A bid by a Saundersfoot sweet-shop owner to improve access to his premises met a sticky end at the hands of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park planners this week.
Before the park's development control committee on Wednesday was an application from Mr. J. P. Sutton to remove the bay window at The Sweet Shop, London House, and replace it with a doorway.
Development control officer Mrs. Cathy Milner explained that the premises was within the Saundersfoot Conservation Area on The Strand.
The left-hand side of the building had been used for retail for many years, but the right-hand side had always been for residential purposes, until recently when the sweet-shop was set up on the ground floor.
Access to the shop was through the main door of the building and this application was to remove the bay window and replace it with a pair of doors which would open directly onto the pavement and provide a separate access to the sweet-shop.
While accepting the the present access was not ideal, Mrs. Milner felt that the proposal would be "most unfortunate" if it went ahead as "the insertion of new doors into what is clearly a domestic bay window" would have "a detrimental impact on the character and appearance."
Mrs. Milner noted that the applicant was concerned that people were passing by the shop, unable to find the access, but she felt that he would have been aware of this arrangement prior to setting up the business.
She felt that the application should be refused as out of character, to the agreement of Clr. Mrs. Rosemary Hayes.
"The shop has been there for some time, people do see it and use it," she said. "I don't see the point of the application."
Although the committee refused the application, Mrs. Milner added that park officers would be happy to talk to the applicant to see if there was some way of improving the existing window.