Objectors to a planning application which would double the size of the Heritage Park, located at the Old Iron Works in Pleasant Valley, Stepaside breathed a sigh of relief this week as the proposals were withdrawn at the last minute.

The proposed development submitted by Heritage Leisure Development (Wales) Ltd for 75 holiday lodge bases, a spa facility, four holiday apartments, café and cycle hire, an equestrian stables, manege and associated office, the rebuilding of Plum Tree Hall for wardens accommodation, a main park office, car and cycle parking, two residential garages as well as landscaping and associated work, was due to be determined by members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee at a meeting on Tuesday morning at County Hall in Haverfordwest.

The ‘Keep Pleasant Valley Pleasant’ campaigners were out in force ahead of the meeting outside the doors of County Hall with members of the ‘Stepaside and Pleasant Valley Residents Group’ (SPVRG), along with other residents and supporters demonstrating against the Heritage Park planning application.

Then news came through that the application had been withdrawn, just as planning committee members were already starting to take their seats for the meeting.

The large but cheerful crowd of demonstrators were starting to overflow in the public gallery, as the chair opened the meeting and announced that the Heritage Park application was withdrawn.

Mr. David Popplewell, Interim Head of Planning, went on to say that this was not a ‘deferment’, but that the application was ‘dead’, with ‘no more work’ to be done on it.

Any future applications would be treated as a new submission, with campaigners vowing that as there was such a strong feeling locally, they would keep up their opposition to the plan and any future applications.

Ben Morris Chair of the SPVRG said after the meeting: “This is very frustrating - PCC Planning Officers agreed with most of our points in their recommendations to reject the proposal.

“That would have gone against seven different PCC Planning policies.”

He went on to say however:?“I doubt that this is the end of the matter because we believe that the Heritage Park intend to continue with plans to develop, probably by submitting slightly changed plans.

“Whatever happens, SPVRG have over 150 local people who are supporting the campaign, and the group is in a strong position to respond to any future development proposals they may come forward with.

“There were over 30 objectors in the public gallery and nobody in support of the application!” he added.

Linda Rodell of the group continued: “We are delighted with this result and are confident that beating this plan is the only way to guarantee we keep Pleasant Valley pleasant.”

“If the planning application had gone ahead there would have been 139 residents and 183 lodges, it would have been huge!

“They have classed Stepaside as a holiday village which it is not. It would have ended up being a village within a village and negated future generations’ wellbeing as well as desecrating the environment and being an assault on the natural beauty of the area,” she added.

The SPVRG group, have carried out a determined campaign and along with the local member, Clr. Tony Baron, the Amroth Community Council, all planned to speak against the development at the planning committee meeting.