WRU Academy At Island Farm Could Go Ahead

Academy promoters want to build on Welsh Grand Slam success

Judge Michael Supperstone has opened the way for Island Farm Development Ltd to mount a full judicial review of Bridgend County Council's stance.

He said the developer's complaints were "arguable" after the council refused to sell it a crucial plot of land.

But the council's barrister told the court the firm had no "legitimate expectation" of being sold the land.

Plans for the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) centre and housing at the Island Farm former prisoner of war camp were thrown out by the council in January 2005. Planning permission had been granted two years earlier.

Rugby is a passion in Wales and this project will be good for Wales and good for Bridgend Philip Morgan, Macob Holdings

But on Monday Judge Supperstone said Island Farm Development Ltd, and the company which owns it, Macob Holdings Ltd, had arguable grounds for saying the council's decision not to sell the land had been "predetermined".

Bridgend may also have made a "material error of fact" in reaching its decision and the developers also had an arguable case that the council's refusal to co-operate with them was "irrational," the judge said.

The case will now go ahead to a full High Court hearing, either in December or early in the new year.

The scheme has run into opposition from local protesters

Nigel Jones QC, for the developer, said the WRU had already lost out on a seven-figure tranche of grant aid which had to be committed to the project by the end of last year.

He said the WRU would also lose its entitlement to another seven-figure grant if the development was delayed beyond the end of the current financial year.

After the judge's ruling, Philip Morgan, chief executive of Macob Holdings Ltd, said the scheme was backed by most Bridgend council taxpayers.

"Rugby is a passion in Wales and this project will be good for Wales and good for Bridgend,"" said Mr Morgan.

I can see the argument that it was a bad decision from the commercial point of view, but that is not enough Andrew Arden QC, for Bridgend Council

The developer wants to build a state-of-the-art training complex on the 130-acre Island Farm site, and offered the council £2.75m for 33.5 acres.

After elections in June 2004, the new, predominantly Liberal Democrat council decided the land should not be sold after all.

Andrew Arden QC, for the council, agreed that the council did not think the project was in the best interest of the area.

He recognised there was a "predisposition" by some councillors against selling the crucial land, but denied there had been unlawful "predetermination" of the issue.

Mr Arden added: "I can see the argument that it was a bad decision from the commercial point of view, but that is not enough."

He denied that the council's stance was "irrational" or that the decision-making process had been "a sham" or "a charade".

He said councillors had acted on detailed advice and in what they believed to be the best interests of local residents.

After the ruling the council said it would not comment, and the WRU was studying what the judge said.

Zippy Opinion

First of all just to point out something you might find amusing, above there is a picture of people protesting outside the Bridgend County Council HQ, that building costing several million pounds was actually built back to front!!! Hilarious.

Welsh Rugby does need an academy and it is obviously of benefit if it is built in Bridgend as the area has lost pro rugby and this will stop it falling off the rugby map.

Problem is Island Farm is an area of beauty and historical interest, (anyone see/read about the Welsh Great Escape?) the area should be developed for tourism and not rugby, an alternative site should be found - Sarn perhaps? Right on the M4 etc?