A Tenby councillor has made further calls for discussions with Pembrokeshire Coast National Park planners to seek ways of determining how more affordable housing can be included in any future developments for the seaside town

Cllr Laurence Blackhall recently hit out at PCNPA after overlooking an opportunity to provide more affordable housing as part of plans to build a mixed housing and retail development at Tenby’s former Royal Mail sorting office located on Warren Street, which were approved in April.

Members of PCNPA’s development management committee 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.

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.

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 month, 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,” he continued, calling for discussions with the likes of PCNPA, Pembrokeshire County Council 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

At the May meeting of TTC, councillors heard that The Clerk had written to Senior planning officer at PCNPA Kate Attrill who said that that the written 72-page report to the committee would outline the rationale for the outcome on the former post depot development.

The Clerk said that Ms Attrill was more than happy to have a meeting but she has asked that members are aware of the content of the report as she feels many questions may be answered from within.

Cllr Blackhall said it was intended that the meeting was more generic than just this one application, and wanted to have a full discussion on how the policies and procedures are working, how they can be adapted and changed, and intended to include other organisations.

He stated that the Town Council should still go ahead with a joint meeting and saw it as an informal way to determine how more affordable houses can be included in future schemes like this, to move forward together.