£350m Suffolk snow dome gets government approval

Plans to build a £350m snow dome for winter sports in Suffolk have been given the seal of approval by government.

Secretary of state Hazel Blears has approved the SnOasis development for Great Blakenham, which will be built on the site of a former quarry and cement works.

Early enabling works could begin onsite by February 2009.

Developer Onslow Suffolk had faced opposition from residents and environmental groups and will have to complete ecological mitigation measures before full construction can begin.

The approval came despite opposition from Natural England, which claimed not enough had been done to protect great crested newts on site.

But in a statement reported on the BBC, Blears said she “regrets that it has not proved possible for Natural England’s objection to be satisfactorily resolved”.

Onslow Suffolk managing director Godfrey Spanner told the BBC: “At last we have final approval, after eight years and costs running into many millions, we can move forward and give our country something unique to be proud of.”