A change of use for a Milford Haven business unit to a live events venue has been approved, planners hearing the applicant had “jumped the gun” by previously operating it without permission.

In an application recommended for conditional approval at the July meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Steve Bartrum sought retrospective permission for a change of use for Units 4 and 6, Maritime House, Thornton Industrial Estate from a business unit to weekend leisure hall use, along with dedicated parking, ecological and noise mitigation enhancements.

A report for planners stated: “Whilst the agent has indicated a D2 [leisure hall] use the venue will host live bands, DJs, Bingo, boxing matches, live screenings for live sporting events, such as boxing and rugby and dance music events, the nature of some of the events are not considered to fall within a D2 Use Class and would be Sui generis (no specified class).”

It said the application had been amended since its initial submission for up to 25 events per year operating as late as midnight, with five special cases to 2am, along with exceptions around the Christmas/New Year period.

The report said the council’s planning enforcement team has an open investigation owing to the unauthorised material change in use of the premises; an enforcement notice was served on April 25 on the grounds that it was considered the unregulated use of the building as an events venue has a significant detrimental impact on local amenity in terms of noise and disturbance.

A third-party representation was received in objection to the application, raising concern at the negative impact that noise nuisance has had, and will have, upon the lives of their family who neighbouring residents.

Following liaison with the council’s Pollution Control Team, the applicant and their acoustic consultant have agreed structural noise mitigations “which can be implemented and a robust management plan for the control of patrons in and around the premises during events to ensure that noise is controlled so as not to adversely impact upon the local amenity,” the report said.

Speaking at the July meeting, agent Andrew Vaughan-Harris said: “When we look at our business parks, I think their uses have changed over the years; we have a case of a building built after the Second World War looking a bit tired, after all these years.”

He added: “My client, quite a successful builder, saw there was a market for this sort of leisure use; he did jump the gun, he did start operating without planning, he’s learned from that exercise.”

Mr Vaughan-Harris, who cited a letter of support for the amended plans from local county councillor Alan Dennison, said the applicant was “going to reuse an empty building and create some jobs,” adding a related licensing application was currently ongoing.

Approval was moved by Cllr Brian Hall, with fellow supporter Cllr Mark Carter saying: “No-one wants to see empty buildings in any town; I think we’re having to think outside the box; it’s possibly a good use for this building, in my mind it could be alright.”

The conditional approval was backed by the committee, members hearing the licensing application was likely to be heard in August.