A call to allow a shepherd hut holiday let, built without planning permission, to stay in a Pembrokeshire village has been turned down by the National Park.

In an application to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, Alex Mazaheri of Melrose, Whitehill, near Cresselly sought retrospective permission for a shepherd hut holiday let, and car parking space in the property grounds.

Work started in February 2025.

An officer report recommending refusal said: “National and local planning policies strictly control new development in such locations, permitting only certain forms where the need for a countryside location is essential.

“It is not considered that the applicant has demonstrated this essential need. Furthermore, the siting of the hut and associated access works, including the removal of a section of boundary hedge, has resulted in a significant visual impact when viewed from the public highway. “

It said a number of concerns had been raised by members of the public including the work already having been carried out, the hut sited in close proximity to the highway at one of the narrowest points of the road, removal of hedgerow and creation of a new access without permission, and a lack of adequate visibility to the road for vehicles emerging.

The report added: “Enforcement photographs show that the site is highly visible from the highway to Cresswell Quay, partly due to the removal of a section of hedge to facilitate access.

“Although the applicant proposes reinstatement of the hedge, the current visual impact remains significant. The development represents an unacceptable form of new tourist accommodation in the countryside. The applicant has not demonstrated an essential need to locate the shepherd’s hut in this location [contrary to Policies] and the siting causes an adverse visual impact on the National Park landscape.”

The application was refused on the grounds including it represented “unjustified new development in the countryside,” it would “appear visually intrusive and discordant within the street scene and surrounding rural landscape,” and “insufficient information was provided to demonstrate that the proposal would achieve nutrient neutrality within the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) catchment”.