Plans to replace the remnants of a fire-ravaged hotel with a care home at the gateway to Pembroke Dock were unanimously given the go-ahead today, February 14.

The application, by Hawkfire Developments Limited sought the demolition of the remnants of the former Cleddau Bridge Hotel, Essex Road, replaced by a residential care home and linked bungalows.

It was recommended for conditional approval at Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, meeting today, February 14.

In a prime location at one of the entrances to Pembroke Dock the former Cleddau Bridge Hotel has been derelict since a fire in March 2019, scuppering plans to turn it into a 48-bedroom care home, following a change of use application granted in 2018.

The building had suffered severe structural damage in the fire – said to have started deliberately – and some of the sections have completely collapsed, leading to the new application for demolition and a new build.

A report for planners said the proposed new residential care home would accommodate approximately 55–70 beds, each of which would be provided to Care Inspectorate of Wales (CIW) Standards, complete with en-suite facilities.

Moving the recommendation, Pembroke Dock councillor Brian Hall said: “What’s there now is a mess, there’s horses grazing there, there’s fly-tipping and there’s all manner of vandalism.

“I’m delighted with this application; when you come over the Cleddau Bridge from the ‘north Mecca’ [Haverfordwest] to the ‘south Mecca’ [Pembroke Dock] you cannot avoid looking to the right at it. I hope whoever is going to build this gets on with it quickly.”

Fellow members unanimously supported the application.

The March 2019 fire brought emergency services from as far afield as Ammanford, Aberystwyth and Swansea; a total of seven fire engines had been at the hotel throughout the night, with the initial crews coming from Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven, Tenby and Haverfordwest.

A high-volume water pump was also brought in from Ammanford, a high-level engine was called in from Swansea, and another fire crew from Aberystwyth was also called but later stood down.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service previously said the fire was started by a deliberate act.

Following a fire investigation, Dyfed-Powys Police said they found there to be insufficient evidence to identify a suspect.

 

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