Updated plans for a controversial housing Tenby development, which will see less homes built than originally proposed, are expected to be approved by the national park despite wide-ranging concerns.

In 2018, Pembrokeshire County Council, which already owned the 15-acre Brynhir site on the edge of Tenby, ‘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.

Last July, national park planners heard less homes than originally hoped for will be built at the development, but nearly three-quarters will remain affordable.

It is now proposed that only 125 houses will be built, 93 of them affordable, and, of the 32 Open market dwellings, 16 are shared ownership properties.

In July 2023, the national park backed a Pembrokeshire County Council Housing request to modify the Section 106 legal agreement ahead of an official updated application, including a condition that the percentage of affordable housing does not drop below 71 per cent.

Amendments also included 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.

The county council, through agent The Urbanists, later submitted updated outline plans for 125 homes on the site.

The application stated: “The proposed development is a key development for the town of Tenby and the wider county; it shall make a significant contribution to the delivery of much-needed affordable housing as well as helping much overall local housing targets.”

The reserved matters application, backed in principle by Tenby Town Council, is now recommended for conditional approval at the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park development management committee meeting of September 4, despite being contrary to the provisions of the Development Plan.

A report for committee members says Tenby Civic Society “has raised a number of concerns relating to highway safety issues, lack of sustainable transport facilities, landscaping and skyline development, surface water discharge, low water pressure, retention of stone styles within the scheme, footpath routes and impact on existing amenity space to south of the site”.

20 objections to the scheme have also been received, raising concerns including loss of green space, traffic issues, privacy, design, visual impacts and the scale of the development, sewage capacity, the site being no longer allocated for housing, potential antisocial behaviour within the play area, and a limitation on second homes/holiday lets being required.

The report for planners adds: “It is considered that the proposed appearance, landscaping, layout, access and scale of the proposed scheme would be in accordance with the parameters set out at outline stage.

“Following consideration of the policies contained within the statutory Development Plan (Future Wales and Local Development Plan 2) and National Planning Policy in the form of Planning Policy Wales (Edition 12) and having regard to all material considerations it is considered that the development will be in keeping with the aims of the LDP2 and Future Wales in that the development is considered to provide a new residential estate of 125 dwellings to meet the requirements set out in the outline consent whilst sustaining the local character.”