A CONSULTATION into revised plans for the controversial Glasfryn Road development in St Davids has been launched today (Friday).

The site was initially earmarked for 75 new homes, 40 of which would be available to local families to buy or rent affordably, and a 63-bedroom Premier Inn hotel.

Sale of the open market homes would have gone towards financing a swimming pool in St Davids to replace the one closed by Pembrokeshire County Council in 2007.

However, controversy over the chain hotel component of the scheme led to the St Davids Community Land Trust (CLT), proposed developer of some of the affordable housing, to withdraw from the scheme.

The new plans still include a Premier Inn, but the number of homes has been reduced to 70 - 38 of which will be affordable properties.

Mill Bay Homes, part of Pembrokeshire Housing has replaced the CLT in the scheme.

The other applicants are Pembrokeshire Housing Association (PHA), Swangate Developments and Whitbread, the parent company of Premier Inn. A 38-day statutory consultation began today (Friday) The applicants say that, if approved, the development will make an important contribution to meeting the need for affordable homes in St Davids.

“Working with the applicants, we are able to deliver a significant number of new homes in an area that desperately needs them” said Nigel Sinnett, group property services director at Pembrokeshire Housing Association. “More than 50% of the homes proposed at Glasfryn Road are affordable homes, double the target for the site, which we will be able to deliver quickly should the application be approved.”

Through the involvement of Mill Bay Homes, the open market properties will also contribute indirectly to providing affordable homes, as the surplus from the sale of these properties will be covenanted to Pembrokeshire Housing Association to fund affordable homes elsewhere.

Latest figures (April 2015) from the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority states a need for 370 affordable homes in the National Park[1]. “An important objective of the development is to ensure local people benefit”, said Matthew Owens, operations manager at Mill Bay Homes.

“A number of the ‘for sale’ properties will be offered as shared ownership homes, helping to make them more affordable to buyers. We also propose to explore the possibility of offering local residents or individuals with a connection to the local area, the first opportunity to buy the for-sale properties when the development is marketed.”

After plans to redevelop the allocated site were initially launched in May 2017 the Premier Inn component created considerable controversy. Oponents say it will be detrimental to l.ocal accommodation providers and to the unique character of St Davids.

The developers say it will generate 20 full time jobs and attract 40,000 guests throughout the year, anticipated to spend an additional £1.5 million per year in the local economy “We are convinced the new Premier Inn hotel will benefit St Davids,”said Kevin Murray, head of property acquisitions (North) who is leading Whitbread’s involvement in the development.

“By contributing towards the planning application costs, we are also helping to facilitate the delivery of the new affordable homes in an area that desperately needs them.”

“As well as diversifying the range of accommodation on offer in the peninsular, a new Premier Inn hotel in St Davids will attract additional visitors to the city throughout the year, supporting the local economy. This has certainly been our experience at other seaside and traditional leisure destinations where we have opened.”

The applicants intend to submit a planning application to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority for determination in early 2018. The statutory consultation will run until Monday 8th January 2018.During this time the planning application documents will be available to view on the www.glasfrynroadplans.co.uk website. Comments on the application can also be submitted directly to the applicants and will be reported within the final planning application documents.

Following the submission of the planning application, the National Park Authority will also consult St Davids’ residents on the development proposals. A decision on the proposed development is expected in spring or summer next year.