A planning application to allow a holiday cottage near Tenby to be used as a wedding venue has been refused by the Local Authority’s planning committee.

Mr R Lloyd and Ms C Davies, in an application submitted to Pembrokeshire County Council through agent Evans Banks Planning Limited, sought permission for the retention of Hazel Cottage, Redberth Gardens, near Tenby, as holiday accommodation with the occasional use as a wedding ceremony venue, for up to 25 days a year.

A supporting document with the application, through the agent, says Hazel Cottage is one of 11 holiday cottages at Redberth Gardens, which also lies immediately adjacent to a further nine units of holiday accommodation.

It added: “The current proposal seeks to allow the holiday accommodation to continue but provide for civil wedding ceremonies to be conducted within the ground floor lounge area. The rear kitchen and first floor bedrooms and bathroom would remain unchanged. A total of up to 25 days in any year are sought, which would be licenced under Local Authority supervision. For the remaining 340 days of the year, the cottage would remain in residential use.”

It concluded: “The modest space will accordingly not introduce an occasional use which will have any noticeable effects upon the functioning of the remainder of the holiday park. Wedding ceremonies will take place during the daytime, when most guests would be probably out of the accommodation visiting local attractions in Pembrokeshire.”

Back in April, county planners turned down a retrospective call by the applicants to keep a wedding venue tipi where guests were greeted by alpacas on adjoining land.

Members of the April meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee refused the ‘Serenity Garden’ tipi venue, erected in August 2023.

Serenity Garden, on its website, said the tipi offered a “very special wedding venue, set in the heart of the Pembrokeshire countryside,” with “friendly resident alpacas, teddy bear sheep, goats, ducks and Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs” greeting guests.

Six letters of objection to the latest proposal were received, raising concerns including potential noise, venue size, a lack of consultation, parking, and claimed security and health and safety issues.

An officer report with the latest application said: “Whilst the proposal would have economic and social benefits through the provision of a new venue for wedding ceremonies, the proposed development would introduce a new wedding ceremony venue in a countryside location which is not within or immediately adjoining a settlement, furthermore no evidence has been provided to demonstrate that countryside location is required for this facility.

“As such, the proposed development would not result in sustainable development for which a countryside location has been evidenced.”

The application was refused on the grounds it “would introduce a new wedding ceremony venue in a countryside location which is not within or immediately adjoining a settlement,” adding: “Furthermore no evidence has been provided to demonstrate that a countryside location is required for this facility.”

The application was also refused due to not having a Green Infrastructure Statement.