The Bluestone project promises to bring jobs to the area

Members of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Development Control Committee voted against their officers' recommendation by granting the development planning permission on Monday.

The Council for National Parks in England and Wales has heavily criticised the decision and renewed its appeal for a public inquiry into the scheme.

Policy director Ruth Chambers says if the Welsh assembly fails to intervene the council has not ruled out challenging the decision in the courts.

We will now be urging the Welsh assembly to call this in and hold a public inquiry Ruth Chambers

She also questioned the impartiality of the decision.

"The fact that the majority of the authority's members are from the county council, which has already endorsed part of the development and pledged a �1 million loan for the scheme, has inevitably cast a shadow on the impartiality of yesterday's decision".

"We note that the authority's members from the county council all voted to back the development because of the jobs the developer claims would be created in Pembrokeshire," said Ms Chambers.

"We are very concerned both about the claims themselves and the fact that these members felt that jobs should take precedence over the authority's duty to protect the national park."

Ms Chambers said the park authority members appointed by the Welsh assembly all voted against the development, because of conflict with policy and the statutory requirement that the protection of the national park should prevail.

It was the first of this kind of holiday village development in any national park and the watchdog was not just worried in terms of the Pembrokeshire coast but also the precedent that could be set for other national parks.

"We will now be urging the Welsh assembly to call this in and hold a public inquiry.

Make it work for the benefit of the economy and the environment Christine Gwyther

The national park now has a one month "cooling off" period because its decision was in conflict with its own policies.

"Any decision on a legal challenge has not been ruled out at this stage," said Ms Chambers.

Backers of the �45m all-weather leisure village, planned for land near Narberth, say it will create 600 full-time jobs.

Local AM Christine Gwyther has urged opponents to work with the company to ensure the development is a success.

"What I would say to anyone who opposes this is to get behind the project and make sure the environmental safeguards are put in place.

"Make it work for the benefit of the economy and the environment."

William McNamara, chief executive of the Bluestone, said he now hoped work would start on site next year allowing the 340 cabin village to open in late 2005.