A retrospective planning application for a Llawhaden farm was back before councillors to give the applicants the chance to have their say.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee were told that previous discussions of the Cwm Farm application at last month’s meeting must be disregarded, and the application reconsidered “without having closed their mind on the way they will treat this planning application.”

Planning agent Tony Kernon, attending the October 4 committee meeting on behalf of Ryan and Declan Cole, said that there was not slurry running off the site with clean water running off the yard, and a suitable drainage solution could easily be arranged.

Mr Kernon added that there was no evidence of threatening behaviour nor was that a planning condition, with the applicants “two young lads” wanting to set up their own farming business.

In response to a question from Cllr John Cole, Mr Kernon said advice about permitted development had been misunderstood by the applicants and they decided to start building because they were being moved from a smallholding and needed a new site quickly, “which was regrettable.”

Llawhaden Community Council objected to the application, as did the owner of an adjacent cottage, with noise, traffic, smell, damage to a bridal way and drainage concerns highlighted.

Council planning officers recommended the application be refused due to its proximity to a residential dwelling, surface water, a lack of evidence about a potential increase in phosphates in a special area of conservation (SAC) and “the increased intensification of the agricultural activity has a negative effect on the bridleway.”

A previous retrospective application was refused in 2019 and an enforcement notice issued in 2021.

The committee agreed to allow delegated powers to refuse the application once it had been determined where the impact on the SAC and biodiversity should also be included as a reason for refusal.