An outline planning application for a controversial housing development on land at Brynhir has been given the thumbs up by members of Tenby Town Council this week.

The outline application submitted by Mr. Chris Pratt, of Pembrokeshire County Council, which takes in all matters reserved for 102 affordable residential units, eight shared ownership residential units and 34 open market residential units, together with associated access, drainage and landscaping, on land at Brynhir, Tenby, was unanimously recommended for approval by councillors at their meeting on Tuesday night.

Councillors’ views will now be passed on to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (PCNPA).

The Brynhir scheme which has been drawn up by RLH Architectural Solutions, with The Urbanists (who are acting as planning consultants on the scheme and are responsible for managing and submitting the proposed planning application) comprises of a mix of bungalows, two storey semi-detached properties, executive houses, one and two-bedroomed flats and three-storey flat buildings.

The outline planning application is now available to view online, following the recent pre-planning consultations.

Speaking at Tuesday night’s meeting of the town council, Clr. Laurence Blackhall told his colleagues that he was happy to approve the plans.

“We’ve had many discussions around this table, and it has been the longstanding policy of this town council to accept this development on the basis that - the proposals are consistent with the Local Development Plan; the scheme fits with the affordable housing policy, and addresses local housing needs; it is consistent with the Well-being of Future Generations Act outlined by the Welsh Government,” he remarked.

Clr. Harry Whitehurst asked why there appeared to have been no full environmental impact survey conducted for PCNPA, and only a ‘partial one’.

Clr. Blackhall and the town clerk Andrew Davies both explained that as the development was at the ‘outline planning’ stage at the moment, there would be a whole number of surveys in relation to the scheme being conducted over the course of time, before the planning application goes fully before the National Parks.

“There have been quite considerable documents to view on these proposals already, and I’m sure there are more to come,” added Clr. Blackhall.The outline application is due to come before PCNPA’s development management committee at their next meeting on Wednesday, July 31. However, it is being recommended to members by the planning case officer that a site meeting be undertaken on Monday, September 2, due to the proposals being a ‘major development’ in Tenby and of public interest.