A SCHEME for 12 new lodges at a Pembrokeshire holiday park which was recommended for refusal – in part due to its effect on the nearby town’s historic castle – has been withdrawn, county planners heard.

James Powell, of Brookside & Castlewood Holiday Park, Narberth had sought permission for 12 self-catering lodges, and associated works, as an extension of the existing park, on the outskirts of the town.

The application was recommended for refusal by Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee meeting of April 23, in part due to concerns about the impact on the town’s historic castle.

Narberth castle is mentioned in the Welsh literary classic the Mabinogion as the place where Rhiannon, mother of hero Pryderi, was imprisoned when her newborn child is abducted, and she is accused of infanticide.

Heneb (formerly Dyfed Archaeological Trust) had objected, considering the impact on the castle and conservation area have been “underplayed,” and the council’s Historic Buildings & Conservation Officer says the impact on the castle and conservation area would be ‘Very High’ and ‘High’ respectively.

Natural Resources Wales had also raised “significant concerns” on proposed foul water disposal.

It was recommended for refusal on the grounds it would “have negative social impacts in terms of access for people with disabilities; and negative environmental impacts in terms of landscape character and appearance, historic assets, and the Afon Cleddau SAC”.

Members of the planning commit heard the application had been withdrawn ahead of the meeting.

A CALL to remove an agricultural worker-only condition from a south Pembrokeshire couple’s home has been given the go-ahead by county planners.

In an application considered by Pembrokeshire County council’s planning committee at its April 23 meeting, John Williams of Woodside, Martletwy had applied for the residency condition to be lifted, which members were recommended to approve.

Mr Williams and his wife Catherine have lived at the property since December 1986, the dwelling granted outline planning permission in April 1985.

This was subject to an agricultural occupancy condition, in association with nearby Baglan Farm, which was previously owned and managed by Mr Williams’ parents, now both deceased.

A complication had developed after Mr Williams, a former farm worker, had been later employed in other trades, leaving the couple in breach of that condition for more than a decade.

Back in February, planners agreed to a certificate of lawfulness, entailing proof of occupancy over a period in excess of 10 years, overcoming the breach, which allowed the couple to stay at their home of many years.

Since that successful certificate, an application for the formal removal of the condition was submitted to the April committee, a report for planners stating: “The [certificate] was granted as it had been demonstrated on the balance of probability that the required timescale of at least 10 years had elapsed.

“As such, this application relies on the argument that the condition does not now meet the tests prescribed [for planning conditions] as it is no longer enforceable and should be removed.

“The certificate is unfettered and is a material consideration of substantial weight given the benefits it provides would be transferable to any subsequent occupiers.

“Accordingly, the condition is not enforceable as long as the subject dwelling remains occupied by the existing or any subsequent occupiers that do not meet the requirements of the condition that this application seeks to remove.

“It is possible for the property to be occupied in breach of the condition by any non-qualifying person in perpetuity.  Whilst it is theoretically possible that a future purchaser might comply with the occupancy condition, meaning that the certificate would fall away, the consequences of such an action would result in a loss of upwards of 30 per cent of the value of the property.

“The very low likelihood of this course of action is such that the fall-back position associated with the certificate is a material consideration sufficient to outweigh the conflict with planning policy.”

Planners unanimously backed the condition being removed.

WALES’ new economy secretary set out his priorities against the backdrop of a significant rise in economic inactivity and a fall in employment compared to the rest of the UK.

Jeremy Miles outlined his aim to make Wales the best place to start, invest in and grow a business by productivity, attracting investment and redesigning skills support.

In a statement to the Senedd about his economic vision on April 23, Mr Miles said increasing productivity and economic dynamism will be his number one priority.

He told the chamber his second priority is to attract and encourage business investment, both in established businesses based in Wales and from new investors.

The economy secretary said his third priority is to redesign employability and skills support, ensuring that economic priorities, apprenticeships and vocational education are all aligned.

However, opposition MSs warned that Wales’ economy is underperforming and urged the Welsh Government to set firm targets to measure success.

Mr Miles, who is also responsible for energy, cautioned that ongoing financial constraints as well as political and economic uncertainty at a UK level make the aims more challenging.

He said: “The legacy of EU withdrawal, the pandemic and ongoing budgetary constraints have weakened the economy.

“The slowdown in UK productivity has impacted output, wages and household incomes, and these inequalities were already more acute in Wales before this time.”

The former education minister, who retains responsibility for the Welsh language, criticised the “cack-handed’ approach of the prime minister to so-called sick note culture.

Mr Miles described the UK Government crackdown on the number of people signed off from work as a brutal way of approaching a very complex challenge.

Samuel Kurtz, the Conservatives’ new shadow economy secretary, raised concerns about worrying trends in economic inactivity and employment

He told the chamber that statistics show Wales’ unemployment rate was 60% higher than the UK average in the three months to February.

The Tory raised alarm about a “staggering” rate of economic inactivity at 26.2%, which he said is almost 27% higher than the UK average and rising three times as fast.

Mr Kurtz, who represents Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, called on the economy secretary to introduce job-creation targets.

He said it should be a sense of shame for the Welsh Government that Welsh workers have long taken home less money than their counterparts anywhere else in the UK.

Luke Fletcher, for Plaid Cymru, said sectors across the economy have been calling out for a comprehensive and meaningful industrial strategy.

The South Wales West MS described the economy secretary’s statement as “essentially a list of economic goods the government would like to see in Wales”.

Mr Fletcher warned: “But there’s no substantive plan on how those goods will be delivered, no road map, no waymarkers and no precise sense of the final destination.”

The shadow economy secretary raised concerns about skills shortages in the green sector, calling for closer collaboration with further education providers.

He said: “It’s currently a case of them putting their finger in the air, seeing which way the wind blows, and hoping for the best. That doesn’t fill me with much hope.”

Mr Miles told MSs that potential job losses at Tata remain the most high-profile concern, vowing that the Welsh Government will do all it can to protect jobs and the steel industry.

The economy secretary said a general election offers the real possibility of a better and fairer economic policy from a new UK Government.

Mr Kurtz called for the Welsh Government to confirm if it has made any financial support available to the £100m Port Talbot transition board set up by UK ministers.

Meanwhile, Mr Fletcher urged the economy secretary to look at using the planning system to protect the future of the blast furnaces.

Mr Miles stressed that the Welsh Government has supported Tata through capital investment and skills support for many years.

He said: “We’ve been pressing for 14 years for a UK Government to take seriously the future of steel and to plan for a transition to greener production.”