A consultation on council plans to build affordable homes for the over-55s at the site of the former Motor World building in Milford Haven has been launched.

DPP Planning is preparing to submit a full planning application on behalf of Pembrokeshire County Council for the construction of a new residential redevelopment to comprise 24 affordable apartments at 70A-80A Charles Street.

It is proposed to build 21 one-bed apartments and three two-bed apartments at the four-five storey building, along with a communal residents’ lounge on each floor, 10 on-site parking spaces, soft landscaping and trees.

The proposed building will be four-storeys from Charles Street to the north and five-storeys from Barlow Street to the south due to the change in topography from north to south.

The former Motor World site was cleared in 2018 to enable redevelopment, with planning permission granted on the site for the development of 15 affordable apartments for over-55s in 2020.

The area had been an eyesore for several years before demolition; former councillor Stephen Joseph saying at the time the flats scheme would fill “a great big ugly hole in the town centre that’s been there a long time now,” adding at the time: “The previous building was an eyesore.”

Back in 2021, site contractors WRW construction, which had a number of projects ongoing in Pembrokeshire, including building 33 affordable homes on the site of the former Johnston CP School, as well as work in Tiers Cross, was put into administration by its directors under what was described as, ‘significant financial stress’.

DPP Planning, in its consultation statement for the latest application, says: “The council has now instructed W B Griffiths, a Pembrokshire-based construction company, to develop the site subject to a number of changes.

“The main change is to increase the number of apartments on site to 24 to make best use of the site by increasing the availability of affordable homes for over-55s.”

The closing date for comments on the proposals is July 26.

Any feedback can be submitted via email to: [email protected], or alternatively, by post to DPP, Desg, 11-13 Penhill Road, Cardiff, CF11 9PQ.