A call to allow a first-floor space above a garage in Pembrokeshire to remain as a holiday let has been refused by county planners.

Applicant Tim James sought retrospective permission from Pembrokeshire County Council for a change of use of a first-floor space above a garage from residential to short-term holiday let at Lackerlee, Pen y Cwm, north Pembrokeshire.

A supporting statement said: “This planning application is seeking to retrospectively formalise a change of use for a 23sqm first-floor ‘store’ to short-term holiday let under the name under ‘Cwtch @ Lackerlee’.

“The 1st floor space was used as personal storage until it started to undergo conversion in 2022 for the purposes of being offered as a short-term holiday let. The conversion was completed and started to accept guests in April 2024 under the brand name ‘Cwtch @ Lackerlee’.”

It added: “Lackerlee is a 3.5-acre smallholding comprising two fields as shown on the site and location plan. Being relatively small, it is challenging to commercialise the agricultural land therefore diversification to create additional revenue from the provision of a quality visitor destination is considered essential to sustain the small holding and enhance its contribution to the rural economy.

“The Cwtch @ Lackerlee is not a second home, nor could it ever function as one. It is of a scale and design that is appropriate for short term stays for two guests (and due to its design and features, is impractical for long-term living.”

It said the ‘Cwtch’ was well-utilised, with “extremely positive” reviews, including a Superb Status on Booking.com and 4.78/5 on AirBnB.

The application was refused by planners on grounds including it was “situated in an unsustainable location in the open countryside,” which was “neither located within nor well related to an appropriate settlement” and “does not involve the conversion of an historic building or a traditional agricultural building and it does not relate to an enterprise for which a countryside location is essential”.