Plans to adapt an outbuilding at a Pembrokeshire cottage to provide additional space for elderly relatives has been backed by national park members despite a recommendation for refusal.

In an application recommended for refusal at Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee meeting of January 29, Mr and Mrs Lewis sought permission for the park to allow habitable rooms in a consented building, along with a link to the existing dwelling at Lleine, near Moylegrove, north Pembrokeshire.

A supporting statement through agent Harries Planning Design Management said: “This planning application follows a previously submitted planning application for extension to the dwelling and the rebuilding of existing outbuildings.

“It also follows a pre-application advice enquiry for an extension and to allow habitable rooms in the outbuilding and a refusal for an application of a similar nature. Following the refusal, we met with officers at the [national park] offices in Pembroke Dock to discuss a way forward for this proposal given the reason is to enable relatives to stay with the family. We therefore have followed the advice of the officers and provided amended plans following their response.”

An officer report for planners said Lleine, on a minor coastal road linking Newport and Moylegrove, is a traditional single-storey cottage that has been extended on two occasions previously, adding that while the revised proposal is smaller, “it is still considered that the further additional built form would be an over-development of the existing dwelling, which already been extended extensively”.

At the meeting, officers raised concerns the site “has already been developed by over 100 per cent of its original floorspace,” adding the proposal would “represent an overdevelopment of the site and an intensification of the site”.

Agent Wyn Harries said the proposal was “a simple and discrete use of space” that “would not be visible from the costal path” and would be “barely visible from the road”.

Local member Cllr Mike James, who supported the scheme, said: “the family have two elderly relatives they would like to care for, we’ve all got to go this part of our life at some time.”

Committee member Dr Rosetta Plummer said she was struggling with the application and its recommendation as what was proposed was “preferable to the existing extant approval,” with several fellow members also voicing similar sentiments.

Cllr Anji Tinley, supporting the scheme, said: “Times change and living spaces expand; they’ve changed the materials and complied with everything asked, I think it would enhance the landscape. Over the years its progressed, I can’t see why it can’t progress a little more.”

Members, by 10 votes to six, backed a proposal against recommendations that officers be given delegated powers to conditionally approve the scheme.