Contentious plans to site a takeaway food kiosk at the former lifeboat hut at Tenby harbour have been turned down, despite Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority planning officers recommending approval for the proposal.

Applicant Ruby Goodrick was seeking permission from PCNPA to turn the old RNLI lifeboat store alongside the Mayor’s Slip into a takeaway outlet titled ‘Trulys @ The Harbour’.

A supporting statement that went before members of PCNPA’s development management committee at the meeting on March 5, stated that the applicant had secured a five-year lease from Pembrokeshire County Council to use the building.

The premises has been vacant since the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Station on Castle beach was brought back into use in 2022.

Caution had been raised by the National Park’s conservation officer though, who stated: “Great care is needed not to introduce inappropriate commercial use or an unacceptable level of such, the harbour is already served by a kiosk selling hot drinks and small snacks.”

The proposals had been objected to by members of Tenby Town Council and Tenby Civic Society.

Tenby councillors stated that the proposal was ‘out of keeping’ with the environs of a working harbour.

They pointed out that this location is used regularly by commercial and leisure harbour users and the proposal would impact on the main vehicle thoroughfare through the harbour adjacent to the sluice.

Giving recommendations to PCNPA, on behalf of members of of Tenby Civic Society, Harry Gardiner stated: “The proposal does not seem appropriate to the character of the Conservation Area, or keep the working character of the harbour.

The harbourside building formerly housed Tenby RNLI\'s inshore lifeboat. Picture: Gareth Davies Photography.
The harbourside building which formerly housed Tenby RNLI's inshore lifeboat (Photo by Gareth Davies Photography). (Pic: Gareth Davies Photography.)

“LDP2 Policy 18 is to preserve Tenby harbour as a ‘working harbour’. The proposal is commercial and would conflict with that, in a boat working area and would not add value to boat working,” added Mr Gardiner.

Tenby’s county councillor for the north ward, Cllr Michael Williams had also written to PCNPA, concurring with the Civic Society’s views.

“To allow this development would do considerable damage to the historical environment of the harbour estate which is a Grade Two listed building,” he remarked.

“The area involved is used by a number of commercial fishing vessels to land catches and by the very nature of this work would be entirely incompatible with this proposal. This is the only area of the harbour that commercial fishing activities can be operated.

“My other concern is that a precedent might well be created opening up this priceless historical area to unacceptable and unsuitable commercial exploitation.”

A PCNPA officer’s report, recommending approval, stated, that on balance, officers consider that no significant harm would be caused to the character of Tenby Harbour as a result of this development.

At the meeting, members of PCNPA’s Development Management Committee elected to refuse the application.

Tenby’s south ward county councillor Sam Skyrme-Blackhall who was one of those on the committee that objected to the application said: “Following consideration, I felt that this was not in keeping with PCNPA policy and would be detrimental to the character of Tenby's working harbour.”