Pembrokeshire Council’s plans for an overnight motorhome and campervan parking site close to Fishguard’s ferry have been lodged, but some of its own officers are recommending refusal as they would not be able to enforce any noise complaints.

A trial scheme for overnight motorhome parking facilities at the Goodwick Moor car park, The Parrog, was mooted last year after a February 2024 Council Cabinet-backed trial scheme for a ‘Pembs Stop’ campervan and motorhomes facilities at four car parks was later dropped.

It had initially been agreed that car parks at North Beach, Tenby; Goodwick Moor, Goodwick; Townsmoor, Narberth; and Western Way, Pembroke Dock would form the trial areas operating year-round at £10 a night for a trial 18-month period, with the intention not to create ‘campsites’.

Local tourism businesses had said the proposals would harm them, and concerns about the trial were also raised by the official tourism industry group Visit Pembrokeshire.

Following that, a special council scrutiny committee meeting was held last April where the scheme was overwhelmingly rejected; a later September 2024 Cabinet agreeing to not proceed with the scheme but instead trial an overnight stopover facility for motorhomes at Goodwick Moor car park, linked to the ferry port, the 18-month trial expected to start this March.

A formal planning application for a conditional change of use of the Goodwick Moor Car Park scheme “to allow for the sleeping overnight between 7am and 9am for motorhomes/camper vans only” has now been submitted by the council but the authority’s own Pollution Control Team is recommending refusal.

In its report, the team says: “The Pollution Control Team have a history of complaints associated with this particular location where it has been utilised for overnight parking of heavy goods vehicles. Noise nuisance complaints from nearby residential properties were received as well as concerns for insanitary conditions and improper waste disposal arising from lack of toiletry and refuse collection and disposal facilities/provisions for the location.”

It says the proposal “would undoubtedly represent an intensification of the site for the overnighting of transient vehicles” adding: “This intensification and its significant potential to adversely impact upon the locality does not appear to have been considered due to the lack of any mitigations and/or controls being recommended within the application submitted”.

It says it would be placed in an untenable position where it would not be able to enforce any noise complaints at a site where it has “historically been an issue for overnighting vehicles “through a noise abatement notice.

“As the source of the noise would be transitory, overnighting vehicles accessing and egressing the site, the persons then responsible would be the owner/operator of the facility.

“As the development site is in the ownership of the local authority, the applicant, the Pollution Control Team, as part of that authority, would be unable to address any future adverse impacts upon public health and the local amenity as legally they are unable to enforce relevant legislation upon the local authority that they are a part of.”