Town nursery could shut if housing plan goes ahead

Wales Online

6 days ago

Town nursery could shut if housing plan goes ahead
The application was recommended for approval at the July meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council's planning committee, but no decision could be made at that time
St James Street in Narberth
(Image: Google )
A decision regarding a housing project in Pembrokeshire, which sparked concerns that a local nursery could be forced to shut due to increased traffic, has been postponed as planners await updated guidance on potential water quality impact.
Sarah Voaden's application to construct three houses at Llwynon, 61 St James Street, Narberth, within the town's conservation area, was recommended for approval at the July meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council's planning committee. The decision had been deferred from the June meeting pending a site visit.
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The proposal includes a financial contribution of £38,156.25 towards affordable housing. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here .
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The proposed site, situated just outside the town centre, can be accessed via a private lane off Tabernacle Lane, approximately 20m south-east of the Tabernacle Lane/St James Street junction.
Narberth Town Council has lodged objections to the scheme citing reasons such as inadequate access and highway safety, capacity to handle additional foul waste, the development being out of character, and overdevelopment.
16 members of the public have also voiced their concerns, including issues related to parking and access, and the lane's suitability to handle the traffic associated with the additional residential properties. However, no concerns were raised by the highways department.
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At the June meeting, Andrew Vaughan-Harries, an agent from Hayston Planning and Development Ltd, portrayed the "vibrant" application as a "win-win-win". He argued that it would utilise derelict land, enhance the area, and included the applicant's offer to resurface a narrow lane. Additionally, there was a proposed contribution of around £38,000 towards affordable housing in this lively town.
However, objections were raised at the same meeting by Hayley Bowlett of Noah's Ark Child Care, which employs 24 staff and has 154 children enrolled. She expressed concerns about the existing traffic issues on the narrow lane leading to the nursery, which she feared would be exacerbated by construction traffic if the scheme was approved.
She warned that this could result in the nursery breaching legal operating standards, potentially forcing it to shut down.
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"We'd leave 20 people without employment and 150 children with nowhere to go," she informed members, adding: "Health and safety is the biggest concern for our children; children are walking up and down on a daily basis and would be at risk of any construction traffic."
The proposal was brought back to the July meeting, once again recommended for approval. However, committee members were informed that no decision could be made at that meeting, and the item was subsequently removed.
The committee was informed that the recent dip in water quality within the Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire Bay Marine Special Area of Conservation prompted this reaction, which has a direct impact on various projects falling under the local planning body's oversight.
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Members learned that, based on preliminary advice regarding the situation, the regional planning authority is currently lacking adequate or detailed data to conduct or revise the required habitats regulations assessment [referring to the matter at hand] to ensure the proposed developments would not negatively affect the environment.
The committee understood that the planning officials were still processing the new information and the provisional recommendations from Natural Resources Wales, acknowledging that it could be "potentially unsound" to proceed with any resolutions until all necessary details were at hand.
The case will be revisited in an upcoming meeting.
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