Plans for a 41-apartment residential housing development on the site of Haverfordwest’s former learning centre has led to fears it could lead to the loss of much-needed parking spaces.

Evans Banks Planning Limited has been instructed by social housing provider Ateb Group Limited to undertake a pre-application consultation for its plans for the Dew Street site.

A supporting statement, said: “The consultation represents a proposal for the construction of a single three storey building which will contain 35 one-bedroom apartments and six two-bedroom apartments.

“The new development will provide sufficient off-street parking to serve the needs of both future residents and their visitors. Sustainable travel patterns will be promoted by including the provision for bike storage and parking.”

A meeting was recently held at Haverfordwest’s Albany Hall, organised by the Dew Street Campaign group, with a presentation by a team from Ateb, led by its director of developments Will Lloyd Davies.

The meeting, organised by the campaign, was chaired by Cllr Thomas Tudor and was well attended by locals including Castle Ward town councillor, Cllr Randell Thomas Turner.

Dew Street Campaign group spokesman Mike Daffern, a local resident and architect, criticised a number of elements of the scheme saying that “all previous local car parking will be removed to make way for residential use linked to the new development”.

“We are not opposed to redevelopment of the site for much-needed housing, we just think that other uses also need to be taken on board,” he added. The loss of parking for Dew Street businesses and social enterprises such as Adam’s Bucketful of Hope, a charity supporting cancer patients, was described as “a blight on their activities.”

He also criticised components of the scheme including its massing and form being a long block of three storeys providing 41 flats, whereas “local housing is predominantly of two storeys”.

Will Lloyd Davies, in response, said that Ateb was engaged in discussions with the planners, but caused some consternation when he also announced that Ateb was in discussions about a possible lifting of a planning requirement to provide 27 parking spaces, linked to a permission granted last October for Ateb mixed use redevelopment of the adjoining former county library. However, Mr Lloyd Davies assured the meeting that the lower car park would still be maintained as a public car park.

After the meeting, Mr Daffern said: “Removal of the 27-space requirement for the former library will jeopardise its long-term sustainability; how can a complex of offices, café and gym serve the whole of Pembrokeshire with only five nominated car parking spaces attached? Ateb themselves have said the complex will house over 100 people daily.”

The supporting statement ahead of the application says: “The application site forms part of a larger land holding of the applicant that contains a series of buildings that have long been vacant. Those to the northeast of this current application have been identified as being suitable for refurbishment, but in the case of those on the application site, this is simply not feasible.

“The site’s reuse and regeneration for new affordable homes therefore represents the most logical and suitable solution for the future.”

On the issue of parking, supporting documents say: “The application site includes a car park area (approximately 90 spaces). This was formerly a pay & display car park owned and operated by the county council.

"Since the acquisition of the site Ateb Group has chosen to continue to operate the area as a pay & display basis, with the intention that this be temporary until such time as the site was developed. There is no legal requirement for Ateb Group to continue to provide public car parking at this location.”

A formal application will be considered by county planners at a later date.