Park ban has impact on new planning bids (From Western Telegraph)

Park ban has impact on new planning bids

The National Parks controversial ban on outsiders building new homes in Pembrokeshire has started to apply to actual planning applications. Last Wednesday, the Parks development control committee received six applications submitted after January 23rd (the date when the interim ban came into force).

It deferred all six until the April meeting in order to seek legal advice. Development control officer Cathy Milner said they were seeking counsel because, although the applications were received after January 23rd, the negotiations had begun beforehand.

Because this is an emerging policy, various people are making cases as to whether the policy should apply to them so we have asked counsel to look at each of these early cases, she said.

Rather than jump in and take a decision, we thought we would hold fire, gather our breath, and get legal advice. We are looking at each and every application very carefully to ensure we dont treat anybody unfairly. A public consultation will be launched on the proposed policy this spring. Entitled Housing in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, it proposes to safeguard new housing in the Park in order to meet the demands of local people and sustain local communities.

The policy is part of the draft JUDP (Joint Unitary Development Plan) put together by the National Park and Pembrokeshire County Council. The six applications are: A bid to build a dwelling on a plot of land between Myrtle Villa and The Cottage, Broad Lane, Lawrenny (Mr and Mrs K. Williams); plans to convert a former presbytery at Caersalem Villa, Cilgwyn, Newport into a dwelling (Mr W. Bowsher); plans to convert an outbuilding at the former Princes Trust building, Stableyard, Lawrenny, into a dwelling (Mr P. Cravos); a bid to build a house containing two residential flats at land behind the former Bingo Hall, Warren Street, Tenby (L.W. Haggar and Sons Ltd); a proposal to convert Sherebourne, Sutton Street, Tenby, into two flats (Mrs L. Delabatouche); a request for an extension of a three-year time limit to four years on outline approval for a dwelling at Sandyhill Road, Saundersfoot.