A Tenby councillor has hit out at National Park planners after overlooking an opportunity to provide more affordable housing for the town.

Plans to build a mixed housing and retail development at Tenby’s former Royal Mail sorting office located on Warren Street were approved last month - as long as only a quarter are second homes or holiday lets.

Members of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s development management committee at their March meeting, were recommended to back an application for the demolition of the sorting office in the conservation area, replacing it with a 19th century-style four-storey mixed development of 34 residential units and ground-level commercial properties.

Instead, members deferred making a decision on the application, by Trillium (RMF) Ltd, which includes an affordable housing unit, and socially rented units.

The application was deferred to the April 19 meeting of the committee, after members raised queries on the possibility of restricting the use of the development to use the new Class C3 (primary residence) designation only, removing permitted development rights to prevent use of Classes C5 and C6 (second home and holiday lets).

Three options were included for committee members if they wanted to support a second homes/holiday let condition on the 34 residential units: up to five low cost/social housing and no restrictions on the housing classes, a 75 per cent restriction on the open market housing – favoured by officers, and a 100 per cent restriction on the open market element of the housing.

The report for committee members said: “Based on the request by members to consider the implications of such a restriction on C3 use class, officers would recommend that if members do wish to apply occupancy controls, Option 2 [75 per cent restriction] is viable and considered a preferred option which can be supported by officers as a suitable alternative to the previous recommendation to address the C3 Use Class restrictions as requested by members.

“Whilst it is considered that there is evidence that may support a condition on 100 per cent of the market properties in question [Option 3] officers consider that the risk of displacement to other locations and the lower level of affordable housing that this would make viable, mean that Option 2 delivers the best overall scheme in terms of a mix of housing types to support Tenby’s role as a service and tourism centre.”

Members agreed to delegate conditional approval to planning officers, subject to a string of conditions including only a quarter of the accommodation being able to be sold as second homes/holiday lets.

Members of Tenby Town Council had previously expressed their concerns over a lack of affordable housing provision included in the plans, concerns also relayed by Tenby Civic Society’s planning committee, who said that the site was ideally located for social housing, feeling that the applicants’ failure to address that provision would need correcting in any approval.

Cllr Laurence Blackhall had called for the scheme to be rejected and ‘thrown out’, unless the affordable housing provision was increased, but expressed his disappointment on the outcome to his fellow town councillors at their meeting last week (May 2), stating that it wasn’t acceptable for PCNPA not to take into account their own policies.

“It is hugely disappointing to have that potential site, and for the National Park Authority not enforce its own policy around affordable housing,” said Cllr Blackhall.

“This was an opportunity to do something far better in that area for the town. It’s not in the best interest of Tenby or the National Park

“We need to have discussions with the likes of PCNPA, PCC and Ateb to make sure that these type of decisions don’t happen again, and that the town is not missing great opportunities like this, to create more affordable housing for the community

“The National Park’s policies on affordable housing need to be brought into practice,” he added, formally requesting a meeting with Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Pembrokeshire County Council.

After securing approval for the redevelopment, a spokesperson for Telereal Trillium stated: “Plans were developed in close consultation with the Pembrokeshire County Council Conservation team to ensure they are reflective of the character of the wider area and appropriate in the context of nearby heritage assets, including the adjoining conservation area, two adjacent listed churches and a scheduled ancient monument.”

Annabelle Stannard, development and disposals manager at Telereal Trillium, added: “We are pleased that the former Tenby Royal Mail depot site will have a renewed purpose in the local community.

“It will be a valuable addition to Tenby Town Centre, providing much-needed housing for Pembrokeshire alongside modern commercial space.”

Carney Sweeney acted as the planning consultants and Roberts Limbrick Architects acted as architects.