A SCHEME for three houses behind a listed Georgian house in a Pembrokeshire town, which had raised the concerns of the local town council and 15 members of the public, has been refused by county planners.

Sarah Voaden, through agent Robert Davies John West Ltd, sought permission for three three-bed houses on land to the rear of Llwynon, 61 St James Street, Narberth.

A supporting statement said: “The detail and content of the proposal has been well considered and pays good regard to physical constraints/opportunities presented by the site, the character of the area, respects the scale, form, height and appearance of the neighbouring buildings and its wider sensitive heritage setting.”

It says it is not practical to provide affordable housing on the site but a financial contribution of £38,156.25 would be appropriate, adding: “There is no objection to this in principle and a Unilateral Agreement and Certificate of Title will be completed during the application process.”

It concludes: “There are utility connections available within the locality and appropriate sustainable drainage arrangements can be incorporated into the scheme. However, it is recognised there is a current issue with the potential impact of new development on phosphate levels in certain rivers which could be addressed by a future upgrading of the local wastewater treatment works. A Grampian-style condition could be imposed by the council.”

Narberth Town Council’s planning committee has objected to the planning application “as they are extremely concerned over the access for ingress and egress of the neighbouring properties, particularly at the entrance to Tabernacle Lane”.

In its objection, the town council adds: “The council believe that this is an unadopted road and that the entrance into the development is insufficient. The town council notes that there is a children’s nursery in the vicinity, which is heavily used, and the additional properties will increase the amount of traffic which could potentially cause a serious incident. The town council fear that the underground infrastructure may not be able to cope with the demand of three extra properties and feel that the plans do not clearly outline the collection of waste sewage which is a major concern in Narberth.

“The town council believe that this development is overcrowding of the area and is not in keeping with the character of the town.”

15 letters of objection were also received, raising concerns including highway safety and the potential impact on the local nursery, drainage issues, noise and pollution, with one letter of support, saying it would be a good use of the land.

An officer report recommending refusal said the financial commitment to an affordable housing contribution had been offered in principle, but added: “Whilst it is considered that the applicant shows a commitment to making the financial contribution the original signed copies have not been provided to date and as such the application is contrary [to policy].”

It also said the application failed to comply with foul and surface water discharge policies.