PLANS to build a £14 million motorsport centre and hotel which would have created 200 jobs in Blaenavon have been abandoned, the Argus can reveal.

Instead the centre is to be located in the East Midlands after the company "gave up" on siting the centre in Wales.

The centre, originally developed by Gareth Hockey of the Ray Hockey Racing Garage in Abergavenny, would have been based around 400 acres of disused mining land at Garn-yr-Erw.

Plans included a 60-room hotel with conference centre and trails for quad bikes and 4x4 vehicles.

Blaenavon was a favoured site because it combined relative isolation with good road links and the plan would have created at least 50 jobs.

But after consultations with Torfaen council and local groups, the proposed centre was thought to be unsuitable for the World Heritage Site. Simon Gillett, managing director of Innovate Motorsport, the company behind the scheme, said: "We had two possible sites in Wales and we spent a year planning the centre here.

"The main problem in Blaenavon was that it is a World Heritage Site and there was a lack of support from the local council.

"We persisted with them for about six months but they decided they'd be better off leaving the hills as they are."

"We decided to give up on Wales, got offered four sites in the Midlands, and within five months the deal was done. We're moving in October with £30 million of investment."

John Rodger of the Blaenavon Partnership, who were consulted about the plan, said: "The motorsport centre was effectively based on common land and would have involved fencing off a large part of the site.

"I don't think the proposal was suitable and the company saw our point of view."

A spokesman for Torfaen council said: "Consideration would need to be given to the size and location of the site and the potential impact on the local community and transport infrastructure."