The term 'prefabricated house' conjures up an image of post-war prefabs, cheaply constructed after the Second World War and perhaps the reputation of the mobile home, making many suspicious of homes manufactured off-site.

However, Mr. Peter Huf, an architect with the 100-year-old and world leading post and beam off-site manufacturers Huf Haus, along with his local client Dr. Andrew Armour, recently delivered an informative presentation to members of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority development management committee.

Jane Gibson, director of park direction and planning said: "The authority recently granted planning permission for the construction of a Huf Haus in Tenby, and members had expressed interest in finding out more about this type of house construction, and we were very pleased that Mr. Peter Huf was able to join us.

"It is time that the perception of the National Park as a planning authority which says 'no' is turned around and we demonstrate that we are happy to embrace new technology and ensure that quality, energy efficient designs in the right location are the way forward."

The Huf Haus in Tenby will be the first such house constructed in West Wales, and only the fourth in Wales, (the others are in Anglesey, Penarth and Newport) with a total of around 170 houses built around Britain in the last 10 years. In 2004, Channel 4's Grand Designs featured a successful Huf Haus constructed in England.

The homes are individually designed, with every part manufactured to the highest standard combining craftsmanship with state of the art construction in a climatically controlled factory in the small town of Hartenfels in Germany. The post and beam, timber-framed houses are triple-glazed, fully insulated and can use renewable energy sources, such as air-source heat pumps and heat recovery technology to minimise energy wastage.

A team arrives from Germany to very quickly assemble the house components in kit form, with the house owner given the key only when the house is finished.

John Gummer, former Secretary of State to the Environment, recently commented in the February edition of Planning that 'far too many professionals involved in granting planning permission or inspecting buildings also carry outdated views of prefab.

'There is no group of people (planners) who could more readily change the attitudes of planning committees, building regulation professionals and the general public. A concerted effort to make smart building use as practical as possible would be seriously worthwhile."