A COMMUNITY council has been criticised for remarks it made when giving an opinion on plans to turn two houses into a care home.

Merlin’s Bridge Community Council was invited to give a consultation response to plans to convert 57-59 St Issell’s Avenue into a care home.

The change of use would allow the properties to be used as a class C2 care home for the elderly, those living with autism, or those recovering from substance abuse.

As part of their response, Merlin’s Bridge Community Council raised concerns about the “levels of autism that residents are living with. This can vary largely and there are worries about the proximity to the school.”

Pembroke Dock County Councillor Josh Beynon has criticised Merlin’s Bridge Community Council’s remark, saying it could potentially be discriminatory.

“At first I didn’t anything in case I interpreted it wrongly, but I don’t understand how you can interpret it in any other way.

“If they substitute autism for black people, or Muslims it would be racist. I don’t think it is for a community council to decide who lives in their area,” he said.

Cllr Beynon shared his concerns with followers of his Facebook page, describing the remarks as bigoted, and having no place in the 21st century.

The Pembroke Dock - Llanion ward councillor has contacted Merlin’s Bridge Community Council to clarify their objections.

The Western Telegraph has also contacted the community council to ask for a response.

Cllr John Cole, PCC ward member for Merlin's Bridge, and also a member of the local community council said he could not speak on behalf of the community council as a whole.

"It has been blown out of proportion and the main concern was: is this the right place for a care home?" he said, adding residents had expressed concerns about increased traffic and volume of parked cars that the proposed seven members of staff would create on St Issell’s Avenue.

The street is used by parents and children travelling to and from St Mark’s School, as well as through traffic.

The mention of autism, Cllr Cole said, was meant to be phrased as a question not an objection, so that the community councillors had a better understanding of the condition.

Cllr Cole also said it would have been helpful to have heard from the care home applicant at the planning committee meeting to address resident's concerns.

During Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee meeting, members heard from Grant Lewis, a local resident.

Mr Lewis expressed concerns on behalf of local residents about the added cars the care home would bring to the street, and how it would cause traffic and parking issues.

Mr Lewis also said he had looked into the Companies’ House records of C&C Pembrokeshire, the company which has applied for the change of use at St Issell’s Avenue.

He said he and fellow residents were particularly concerned that based on the company’s past history, the property may be used for those recovering from substance abuse, and the proximity of the proposed care home to St Mark’s VA School.

David Popplewell, PCC’s Interim Head of Planning, said the planning committee had to make a decision based on the change of use for the property, not on the type of residents in the property.

That decision, he said, was the responsibility of the Care Inspectorate Wales.

The planning committee decided to make a site visit to the property so they could assess the concerns of residents, and the community council.