PLANS to build 178 new homes on fields behind a school in Haverfordwest are set to be submitted to Pembrokeshire County Council.

National home builder Persimmon plans to apply for permission to build the homes on the old garden area behind the former Redhill School building, Scarrowscant Lane.

The company has not yet made the application to PCC, but has started a pre-application consultation, raising awareness of the plan and asking groups with a local interest their opinions.

At Haverfordwest Town Council’s meeting on Wednesday, November 21, councillors discussed the planned development, after the publicity notice was sent to them that day.

Councillors heard the homes would be built on the opposite side of the road from the racecourse, behind the old Redhill Preparatory School building.

Cllr Jonathan Collier said the council needed to direct its energy towards the best outcome for the community from the 178 homes.

“I think it is a given that it is going to get planning permission but we must make efforts to do the best for the community in that area,” he said.

“This is likely to be added to Persimmon’s 98,000 plots of land banking. It could take years to come to fruition.”

He added the council should be thinking of what financial benefit the developers could make to the local community through section 106 agreements.

“The racecourse has a really strong part to play here,” he said.

“There is no open space in their plot plan at the moment. Every house on there is squeezed in. Where are all these people going to go to play if they have kids?

“The answer is the racecourse. I think these large developers who are making a huge amount of profit should be forced to put money back into the community where they are making money from.

“Our efforts should be directed on getting as much as we can out of the application, not stopping it.”

Cllr Gillian Howell recommended everyone give feedback to developer Persimmon with their concerns and then send PCC concerns separately when planning permission was submitted.

Councillors agreed to send their feedback to Persimmon for the pre-application consultation.