Part of a building design that forms a section of a prestigious new development at Tenby's former Guildhall and Glendower House was described this week as looking like a "building from Beirut."

The criticism came at Monday's meeting of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority's development management committee when members were discussing plans for the properties in The Norton and on The Croft.

Back in January 2006, an application was approved for the demolition of the existing link building, the erection of a new four-storey infill block matching the style of the two adjoining properties and providing six flats, the alteration of The Guildhall and Glendower House to create an additional 13 flats, and the creation of a parking area accessible from both The Croft and The Norton.

A new application has now been submitted by the developers, however, seeking approval for an alternative scheme, which would create nine apartments within the Guildhall, a new link building providing 17 apartments, basement parking, and gardens for the whole site.

Tenby Town Council recently raised their own concerns over the scheme, claiming that the design was not sympathetic with the surrounding environment, being too modern in concept for such a sensitive area of the town.

At Monday's National Park meeting, members were shown the new designs and heard a report from development management officer, Cathy Milner.

She explained that the authority's conservation officer had given his support to the design philosophy of the proposal, stating that the "overall bulk of the building is acceptable in such a varied structure," going on to say that the "projecting link livens up the street scene and creates some interest, reflecting the irregular streetscape of The Croft."

However, committee member David Ellis was left unimpressed with the new design, comparing it to a "building from Beirut" when criticising the proposal for the link building.

"I hope others share my dismay at this design, it's an utterly banal and brutally modern design which clashes with facade in that area," he remarked.

"It's very important that we get this scheme right, it's incredibly prominent and in a supremely important area in Tenby. A far, far better design could have been put forward to link The Glendower and Guildhall buildings," he added, with Tenby member Clr. Michael Williams agreeing.

"The problem is clearly with the link building, it does not sit comfortably and its design fails to meet the requirements of a conservation area.

"It's fine to say that it would liven up the street scene, but a disco would do that and we wouldn't approve one of them would we," added Clr. Williams.

Members voted unanimously to refuse the application.