Opposition to major Haverfordwest plans (From Western Telegraph)

Opposition to major Haverfordwest plans

10:40am Sunday 3rd March 2013 in News

Plans that could see new shops, offices and hundreds of homes built in the county town have drawn opposition from Haverfordwest Town Council and the town’s Civic Society.

Planning applications to build more than 800 properties on land near Slade Lane failed to get support from councillors last Wednesday (February 20th).

Concerns were raised about proximity to existing houses neighbouring the site, and a lack of information about infrastructure including water and drainage.

The mayor, Councillor Ken Wyburn, said the site ‘would essentially be a new village’ and because water run-off was already a problem in the area, further construction might add to drainage difficulties.

Further plans by developer Conygar to develop a mix of retail, office and accommodation units on Ebenezer Row were also of concern.

Councillors questioned the logic behind building more shops when there are already several empty units in the town centre.

Haverfordwest Civic Society has also criticised the applications.

The civic society’s Mark Muller said: “This application would add 25% to the population of Haverfordwest requiring the county council and other bodies to create the additional fabric needed to support such an increase; new schools, bigger hospital facilities – when the existing ones are being trimmed almost out of existence – more police. The list of support requirements is a long one.

“Part of the same application is for a supermarket [Sainsbury’s]. There is most certainly no requirement for yet another such outlet in this small town.”

Referring to the major shopping and residential complex along Ebenezer Row, Mr Muller added: “The civic society is not against progress within the town, but feels it odd that so many major, character- altering developments can be considered by the county council while allowing the destruction of so much of the identity and heritage.

“The concept of saving the core of a unique, medieval town seems to have been missed.”

Civic Society chairman Robin Sheldrake said that a recent visit to view the planning applications resulted in a “frustrating hour” during which multiple boxes containing thousands of pages of complex information were deposited in front of him and other members.

He said: “It is the nature of huge development corporations, these men from the east, to swamp both planning departments, and possibly the public, with such an immense amount of information that it becomes impossible to wade through it in the time allowed before a planning decision has to be arrived at.”