A revision of the retail policy included in the Local Development Plan could provide Tenby with the chance to protect the number of shop units in the town.

Correspondence from the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s planning officer for park direction, Richard James, came before members of Tenby Town Council at their meeting on Tuesday night, stating that the authority annually conducted surveys to record the use of each retail unit within each designated centre, which included monitoring the share of non-A1 use along the existing primary retail frontage.

The town clerk, Andrew Davies, said that with members voicing their concerns in recent times on the number of ‘change of use’ planning applications being submitted for Tenby - from retail and office outlets to A3 uses for food and drink outlets to include restaurants, bars, pubs and take-aways - this could be a chance to raise the issue with PCNPA.

The most recent issue arose when a change of use application from B1 (offices) to A3 (café) at 1 Warren Street, was approved by PCNPA’s development management committee, despite town councillors recommending refusal.

“As the town council is aware, the conservation and enhancement of the vitality and vibrancy of Tenby’s town shopping centre, along with all other designated district shopping centres within the National Park, is a key consideration embedded within LDP policies 29 and 50,” explained Mr. James in his letter to the council.

“For Tenby, it was considered for the current Local Development Plan (LDP) that, based on current proportions of retail use and qualitative judgement at the time, a one-third share of non-A1 was appropriate to define the core retail area and that balance should be safeguarded.

“This policy is considered to have performed well overall in maintaining that balance (currently at 33 per cent non-A1 in terms of unit numbers) and has been supported at appeal on two occasions since the adoption of the LDP.

“The Retail Background Paper, which forms part of the evidence base for the Replacement LDP, does not conclude that significant change to the policy is required, however amendments to wording to provide extra clarity are likely to be approved for consultation shortly when we publish the replacement Preferred Strategy for consultation,” he continued.

“The qualitative impact of A3 uses is therefore acknowledged within the current reasoned justification for LDP policy 50.

“Greater weight can be applied to this statement in future planning decisions, should evidence suggest that an over concentration of non-retail use is damaging the day to day vitality and vibrancy of Tenby town centre, along with the other designated district centres of the National Park.

“The town council’s comments on individual planning applications of course highlight concerns in this regard.

“An amendment to add reference to the impacts to day-to-day vitality and vibrancy that A3 uses can have within this paragraph, for further clarity, is likely to be approved for consultation shortly when we publish the replacement preferred strategy for consultation,” added Mr. James.

Speaking on the correspondence, Clr. Dr. Peter Easy told his colleagues that this was a ‘wonderful opportunity’ to address an issue that came up almost every meeting when planning applications for the town were discussed.

“PCNPA are telling us that the LDP allows 33 per cent of the premises in the conservation area to be non A1, so as long as that percentage figure stays the same in the policy document, the town council will never be able to object to planning applications on the grounds that we are concerned that Tenby will lose more retail outlets, and our concerns will continue to fall on deaf ears,” he said.

“This is a chance to amend that policy, and achieve something long reaching, so I’d suggest we ask that PCNPA cut the 33 per cent down to say 25 per cent for non A1, and get them to amend that paragraph once the consultation period on the LDP preferred strategy comes in,” he added.

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Councillors agreed with Clr. Dr. Easy’s comments, and agreed to put the matter on the agenda for the first meeting of the council once the new members had been sworn in next month.