A local brewing business is hoping to raise a glass to the success of its plans to open in a former school in Pembrokeshire.

The Pembrokeshire Brewing Company Ltd., currently based in Boncath, has applied for permission to change the use of the old school building in Saundersfoot to a microbrewery and visitor centre.

The application is being recommended for approval at next Tuesday’s (Feb 19) meeting of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s development management committee.

The plan was referred to the committee after concerns raised by Saundersfoot Community Council, which said it would, however, be in favour if planning conditions were put in place to restrict the hours of the visitor centre to between 10 and 5pm; for brewing to take place between 8am and 6pm, and for a condenser - to reduce steam and smells - to be included in the application, together with a traffic management plan.

There had been 21 letters of objection and a 47-signature petition, raising fears that the development would have an adverse impact on the properties and health centre in the Westfield Road area of Saundersfoot through smell, noise, disturbance and traffic.

The proposals feature a brewery and bottling plant room which would be visible through a glazed viewing screen from the building’s visitor centre, which would also include a bar area.

A report to the committee said that traffic along Westfield Road should not be a problem, and that if the building was still a school, there would be more vehicle movements generated at peak times.

The report added: “The concerns of local residents are noted, however, on balance, it is considered that the development can be suitably and adequately controlled such that refusal on grounds of a potential impact upon amenity would be unreasonable.”

The committee is being asked to approve the proposal subject to conditions, including opening hours from 10am to 8pm daily; delivery hours between 7am and 7pm Monday to Saturday only; a waste storage and disposal scheme; with deliveries to be made off Westfield Road only and a revised parking and turning scheme in the school grounds.