Concerns raised over a planning application on St. John’s Hill have been alleviated after National Park planning officers admitted that the description given in the proposals was slightly wrong.

Town councillors recently gave their backing to the views of residents living nearby the property at Zion Gardens, who had appealed for construction work to stop, as they believed that the applicants had applied for ‘retrospective’ work to take place for an ‘additonal storey’ to be added, and were worried that the height of the building was contrary to what had been previously approved.

After the concerns were flagged up, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority officers met with the applicants on site and initially advised the developers to cease work, but it was explained at a meeting of Tenby town council on Tuesday night, that there had been a mix-up, with applicant Kim Beynon and architect David Morgan explaining that they had only applied for a Section 73 variation to the plans, to seek an amendment to allow for altered frosted window designs to be added on part of the approved drawings, that were overlooking Merlins Court, with the previous high level window designs proving a ‘major stumbling’ block.

“All plans approved are below the boundary walls - it is a large building and looks quite imposing as it stands, but we’ve complied with the plans previously approved,” Mr. Beynon explained.

Councillors Tony Brown and Mrs. Tish Rossiter said that they understood the residents’ concerns, as the building construction work did look quite high.

“As you come into that area, it does look like someone has stuck a high-rise block there, so seeng that structure - it does look quite a height!” remarked Clr. Brown.

Mrs. Elspeth Williams one of the residents that complained about what she believed was ‘retrospective’ work to allow for an extra storey to be built, told councillors and the applicants that it had been a ‘huge misunderstanding’ based on the wording the National Parks had placed in the application variation and also the fact that the construction girders were so high.

“Now it’s been explained, really truly, we have nothing to complain about, but there was total confusion, which caused a knee jerk reaction, so I’ve change my outlook on the matter,” she said. “It’s still a very big building, and I still don’t like it but you have got planning permission,” she added.

Clr. Trevor Hallett said that now everything had been clarified, the matter could now move forward, and councillors agreed to rescind their decision to refuse the application , based on the fact that they had ‘new information’ and voted to approve the variation, with their views to be passed onto the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.