Holiday village starts jobs drive

Bluestone will employ at least 700 people by the time it is fully open

Five years after plans for a holiday village built from scratch in rural Pembrokeshire were first unveiled, it is preparing to recruit 400 staff.

Bluestone near Narberth is finally set to open to tourists next summer after a series of setbacks and delays.

Construction did not start until late last year following a protracted legal battle over planning permission.

The development will include 335 timber lodges, a water park, snow centre and food and retail outlets.

Five recruit days are scheduled for venues in west Wales from 17 November.

The project was delayed after the Council for National Parks in England and Wales challenged planning consent given by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

The project is receiving a £14.5m grant from the assembly government and another £4m from Finance Wales to boost tourism and create employment in the county.

Human resources director Debbie Rainbow said: "Bluestone is a unique, groundbreaking project, not just for Pembrokeshire but for the leisure industry across the UK".

The company said a further 200 staff would be needed once all the lodges were built and at least another 100 when the snow centre, on which work was due to start in 2009, was completed.