A call to approve retrospective works to an agricultural slurry lagoon near Redberth has been backed by planners despite local community council concerns.

In an application recommended for conditional approval at the July 29 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Hugh James sought permission for a variation of conditions from a 2013 application for an earth bank nutrient storage lagoon to agree the details of a liner and remedial design works together with the extension of time to implement works at Llandigwynett.

An officer report said: “The submitted section 73 application seeks a variation or removal of these conditions for the retrospective slurry store design. It was originally proposed to install a geosynthetic liner. As the store has been clay-lined approval of this construction design detail is now sought.

Concerns were raised by Jeffreyston Community Council over matters such as the thickness of the liner and the stability of the lagoon, the need for improvements made to ensure that this lagoon is operating within regulations.

The report said the store has been clay lined to 0.5 metres as recommended by the Gown structural report in 2018, but later regulations, in 2021, had increased this to one metre, stating: “Based on no reported pollution incidents to Natural Resources Wales since the amended clay design (being in situ since 2018), officers consider that it would be unreasonable to enforce that the store is constructed in accordance with [later] regulations.

“Confirmation from NRW to support the store being constructed in accordance with the remedial works has been received. On this basis a condition requiring the development to remain in accordance with the remedial works and structural design as outlined in the Gown report will be imposed.”

The officer recommendation of approval was unanimously approved by committee members.