Park reveals homes for locals only plan (From Western Telegraph)

Park reveals homes for locals only plan

New houses built in Pembrokeshires National Park might be restricted solely to local people.

A draft policy put forward by the Park Authority proposes to safeguard new housing in the area in order to meet the demands of local people, and sustain local communities.

The authority also wants to permit new housing if the applicant demonstrates the need to live within a sustainable community.

And it says general demand for housing could be met in the geographical area of the county outside the National Park.

A public consultation is to be launched this spring on the proposals, which are part of the draft Joint Unitary Development Plan (JUDP.

Although most of the draft JUDP was agreed by the county council and National Park last July, a few outstanding issues - including the housing policy - were discussed by Park members on Wednesday.

Park officer Martina Dunne told the members that a barrister appointed by the Park said the housing policy was legitimate.

She added that the policy would only apply to about 100 properties every year.

But Steve Watkins, vice-chairman of the National Park Authority, said he was implacably opposed to certain parts of the policy, which he called the most fundamental change in planning policy in decades.

In my view, this will not address an extremely vexed issue - which is local houses for local people, he said.

There needs to be a major examination of all the possible options that may address this issue - and there are other options; I have discussed them with the head of convervation.

Member John Allen-Mirehouse said: I applaud the objectives of the policy, but this is not the way to do it. Its too bureaucratic, long-winded and iniquitous.

In rural areas, people retiring or semi-retiring moving down from more affluent areas with money to burn can afford property over local people. But I have never heard of anyone selling his house below par to another local person. Its against human nature.

However, a majority of members voted in favour of the policy.