Pembrokeshire ‘party house’ to be transformed into two properties

A RETROSPECTIVE application to chop up a Pembrokeshire coast ‘Airbnb party house’ into two properties is expected to get approval on the condition one cannot be used for holiday lets.

In an application before Pembrokeshire Coast National Park planners at their October meeting, BDS Contracts Ltd seeks retrospective permission for the works at 7 Holbrook Close, Broad Haven.

Work started January 2021.

The application was submitted following enforcement reports and investigations into what has been described as a “party house,” which had the potential to have as many as 17 people staying at any one time.

Local community council, The Havens, has raised concerns.

“The use of this property as a substantial commercial holiday let raises concerns on a number of levels to include noise, an impact on amenity for neighbours and car parking constraints when the property is occupied by a capacity of the advertised number of people.”

A report for planners said the subdivision of the property into two is acceptable in planning terms, but said the existing use of the property had moved from either a C3 (dwelling house), C5 (second home) and C6 (short-term commercial let) to a ‘sui generis’ class of its own.

“This is based on the pattern of arrivals and departures, with associated traffic movements; the lack of occupation by family or household groups; the numbers of people constituting the visiting groups on many occasions; the frequency of party-type activities, and the lack of consideration for neighbours.

“It is clear that the activity of people living in the property whilst enjoying their holiday has included exuberant activities and that the reasonableness of individuals and their ability to judge what is appropriate behaviour has been diminished when they feel in a holiday spirit.

“Officers of the authority consider that based on the way in which the property has been operating since 2020 as evidenced by adverts on Airbnb and complaints from neighbouring properties, there has been an unauthorised material change of use from C3/C5/C6 use to a Sui Generis party house use.”

It added: “Reports of party-type activities on weekends and associated noise complaints support evidence of a change of use. The overall intensification and change of character with associated noise and disturbance is considered by officers to indicate an unauthorised change of use to Sui Generis Party House.”

It is recommended the application be approved, subject to conditions including that one of the properties be tied to a C3 dwelling house-only clause and the two properties are not allowed to be used as a single dwelling again.