Park Planners Asked To Give Thumbs-Up To Enforcement On Multiple Breach Land In South Pembrokeshire

National Park planners are expected to give the thumbs-up for an injunction on a Pembrokeshire site that continues to see planning breaches despite hefty court fines imposed.

Members of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s Development Management committee, meeting on April 19, are recommended to back a call to approve an injunction in relation to land at Highlands View Fold, The Ridgeway, Manorbier Newton.

Following a range of planning breaches, the authority issued two enforcement notices and two temporary stop notices in 2015 to a Richard Scarfe in relation to land at Highlands View Fold.

These were not complied with and in March 2019 the authority commenced a criminal prosecution.

Pembroke Dock man Richard Scarfe admitted developing the land and moving caravans onto it over a four-year period.

Scarfe alleged that he had, since the enforcement action was taken, sold the property to his daughter Brogan Scarfe, but nevertheless accepted responsibility for the breaches.

He also admitted ignoring warnings by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.

Local magistrates fined him £15,000 and told him to pay £2,170 in costs and a surcharge.

Scarfe later lodged an appeal to a judge at Swansea crown court before dropping it, accepting the sentence.

Judge Heywood had expressed surprise that the magistrates had allowed Scarfe to pay off the financial orders at a rate that would take him 69 years.

He ordered Scarfe to pay an additional £500 in court costs.

Since then, the situation has not been remedied, a report for Park planners states.

“Despite pleading guilty to the offences, the breaches of planning control have not been remedied.  Following a site visit by officers in February 2023 it became clear that the situation has exacerbated since the prosecution in March 2019.

“Officers have sought legal advice and it was identified that there are two options available.

“The first is to take direct action to remove unauthorised development and seek to recover the costs of doing so from the landowner. These costs would be significant, and the exercise would be resource intensive.

“Officers therefore recommend the alternative option of obtaining an injunction, which could result in committal proceedings for the parties involved if there is an ongoing failure to comply.”

The report says that Mr Scarfe has transferred the land to his daughter Brogan but has acknowledged to the authority in writing that he is responsible for activities at the site.

The recommendation before the April 19 committee is to approve the injunction and to delegate to the Director for Placemaking, Decarbonisation and Engagement the authorisation of the authority’s solicitor Mr Charles Felgate and Counsel Mr Matthew Graham Paul to enter the site.