The decision to refuse a controversial Newport house retrospective planning permission has been met with delight by a local opposition group.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority's Development Management Committee yesterday (Wednesday) refused retrospective planning permission for Bettws Newydd, situated above the Parrog at Newport.

The decision could result in the house being pulled down and completely rebuilt.

Planning for the house was initially approved by the National Park in 2006.

It was later discovered that the final development did not comply with a number of conditions of the 2006 consent.

The owner submitted a retrospective application under Section 73A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to approve the house as it has now been built.

Members of the development management committee yesterday voted 12 to two against the amended proposals for the property.

The Bettws Newydd Opposition Group (BNOG) was formed to campaign to have the house replaced with a "more appropriate" building.

"We are delighted by the righteous (all be it very belated) decision to completely refuse retrospective planning permission for the development of the replacement dwelling, Bettws Newydd, better known locally as the ‘Eyesore on the Parrog’ ," said a spokesman for the group.

"This was a resounding victory."

Last April members had resolved to grant permission for Bettws Newydd subject to the submission and approval of an improved landscaping scheme and reconsideration of the building's glazing.

Objectors complained they had not had sufficient time to study the landscaping and glazing elements of the proposal and the decision was deferred to yesterday's meeting where members decided that they were not satisfied with the amended landscaping proposals or the further report on the glazing that had been submitted.

They also said that the application did not meet the requirements of the Joint Unitary Development Plan in relation to policy on replacement dwellings and visual intrusion in the landscape.

The applicants from Llanelli will now have two options: one would be to appeal against the committee's decision through the Planning Inspectorate of the Welsh Assembly Government.

The other option would be to pull down the existing dwelling and rebuild it to the specifications of the consent that was granted in 2006.

BNOG says they are eagerly anticipating the next step in the Bettws Newydd saga, whether it be an appeal or a planning enforcement notice which would: "Bring this development back into line with the Unitary Development Plan, which the rest us are rightly expected to respect".