No subsidy? No problem, says ex-aluminium site developer

Mar 18 2010 by David Powell, North Wales Weekly News

DEVELOPERS of a former aluminium factory site are looking for investors to help them transform it into an exciting tourist attraction.

Owners Ainscough-Johnston, a strategic land and regeneration company, want to transform the land in the Conwy Valley previously used by defunct Dolgarrog Aluminium Ltd, which closed in 2007.

Local people hoped that an attraction similar to a Bluestone holiday park in Pembrokeshire could be built on the 40-acre site in Dolgarrog.

Nigel McGurk, of Ainscough-Johnston, based in Leigh, Lancashire, said: “Bluestone has taken £10m in public subsidy. But we can’t base our plans on getting money out of the Government in the present climate.”

He urged neighbours to be patient and said a lot of work had been done behind the scenes.

He added: “We have spent £1m on cleaning up the site. We have had no public sector money to do that.”

Nevertheless, Mr McGurk remains upbeat.

He said: “There’s a real feeling that something incredibly exciting can happen in Dolgarrog.”

Visitors from North Wales, Liverpool and Manchester, for example, would have good access to it from the A55 Expressway.

Mr McGurk is looking for a financially sustainable attraction – possibly with light industry, shops and affordable houses.

He said: “We don’t want to have a Bluestone that’s not commercially viable. That would be a white elephant.”

Mr McGurk said one demolished building on the former aluminium site was an old powerhouse which shared a building with the adjoining hydroelectric power station run by npower. He didn’t rule out working with npower in future over a new project.

Aberconwy AM Gareth Jones is trying to help.

He said: “We are hoping to set up a meeting between Nigel McGurk and Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration Jocelyn Davies.

“They will discuss how to get the best possible development out of the site which everyone can be proud of.”

And Conwy County Cllr Emlyn Thomas, of Trefriw, added: “I believe that a holiday destination would make the best use of the site.”