COUNCILLORS have expressed their sympathy after plans to convert an annexe in a Pembrokeshire village to a holiday let were refused due to general ongoing guidance about nitrogen levels in the Haven Waterway which is limiting development.

In an application recommended for refusal at the January 13 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Mr J Burns sought a partly retrospective permission for the subdivision of an existing annexe at Briardale, Lamphey for holiday accommodation.

The application was before the committee rather than being decided by officers under delegated powers following a successful call at the October meeting of the council’s planning delegation panel.

It was recommended for refusal on the grounds it would result in an increase in nitrogen discharges draining into the Milford Haven Inner waterbody of the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) “where features are known to be in unfavourable condition due to current evidence of both chemical and biological failure,” an issue, based on Natural Resources Wales guidance that is affecting many developments that have foul water drainage.

Pembrokeshire County Council recently backed sending a letter to the First Minister, conveying the authority’s “great concern over Natural Resources Wales’ recent river nitrates guidance,” which has “essentially placed a moratorium on certain types of development in Pembrokeshire”.

It says the area which development is required to demonstrate nitrogen neutrality is approximately 75 per cent of the county, including Haverfordwest, Narberth, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock, and amounts to approximately 35 per cent of the council’s future housing land supply.

Speaking at the meeting, agent Richard Banks said there had been no neighbour objections to the scheme, the building having already been on-site used as an annexe for family members for some two years.

He said the potential to use the existing facility for 365 days a year meant there was unlikely to be an increase in foul water drainage to the SAC.

Councillor Alec Cormack, who moved the recommendation of refusal, said: “My sympathy is with the applicant, and any applicant affected by this regulation.”

Officers also expressed sympathy to the applicant, but stressed the scheme, as a material change of use, brought in the need to comply with the NRW guidance, adding the scheme would, on the information presented, likely have an impact on the SAC through an increase in nitrates.

Members voted 11 to one in favour of refusal.

Cllr Alan Dennison expressed his sympathy the applicant was “just caught up in this farce regarding nutrients,” with committee chair Cllr Mark Carter stressing there was a need to find a solution to the ongoing issue: “I’m very sorry for all these people, these agents, these applicants, these builders, caught up in this.”

A nearby housing scheme for 50 homes on land near Gibbas Way, Pembroke was recently refused in part due to the ongoing nitrates issue.

AMENDMENTS to a 52-home scheme in Pembrokeshire, which will provide just four affordable homes due to financial viability concerns, are critical for its delivery in a “stagnant housing market,” councillors heard.

In an application recommended for approval at the January meeting of Pembrokeshire County council’s planning committee, Wakefield Developments Pembrokeshire Ltd sought permission for amendments to a previously-granted scheme for a development of 52 homes on land east of Pilgrims Way, Roch.

The £10m mixed units scheme, granted back in 2024, had drawn concerns that only four affordable units would be provided against a 20 per cent requirement, the developer citing viability reasons for the low number.

Amendments proposed to that scheme included a change in some of the house types, including from apartment arrangement to semidetached town houses, changes to some of the sizing, repositioning of some units, an embankment being replaced by a footpath, and a substation being introduced to serve the new housing estate’s electricity supply.

A report for members accompanying the application said: “As previously accepted and again assessed by virtue of [a valuation] the proposed development is not fully policy compliant, insofar as it cannot deliver the indicative 20 per cent affordable housing sought [by policy].

“However, a substantial positive social impact will arise through the provision of housing, including four one-bed affordable housing units, in meeting identified needs for both market and affordable housing.

“Furthermore, financial obligations as agreed and secured by the extant parent application towards the mitigation of adverse impacts in relation to education and highways, remain as being essential to ensuring that the development is acceptable in planning terms and remain unchanged by this S73 application.”

18 objections to the original scheme were received, raising concerns including an “inadequate” affordable housing level, it being a high-density development for a rural area, a loss of green space, the size of some of the homes, and pressures on existing services and facilities, and fears it may lead to an increase in second homes.

Nolton & Roch Community Land Trust had raised its concerns about a lack of affordable homes at the development, calling for a 20 per cent affordable homes element, as recommended by policy.

Speaking at the January 2026 meeting, agent Gethin Beynon welcomed the recommendation of approval, saying the amendments were critical for the delivery of the development, improving its saleability “in what is a stagnant housing market”.

He said the developers were still building 52 units, in what was “one of the very few new housing developments of this scale in Pembrokeshire” due to limitations placed by the ongoing nitrates issue.

Local member Cllr Nick Neumann said the local community council was supportive of the scheme, with the new housing helping the viability of the local school; Cllr Brian Hall later moving approval of the amendments.

The latest application was backed by 11 votes to one.

A CALL to allow a 600-acre Pembrokeshire potato farm to keep a holiday let erected “in innocence” without permission, which is said to be essential for supporting the business, has been approved.

In an application recommended for approval at the January 13 meeting of Pembrokeshire County council’s planning committee, Mr and Mrs I and F Elliot sought permission for the continued use of a mobile unit with a veranda as tourist accommodation at Cresswell Barn Farm, Cresswell Quay.

Cresswell Barn Farm supplies potatoes to Welsh supermarkets and the site has a certified campsite.

The application was before the committee rather than being delegated for an officer decision as it was recommended for approval, subject to the completion of a Section 106 legal agreement essentially keeping it for holiday use only, despite being in conflict with the development plan and was made by a close family member of an officer in the planning service.

An officer report accompanying the application said an enforcement investigation was started way back in 2012 following a claim a caravan was located at the site and was being used for residential purposes.

That was closed in 2023; a 2022 investigation taking place after an allegation a structure on-site was being used for holiday letting.

A 2023 certificate of lawfulness application was made to regularise the breach of planning, saying the unit had been used for residential purposes for more than a decade, but insufficient information was provided to allow it, the report said.

An appeal against this was later made to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) but was withdrawn by the applicant.

It said the enforcement action was ongoing, leading to the formal planning application.

Of the site itself, the report said: “The agent has confirmed that due to many variables, there is no typical year for the enterprise in terms of profitability and that the income generated from tourist related activities at the farm, is critical to the farming enterprise.  The high-quality holiday unit therefore provides an additional income stream for the farming enterprise.”

It added: “The holiday unit is located adjacent to buildings that make up the farm complex, with the accommodation offering guests an immersive rural experience that introduces them to aspects of the rural economy.

“Information submitted in support of this application confirms that the income from the holiday uses at the site is critical to supplementing the potato farming enterprise.”

Speaking at the meeting, Fiona Elliot said the holiday let was a small-scale part of the wider farm complex; the building having been on-site for some 15 years, the applicants more recently “in innocence” using it as a holiday let, which visitors have described as “five-star,” not realising they needed planning permission.

Following a call by Cllr Brian Hall to back the officer recommendation of conditional approval, members unanimously supported that.