Supported by senior members of the Cabinet, Pembrokeshire County Council has unanimously approved a controversial planning application to allow a materials recovery facility on land adjacent to Clynderwen and Cardiganshire Farmers’ depot at Glanrhyd.

The decision is against officer advice and a departure from the Joint Unitary Development Plan and will now require Welsh Assembly approval.

It has also prompted Skip Hire contractor Viv Williams of St Dogmaels to pledge to resubmit his own planning application for a similar facility at Penybryn, which was turned down by the planning committee two years ago.

Mr Williams said: “There is a significant unmet need throughout Pembrokeshire for recycling facilities. We will resubmit our proposal within ten days.”

Cabinet member for environment and transportation, Councillor Jamie Adams, supporting approval, said the site was next to a very large feed store with 17-metre towers and could not be described as a green field site near to a large settlement. The visual impact would be low and could be mitigated by screening, he said. There were highway reasons for refusing the Penybryn site, and the applicant for the Glanrhyd site, Mr J. L. Rees, had offered to improve passing bays. First Minister Rhodri Morgan, he said, had recently urged local authorities to engage with the private sector, in terms of recycling of waste, which was a vitally important issue.

Cllr Malcolm Calver said the visual impact would be enormous while Cllr Bob Kilmister described it as “very substantial,” and said it was like an industrial estate in the countryside.

Urging the council to reject the recommendation, Cllr Tony Brinsden said approval would drive a horse and cart through the various planning policies. The site was in open countryside, in a tourist area and near the national park and approval would result in total distrust of the planning system.

Cllr Mike Stoddart said if it was approved, he wanted to see road improvement included as a condition.

Cllr John Allen-Mirehouse said the most urgent need was to recycle and the Welsh Assembly would make the final decision. Cllr Michael Williams, who opposed approval, called for a recorded vote and approval was agreed by 35 votes to 18, with four abstentions.