailed and that the council has decided to listen to the thousands of people who supported the campaign to stop the development."

The WRU said in a statement that it had written to Bridgend Council on the 4 January withdrawing their interest in the scheme because of the lack of progress with the application.