Planning proposals for a beach style hut selling ice cream to be positioned in front of part of Tenby’s historic town walls near to the seafront have been labelled as intrusive and ugly.

An application submitted to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (PCNPA) for the siting of a beach style hut and associated advertisement signs seasonally on an existing Pembrokeshire County Council ice cream concession pitch, on the pavement adjacent to The Esplanade, came before members of the town council at their meeting on Tuesday night.

According to the planning documents submitted to the authority, the applicant Mr. Phillips of The White Horse public house in Kilgetty currently uses an ice cream van, with the existing site a public pavement with a Pembrokeshire County Council ice cream concession which the applicant leases.

The plans would see the hut able to trade between March 1 and October 31.

Discussing the proposals, Clr. Laurence Blackhall told his colleagues at Tenby town council that he felt the application would set a precedent that could see the area end up with similar huts trading all along the parade.

“I don’t think it’s fair to other traders and businesses in the town that pay high business rates all year round,” he remarked.

“I also think that the huts look ugly and ridiculous,” he continued, with his fellow member Clr. Trevor Hallett stating that he would vote totally against the application.

Members unanimously voted to refuse the application which will eventually be determined by members of PCNPA’s development management committee.

Tenby Civic Society have also refused the proposals stating that the proposal would be detrimental as space by the town walls was ‘sensitive and special’.

“Whilst the beach hut design is appropriate for a seashore location, positioning alongside the Town Walls is not an appropriate location, being an intrusion in the street scene in the Conservation Area and in front of the Town Walls, a listed Ancient monument,” stated the Civic Society’s planning sub committee chair Harry Gardiner in recommendations submitted to PCNPA.

“Approval would serve as a precedent for more hut proposals to the County and the Park to exploit the long space in front of the Town Walls. A series of unrelated such huts would be very intrusive and lack co-ordinated design to match the character of the Town Walls.

“Removing the hut out of season is not clear and could become an issue for enforcement.”

Mr. Gardiner went onto remark that the current summer provision of ice cream being sold by a tricycle cart was ‘much less obtrusive’.

“Provision on wheels does not require planning permission and is more flexible and simpler for the County to manage with licences.

“The tradition of ice cream on wheels has long been part of the character of Tenby’s season,” he added.