The future of Tenby's Scout and Guides movement has been left uncertain, after members of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority's development management committee refused an application for a new hall this week. The application from GKV Developments sought full planning permission for the erection of 10 residential flats over a new Scout and Guides Hall in Warren Street, Tenby. The application had previously been deferred for Pembrokeshire County Council's highways department to assess the acceptability of existing parking facilities in Tenby in relation to the site. However, although the proposal has been fully supported by the town and county councils, Wednesday's meeting of the development management committee saw members support an officer recommendation to refuse the application. "It is considered that the proposal will adversely affect highway safety, given the scale of the development which will generate a demand for vehicle parking," stated the planning officer's report. "If the proposal were approved as it stands, it would result in increased on-street parking from visitors using the Scout and Guides Hall and also from each of the residential units." The decision has left the project's architect, Mr. Steve Hole, of Willis and Hole Ltd., who spoke at Wednesday's meeting, "extremely disappointed." "I was disappointed by the decision, but not surprised, as we knew what the officers were going to recommend," he said. "What was a let down, though, was the lack of serious debate from committee members over parking issues. "Policy TP 10 and TB/HO2 allows for circumstances where on-site parking is not possible, and although National Park officers are entitled to interpret these policies as they wish, relaxation of the policy is allowable where alternative facilities exist, which are clearly available nearby at the multi-storey," pointed out Mr. Hole, who will now meet with the hall's trustees and the project's developers to discuss what their next step should be. "Considering this refusal could potentially see the future of the Scout and Guide movement in Tenby put in jeopardy, all parties involved will have to consider what the best option available is," he added. Mr. Stuart Farrow from GKV Developments stressed that the proposal would enable the Scout and Guide movement to have a safe, accessible, disable-friendly facility in the heart of Tenby. "The Scout and Guide Hall has been in use for over 80 years until closure last year for safety reasons, so this application only creates new apartments, as the existing use of the hall is well established and the traffic generated must be discounted when giving consideration to the proposal," he said. Chairman of the hall trustees, Mr. Colin Jones, felt most disappointed for the movement's dedicated leaders over the outcome. "These people have worked so hard to get this new hall the go-ahead, that I feel especially sorry for them, as they do it for the love of the Scout and Guide movement and not financial gain,"he said."Obviously we will now all meet sometime after Easter to discuss where we go from here."
