Plans to demolish and replace existing buildings at a Newgale campsite are expected to be refused by national park planners later this week.

The application by Mr and Mrs M and C Harris, of Newgale Campsite, will be heard by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority's Development Management Committee on Wednesday, February 1.

The existing campsite, next to the A487 road, is well known for significant and continuous flooding in the winter months and the adjacent shingle ridge is regularly breached by the sea in stormy conditions.

The county council has recently commenced preparations to realign the A487 inland following detailed studies that show that the shingle bank has a limited lifespan, following which it will retreat eastwards into what is currently the campsite.

A large part of the existing campsite lies within a flood zone and within a Coastal Change Management Area, a report for planners says, adding that any development in this location will have a limited lifespan due to the predicted risk of inundation from the sea and consequent flooding of this land.

The application, partly retrospective, includes the demolition of existing toilets/shower/store/laundry and the removal of touring caravans for reception to an alternative site outside the flood zone with expansion, replacement toilets/showers/store/laundry room, reception/office and meeting room, creation of 12 grass tent plateaus (retrospect), the erection of a security CCTV flagpole, and the conversion of a relinquished public toilet block to takeaway cafe/ice cream parlour.

The proposed replacement building would lie outside the flood zone and the Coastal Change Management Area

The National Trust is objecting to the application on both the design and scale of the proposed building and to the principle of development within the flood zone.

One letter of objection from a local resident has been received, and two letters of support have been received from properties in south Wales.

It is recommended the application be refused on grounds including the scale and form of the proposed replacement building and CCTV camera are considered to represent "incongruous and unsympathetic features in this sensitive landscape".

 

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