Plans to demolish Tenby Infants School as part of an £8.37m primary school re-development at Heywood Lane, have been passed by the National Park's planning committee this week, despite the prediction of more traffic 'pandemonium' for the area. Pembrokeshire County Council is proposing to create two new primary schools in the area to be opened from August 31, 2016 - with the introduction of a new Welsh-medium primary school in place of the existing junior school facility, and a new English-medium school to be built on adjacent land. The application brought before members of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority's development management committee at their meeting on Wednesday morning, was for full planning permission for the erection of a new community school on the existing playing field to the east of the junior school, with the existing infants school to be demolished and reinstated as a grassed playing field as part of the scheme. The application also included a Multi User Games Area (MUGA) to the rear of the existing junior school. In recommending approval for the plans to committee members, Jane Gibson, the authority's director of park direction and planning, said that it was considered that the demolition of the existing infants school and the proposed new school was acceptable, and that it would provide an important new addition to school provision in the area. She explained that the proposals would retain sufficient open space provision in the area, and whilst of contemporary design, the approach was considered to be appropriate for the design of a large, community building. The proposed school would include 12 classrooms, two learning resource centres, resource areas, hall, kitchen facilities and plant areas. A designated car drop off and pick up area and car parking for staff and disabled visitors also formed part of the proposals. Tenby Town Council had supported the plans, with members welcoming a modern purpose-built school for Tenby, although they did have reservations over the internal design and traffic management issues. Tenby Civic Society also expressed concerns over increased traffic congestion, as well as the loss of amenity for residential properties at Serpentine Road, and the removal of an allocated area of open space from the local plan. It was also noted that a public meeting organised by local MP Simon Hart last week to hear what Tenby residents thought of the plans, generated a further 13 letters of objection to the proposals. Speaking of the plans, committee member and county councillor for Tenby North, Clr. Michael Williams said that not many planning applications had caused him a loss of sleep, but he was in a 'quandary' over these plans. "Whilst I'm enthusiastic about a Welsh language school being developed in Tenby, which would be absolutely phenomenal, I have some doubts and concerns over this application," he said. "Pandemonium reigns on Heywood Lane due to the traffic problems. It's a shame we didn't hold our site meeting there half-an-hour earlier, as members could have witnessed the unbelievable problems experienced there, and this development could compound it." Clr. Williams said he was saddened by the loss of the green area in that area and also amazed at the proposals to demolish the existing infants school building, which he felt would've been an ideal facility to relocate Tenby library. "The cost to demolish this school facility is going to be £40,000. We're losing a perfectly adequate building which could have provided a wonderful library building for the town," he remarked. He also said that there were issues over drainage matters that he feared would affect residents in Scotsborough View. Fellow committee member Clr. Bob Kilmister said he sympathised that there might be concerns over extra traffic congestion along that area, but didn't see it as a reason to refuse the application. "The traffic is still going to be awful, but it's awful now! Hopefully, an added drop-off point might help," he remarked. Fourteen members voted to approve the application, with only Clr. Williams voting against the proposals.