Pub Decking A No-Go

A Pembrokeshire seaside village pub will have to remove decking, installed for safety reasons after a child had near miss with a vehicle, because it fell foul of national park policy.

Kath Lunn, of the Hibernia Inn, Angle, sought retrospective planning permission from Pembrokeshire Coast National Park to keep wooden decking installed at the front of the pub in April of this year.

The application was submitted after a national park enforcement investigation.

The proposal – in the village’s conservation area – was supported by Angle Community Council, and two letters in support of the scheme, on highway safety grounds, were also received.

Kath Lunn, in her application said the decking was erected following a near miss with a child on the adjoining road earlier this year.

“There has always been bench seating there with umbrellas, but earlier this season there was a very close miss when a diner’s child ran into the road and was almost knocked down. We felt it our duty of care to the customers to make the area safe.

“We considered a brick wall but thought this decking would be more aesthetically pleasing being made of natural wood. We did extend out a little further than we wanted to, to avoid cars parking and causing an obstruction in the roadway as we have experienced this in the past.”

Concerns were raised about the design by the park’s building conservation officer, who said: “The works clearly neither preserve the character or appearance of the conservation area, especially the latter.

“I am aware of the problems facing village pubs and the need to provide improved facilities – and the pub is clearly vital to the community.

“There is potential here for an alternative scheme whereby the front garden is enclosed by a traditional wall and the tables and chairs provided within a nicely landscaped frontage. That would be a gain from the original open tarmac area and hopefully would provide a viable option.”

An officer report for park planners recommended refusal on the grounds of the impact it would have on Angle’s Conservation Area.

It added: “The applicant has stated that the new decking would create a safer area for patrons, due to the front seating area being in close proximity to the highway.  This application has been submitted as a result of investigations being carried out by the authority’s enforcement investigation section. It is understood that the raised decking has only been erected on site earlier this year.”

While the conservation officer’s alternatives were noted, “the current application is a refusal due to the impact on the Conservation Area,” adding: “It is considered by officers that the retrospective development appears as a bulky adjunct when viewed from the highway and stands out as a discordant element within the village, at odds with the prevailing character and appearance of the street scene and neighbouring listed buildings, which form an important part of the setting.”