With members of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s planning committee conducting a site meeting to discuss the proposed Brynhir development this week, members of Tenby Town Council have reiterated their reasons for supporting the application after their views were questioned by a campaign group calling itself the ‘Tenby Greenspace Preservation Society’ who have voiced their concerns against the proposals.

PCNPA’s development management committee visited the site on Monday which has seen an outline application put forward by Pembrokeshire County Council on the land for a housing development, comprising of 102 affordable residential units, eight shared ownership residential units and 34 open market residential units, together with associated access, drainage and landscaping.

At Tuesday night’s meeting of the town council, correspondence was reecived from the ‘Tenby Greenspace Preservation Society’ who asked how councillors could ‘possibly support’ the proposed development at Brynhir, when there was such a ‘lack of detail’.

“As a group of 1,000 members who are opposed to the development, there seems to be a huge lack of concern by Tenby Town Council,” stated the group.

Addressing the correspondence, the Deputy Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown, said the land at Brynhir had been subject to planning discussion for 40-plus years, and part of PCNPA’s local development plan since 1987, with the site to be retained as allocation for a housing development.

She explained that in the past the town council had refused previous planning applications for the site as they felt that they hadn’t supported local housing needs.

Tellingly she said, in 1989 one application that didn’t come to fruition in the end had been supported by all public bodies concerned such as - PCNPA, PCC, Tenby Civic Society and the North Tenby Residents Association, as well as the town council.

“In 2001, as part of PCC and PCNPA’s join unitary development plan, the Brynhir site was allocated as the last significant opportunity for a housing scheme of its kind in Tenby, and there was no public opposition apparent to this,” remarked Clr. Mrs. Brown.

“In 2010 when a review was carried out and PCNPA were required by the Welsh Government to produce their own LDP, the site was earmarked to be retained for housing provision with 168 potential units mentioned - again, there was no public opposition apparent to this proposal.

“Every year local people and youngsters are forced to move out of Tenby because of a lack of housing, which has a detrimental effect on our town.

“This Brynhir development presents an opportunity to address this issue and provide much-needed local housing provision.

“I respect the concerns of the ‘Greenspace Preservation Society’, but we as a town council will work with both PCNPA and PCC as well as the developers with this application moving forward,” she added, with her colleague Clr. Laurence Blackhall concurring with her views.

“There is a long history with this site at Brynhir, and it is absolutely clear that it has always been earmarked for a housing development of some kind,” he commented.

“When properties were built on the land at Upper Hill Park and Lady Park, Brynhir was always identified as phase two of that development.

“At this point, the plans for Brynhir are just outline, but with considerable documents already to discuss. As it is the first stage in the process to see if there is potential for development in broader terms, there will be even more detailed drawings and plans to consider when the full application is put forward,” continued Clr. Blackhall, who said that both the town council and PCNPA had been consistent with their views.

He also said that he understood the concerns of those living nearby about losing the green space, but as the land was private, there technically was ‘no right of way’ access afforded, but there would be in the future with the application plans incorporating an ‘urban park’ as part of the development, with the design consultants outlining their intention to provide a ‘green buffer zone’ to establish an ecological corridor, and also a central central open space providing a ‘green focal point’.

“The benchmark for this application is how much housing for local people can it provide,” he continued.

“PCC could have made a lot more money if they had sold the land on the open market, but had they done this and sold to a commercial developer, then there is no way on earth that we would be looking at 102 affordable units for local people! For that reason alone, we should support this.

“We have a genuine problem that young people from Tenby do not have the option to live in this town. These houses will be council homes forever - can we really turn down that opportunity for our children and their children, I’m afraid we can’t!” he continued, stating that there would be a lot more opportunities to discuss the next stage of the planning process in the future.

Clr. Blackhall also thanked PCC’s cabinet member for housing and regulatory services, Clr. Pat Davies, for her input in the planning process for Brynhir, who he told his colleagues had unfortunately had to step down due to ill health.

“When she took on the portfolio for this site, it was proposed that it would be sold to a private developer, but Clr. Davies led the process for the authority to take on the land, leading to the application for 102 affordable housing units.

“All the way through consultations she had been willing to engage with us and really helpful at meetings. Clr. Michelle Bateman will now be taking on the portfolio, and we look forward to working with her as we see the plans for the next stage of the Brynhir application come forward,” added Clr. Blackhall.

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The Mayor, Clr. Tony Brown, thanked both his colleagues for their ‘passionate’ responses to the correspondence that came before them.