Planning Department Slammed By Locals

Local people were not offered the chance to voice their views on a Pembrokeshire development because county planners thought all the neighbouring homes were holiday lets, a local resident has said.

A new restaurant on the site of a disused former garage site in Fishguard’s Lower Town was granted planning permission last month, and will avoid paying a £15,000 affordable housing contribution if its three associated apartments stay as holiday lets.

The application in the town’s conservation area, submitted by Orwell Pine Co Ltd, for the restaurant/café and three apartments was recommended for conditional approval, subject to the completion of a Section 106 legal agreement, and conditions including the implementation of flood mitigation measures.

Since then, some Lower Town residents have expressed their “utter frustration and anger” at what they see as “a recent act of incompetence” by Pembrokeshire County Council in not alerting neighbours of the application.

Claire Evans says she and her fellow residents were denied a chance to comment on the plans, as no planning notifications were available on-site, meaning they knew nothing of the plans until it was too late to comment.

“Very telling is the fact that as soon as I discovered that approval had been given, I telephoned the case officer to investigate how this could have happened without our knowledge.

“I was astonished to be told that: ‘The planning office did not send out letters advising of the application to the neighbouring houses because they thought the neighbouring houses were all holiday lets’.

“They are not. Myself and my five immediate neighbours are all permanent residents and live adjacent to the property in question.”

Claire said she was told planners were surprised that no local objections were received, but added: “I find it impossible to understand why somebody at PCC didn’t link the lack of writing to the local residents with the absence of any objection.”

Clare and her fellow residents have also asked why no planning notification was affixed to the building.

She added: “My five immediate neighbours and I are not objecting to the development without reservation, however it is the detail and lack of realistic consultation with knowledgeable local residents to which we object.”

They are asking for the approved development to be overturned, or at least revisited with due consideration to the views and reservations of local residents.

A Pembrokeshire County Council spokesperson said: “We are looking into the matter and have made contact with Claire Evans as part of this process.”