BACKING for Great Blakenham's Snoasis dream is snowballing, with Ipswich Town Football Club today pledging their full support.Blues chairman David Sheepshanks has spoken of his delight at the plan and the benefits it would bring.

BACKING for Great Blakenham's Snoasis dream is snowballing, with Ipswich Town Football Club today pledging their full support.

Blues chairman David Sheepshanks has spoken of his delight at the plan and the benefits it would bring.

Mr Sheepshanks said: "Snoasis will provide wide ranging benefits to our community, not only with jobs and affordable housing, but also in opening up opportunities for many children and even adults to enjoy participating in sports to which they have previously not had access."

The proposed £300million resort earmarked for the former Blue Circle Cement Works site is rapidly gathering momentum.

It is has already been boosted by the draft regional planning guidance, put forward by the East of England Regional Assembly.

The policy, which covers the next 17 years, states the region is under represented in terms of "major tourism facilities" and "centres of excellence for sport or culture".

The project would see the biggest indoor ski slope in the world built on the 350-acre leisure park as well as an ice hockey rink, ice wall climbing, a variety of water sports, health and fitness centres, restaurants, bars, casinos, nightclubs and cinemas.

Some of the millions of visitors would be accommodated in the 350 self-catering chalets, a 350 room four-star hotel and a 200 bed hostel.

Suffolk Development Agency, the East of England Tourism Board and the British Ski Academy are among those also supporting the project.

Godfrey Spanner, managing director of Onslow Suffolk Investments, the company behind Snoasis, said: "The past fortnight has shown just how serious the project is. The fact that a large-scale community organisation, such as Ipswich Town FC, is backing us speaks volumes.

"The backing of both the Suffolk Development agency and East of England Tourism board shows we have all-encompassing support from the community.

"That added to the support from the British Ski Academy goes to show how valuable the project will be in terms of nurturing local sports stars of the future.

"We will be providing benefits to the local community, the local economy and the people of Suffolk in general."

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