Less homes than planned at Tenby housing development

LESS homes than originally planned will be built at a Tenby housing development, but nearly three-quarters will remain affordable.

In 2018, Pembrokeshire County Council, which already owned the 15-acre Brynhir site on the edge of the town, ‘bought’ the land for £4million using its Housing Revenue Account.

Campaigners fought a two-year battle against the use of the land for housing, calling for protection for ‘Tenby’s last green space’ and fearing it would become a ‘concrete jungle’.

The county council was granted outline planning permission by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority for the development of 144 properties – including up to 102 affordable residential units, eight shared ownership residential units and 34 open market shared units – in 2020.

It is now expected only 125 houses out of the proposed 144 will be built, with just under 90 being affordable.

Applicant Pembrokeshire County Council Housing asked the national park to modify the Section 106 legal agreement ahead of an official updated application, relating to the number of affordable houses associated with the development.

The application, recommended for approval, was heard at the national park’s Development Management Committee, meeting on July 19.

It included a condition that the percentage of affordable housing does not drop below 71 per cent, with a similar clause for the shared ownership houses, at six per cent.

Amendments were also sought for the removal of a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), one of two Local Equipped Area for Play Spaces (LEAPS) instead providing a multi-use space for ball games.

Agent Liam Hopkins told national park planners the project was “critically important to addressing local housing need,” adding it was “an opportunity to create an exemplar placemaking scheme.”

He said the 71 per cent condition on 125 properties meant 89 affordable units would be built.

Members heard the MUGA would be replaced by a “generous-sized” LEAP, retaining a MUGA on-site would lead to a reduction in the number of units that could be built, after a move from a previous location which would have led to a loss of existing trees.

Concerns were expressed about the loss of the MUGA, with Councillor Reg Owens proposing an unsupported amendment to include a MUGA on site.

Moving the application be approved, Councillor Rhys Jordan expressed his sympathy with the loss of the MUGA, hoping a similar facility could be built elsewhere in the area.

Cllr Jordan, who was seconded by Cllr Di Clements, said: “The majority of this development is going to be social housing, we’re used to seeing the opposite; it’s something that’s desperately needed.

“I’m happy to move the recommendation and I urge the applicant to get on with it.”

The official updated application is expected later this summer.