A call for a horse manege sand school to remain at the site of a once “prolific” horse riding centre has been given the go-ahead by National Park planners.

In an application recommended for approval at the October 15 meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee, Lawson and Penny Owen, through agent Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, sought retrospective permission for a change of use of a historic agricultural storage compound to a horse manege at East Nolton Farm, Nolton Haven.

A report for members said: “Officers consider the proposed scheme to have a design, scale, and siting that is acceptable. The proposal will be well screened from the immediate and wider landscape and will not harm biodiversity or the area’s special qualities.

“The development is on land identified as best and most versatile agricultural land, however it is recognised that amending the siting of this manege to a location with lower grade agricultural land value would result in increased visual intrusion within the National Park landscape.

“The development is also recognised as one which requires a countryside location and supports an existing tourism business – these are material considerations which it is considered outweigh the National Planning policy presumption against the loss of best and most versatile agricultural land in this specific circumstance.”

An officer appraisal said the applicants own land in excess of 400 acres in and around the Nolton area, and the existing holding has recently diversified its agricultural operations and horse stable business to include holiday lets.

It added: “The [planning statement by the applicants] notes that the applicants run a tourism business of which holiday accommodation is now the main source of income for the applicants under the branding of Nolton Coast. The associated farmland is still owned and grazed or rented out by the applicants.”

Speaking at the meeting agent Andrew Vaughan-Harri, referring to the application, said that Nolton Stables operated for many decades by the family as “a very prolific horse centre,” but that post-Covid horse leisure uses options have changed and that clients now bring their own horses and use the sand school as a warm-up before enjoying the various tracks on the farm for horse riding activities.

He said the current site was well screened, adding: “If it was sited to a lower grade it would be far more prominent.”

Approval was moved by Cllr Steve Alderman, and passed by the committee.