The £60 million Bluestone project took a big step forward last week, when county council planners gave the green light for the Waterworld building.

Outline consent had already been given for the development which will provide a year-round 'wet weather' facility for visitors staying at the Bluestone holiday village and for day visitors.

The building will be in a modern design, with a domed roof which will be predominantly covered with cedar shingles to blend into the natural landscape setting and define the building's organic form.

Two areas of the roof will have ETFE cushions, similar to those used in the geodesic dome at the Eden Project, Cornwall, to allow natural daylight into the pool area. It was felt this would be less intrusive than glass, which would create more reflection to the outside.

Using existing topography, the building will also be 'sunk' into the ground. The entrance accommodation would effectively be single storey, with a grass roof.

Planning officers said that the result would be that the scheme would be two metres lower than originally proposed and the design solution was intended to minimise the overall massing and scale.

The Countryside Council for Wales welcomed the use of a turf roof over appropriate parts of the building and also the use of local stone. But it sought assurance there would be no flare problems from the EFTE roofing.

Pembrokeshire National Park Authority asked for further information regarding the visual impact from Waterworld from within the National Park and questioned the general approach to the design in relation to the traditional approach taken elsewhere in the development. They also wanted further details of lighting and drainage.

But the county planning committee approved the scheme provided development is done in strict accordance with approved plans and limitation on maximum light emissions from the building.