Despite updated plans for Pembrokeshire County Council’s controversial Brynhir housing development in Tenby, being unanimously approved - a wide-range of concerns still remain over aspects of the scheme.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s development management committee approved the reserved matters application for the scheme that will see 125 houses built (93 of them affordable) at their meeting on September 4, despite being contrary to the provisions of the Development Plan, with the seaside town’s county councillor for the south ward Cllr Sam Skyrme-Blackhall calling it a ‘hugely important decision for Tenby’ that she hopes will go someway to addressing the local ‘housing crisis’.

However, a report for committee members noted a number of concerns from objectors and Tenby Civic Society, with some relating to sewage capacity due to the scale of the development.

Tenby’s county councillor for the north ward, Cllr Michael Williams has once again echoed those concerns.

“I do welcome the provision of 93 new council houses being specifically provided for our local population. However, I do still have concerns specifically relating to the drainage of foul water which is to be via the existing system which runs south from Brynhir,” he told the Observer.

“The initial proposal was to run foul water in a North Westerly direction with a new pipeline and despite reassurances from Dŵr Cymru, I still have major concerns about the capacity of the existing system to deal with such a large development.

“There are also in my opinion unaddressed concerns regarding storm water run off and inadequate landscaping on the southern boundary.

“The role of any elected member is to question decisions that could possibly adversely impact their constituents, and, on this development, I have been alone in this endeavour,” stated Cllr Williams.

One local resident also highlighted such concerns when commenting on the news the application had been approved, stating on social media: “And when the houses in Upper Hill Park are flooded because they're planning to use drains that already can't cope, who will take responsibility?

“Dŵr Cymru and National Parks are both burying their heads in the sand - you can bet both will blame the other and neither will pick up the cost for the damage.

“CEO's of such organisations should be held responsible for such things and they would then get their officers to be rather more thorough with the design and planning,” they added.

Local campaigners have fought a longstanding battle against the use of the land for housing, calling for protection for Tenby’s ‘last green space’ and fearing it would become a ‘concrete jungle’.

At the PCNPA meeting, concerns about the proposal were raised by Jane Merrony of 1,100-member ‘Tenby Green Space Preservation Society’ campaign group, who said it was inappropriate in its proposed location and “a visual intrusion which will be seen from Caldey Island”.

She told members of PCNPA’s planning committee the scheme would place “extreme pressure” on existing waste water infrastructure and questioned the viability of the development, with fears it could be sold off to a private developer.

The application was passed by park planners after approval was moved by Cllr Di Clements, who expressed her difficulty in weighing the balance between green spaces and housing needs.

“I have to admit to being somewhat disappointed that several concerns that I have raised ever since the original application have not been adequately addressed by the planning authority, but I have to accept that my ability to influence that body is very limited,” continued Cllr Williams.

“The complete inadequacy of meaningful questioning by PCNPA members was quite stark and very disappointing. They sometimes appeared to lose sight of one of their principle purposes which is to protect the open countryside and its environment.

“At the very least the Sandford principle should have been applied, together with an examination of possible suggestions of pre determination. The principle of providing public housing is of paramount importance, but in doing so, there should be a recognition of the importance of our special environment in an area of outstanding beauty,” he added.

Tenby Civic Society also raised concerns over - highway safety issues, lack of sustainable transport facilities, landscaping and skyline development, surface water discharge, low water pressure, retention of stone styles within the scheme, footpath routes and impact on existing amenity space to south of the site, in its submission to PCNPA; whilst 20 objections to the scheme were also received, raising concerns including - loss of green space, traffic issues, privacy, design, visual impacts and the scale of the development, sewage capacity, potential antisocial behaviour within the play area, and a limitation on second homes/holiday lets being required.

Cllr Skyrme-Blackhall, who sits on PCNPA’s development management committee that has given the green light to the application, told the Observer that some conditions were attached to the approval to ensure that any concerns raised will be addressed during the building stage.

“I know that not everyone will be happy. There are people who opposed the scheme for quite legitimate reasons but in the end, for me the balance of the argument was in favour of the scheme and the housing it will provide,” she stated.

“We need housing for local people and I am delighted that 93 properties will be Council housing. This is good news for our schools and good news for Tenby.

“Properties will be let on a strict local letting policy, which means Tenby and the immediate surrounding area only.

“I would like to congratulate the teams from Pembrokeshire County Council on getting to this stage but I also say loudly and clearly, that the real hard work starts now and we have to do all that we can to ensure that these properties are built as soon as possible.

“We have a housing crisis now and need this properties built and let to local people.

“This will lead to 93 Council housing properties being built. These will be let on a local letting policy - they will be local houses for local people. They can't be sold, they will always be Council housing,” added Cllr Skyrme-Blackhall.

Building will start next year on the scheme.