Plans for a mini-golf tourist attraction on part of Saundersfoot Harbour’s coastal schooner have been submitted to the National Park.

In an application to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, Lowri Silver of Kilgetty, seeks permission for a change of use of the ground floor area of Saundersfoot Harbour’s Coastal Schooner to an indoor mini golf tourist attraction.

The schooner – a prominent feature on the village’s National Events Deck – was built to showcase Saundersfoot’s maritime heritage and is part of the £10m Wales Coastal Centre project.

The building is a replica of a traditional coastal schooner vessel which operated from the harbour during the coal mining era to transport coal from Saundersfoot.

The interpretation centre closed in October 2024.

Back in July, an application by Jonathan Thomas of ‘Schooner’ for a pirate-themed bar at the site was refused at the national park development management committee.

That rum bar scheme had raised concerns from the community council, saying it was “considered to be at odds with the current family venue and heritage elements”.

An officer report recommending refusal said that scheme was considered to fall outside the seaside village’s defined retail area and the impact on the amenity of the area and especially nearby residential dwellings.

At that meeting, Cllr Alec Cormack, one of the local county councillors, called for a more family-friendly scheme for the site.

He said the community council had raised safety concerns over the sale of alcohol at the schooner, with its high masts, finishing: “I urge the applicant and the harbour as landowner to engage with the village for a more family-friendly scheme that all can support.”

Also speaking at the meeting, fellow Saundersfoot county councillor Chris Williams called for a “clear rejection” of the scheme, adding the promise and an educational and cultural asset had not been delivered. “This is a complete departure from the original use from publicly funded facilities,” he stated.

A supporting statement accompanying the new application says: “The maritime theme will be maintained as the attraction will maintain many of the existing interpretation information and the maritime theme. The Schooner operated as an interpretation centre and high ropes offer for a year from October 2023 to October 2024.

“It has been open through the summer of 2025 on Tuesday and weekends. However, it has proved not to be a viable option to run the Schooner as an interpretation centre alone and an additional use is sought to maintain the interpretation element of the Schooner and to offer an all-weather attraction for local people and residents alike.”

It added: “The proposal will allow for the Schooner to be maintained and be open to the public thus protecting and enhancing the community facilities to meet the needs of local people and visitors alike. The proposal would also sustain the future of the interpretation element of the Schooner which in turn will protect and enhance the harbour, which is one of the key attractions in Pembrokeshire.”

The new application will be considered by park planners at a later date.