PLANS for parking and traffic changes which have created “tensions and divisions” in a rural north Pembrokeshire seaside village with fears it would lead to is “complete urbanisation” have been backed by the national park.

Pembrokeshire County Council, in an application before the September 4 meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee, sought approval for a long list of changes to Porthgain Harbour, Porthgain.

It includes highway and environmental improvements, including new parking bays, a realignment of the existing Llanrhian Road carriageway, resurfacing of existing parking areas, designated pedestrian footways and crossings, and traffic calming features.

The National Park owns the land subject to the application, historically a quarry port prosperous in the early 1900s; the scheme recommended for conditional approval.

The centre is a Conservation Area and contains a number of listed buildings; the former quarry and harbour are a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The village of 260 residents is dominated by the village green and informal car parking area and high visitor numbers during peak months cause traffic congestion, parking problems, and safety issues for pedestrians and emergency vehicles, a report for planners said.

“The application notes that high visitor numbers during peak months cause traffic congestion, parking problems, and safety issues for pedestrians and emergency vehicles. The proposed development seeks to address these issues through a range of highway and environmental improvements with associated drainage infrastructure and landscape enhancements.”

It added: “A range of public responses have been received raising a number of concerns including around whether the scheme has reflected previous public engagement proposals, whether the scheme is necessary and whether it will negatively impact on the character and appearance of the historic village of Porthgain.”

Concerns raised in the report said the proposal would “change the ‘feral and free’ nature of Porthgain,” and is “a complete urbanisation of a very rural historic working harbour village” and the “natural charm of village will be ruined”.

Amongst the lengthy proposals were “road realignment, new parking bays, pedestrian footways, traffic calming measures, and improved drainage to enhance accessibility and safety,” the report said, with an informal one-way system being introduced.

Speaking at the September meeting, local county councillor Cllr Neil Prior said the issue was “probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done as a county councillor”.

He told members a residents’ group had been formed after concerns were raised about how busy the local parking situation was in what is now “a year-round problem” rather than just the summer months, with funding secured for the £350,000 project.

He said part of the traffic problem was “19th century infrastructure dealing with 21st century problems.”

He said there had been much local division over the proposals, and he had been to “numerous meetings trying to smooth things out,” adding: “There have been some strong objections, there have been village tensions, which I regret; what started as harmonious and collegiate has been quite divisive.

“There’s been a number of strong objections but a number in quiet support, who perhaps haven’t made their views because of the tensions.”

He told members: “My plea is we have to continue engagement with the residents of the village; I always say this is for the village.”

The scheme was unanimously supported by park planners.