Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee has deferred a decision on a proposed glamping development in north Pembrokeshire, Wales, pending a site visit to assess concerns raised about access, residential amenity, drainage, and wastewater infrastructure.
The application, submitted by Zoe Delaney through planning agent JMS Planning & Development Ltd, seeks permission to change the use of land north of Cwm Plysgog, Cilgerran, to a tourism site. The proposal includes six self-catering holiday accommodation units, an access track, parking area, shower and toilet facilities, pathways, and landscaping.
The accommodation would consist of two geodesic domes, two yurts, and two bell tents. According to the council officer report, each unit would have a decking area approximately 0.3 meters high and covering a three-meter-by-three-meter floor area. The units would also be enclosed by proposed hedgerows.
The application was recommended for approval ahead of the planning committee meeting on September 8. However, Cilgerran Community Council and 17 members of the public raised concerns about the proposal. Issues included traffic and parking, the limited highway access, increased noise, effects on residential amenity, changes to the character of the area, and drainage and sewerage capacity.
The council’s highways department did not raise objections regarding traffic and access, according to the Western Telegraph.
The officer report said: “The application seeks permission for the siting of six self-catering units of holiday accommodation which include decking areas, proposed access track from the highway into a car parking area, a shower/toilet block and associated landscaping including the creation of pathways.
“The units of accommodation would comprise of two geodesic domes, two yurts and two bell tents. Each unit would benefit from a decking area with a height of approximately 0.3 metres and a floor area covering three metres by three metres. Each unit would sit within an area enclosed by proposed hedgerow.”
Environmental considerations also formed part of the planning assessment because of the potential impact on the River Teifi Special Area of Conservation. The council ecologist carried out an Appropriate Assessment, which was also reviewed by Natural Resources Wales. The assessment identified potential effects associated with increased nutrient output linked to failures in flow passed forward at Cilgerran Wastewater Treatment Works.
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has confirmed that the treatment works are currently failing to meet their target levels. The utility is required to deliver a scheme intended to bring the facility into compliance by December 31. The planning report therefore suggested a condition preventing the proposed facilities from draining to Cilgerran Wastewater Treatment Works before that date.
Speaking at the September 8 meeting, local member Cllr John T Davies highlighted concerns from the community council and described the highway access as “inadequate.” He noted the presence of the Fforest Farm outdoor retreat and glamping site in the area and also questioned whether the wastewater improvements would be delivered within the proposed timeframe.
He said he had no faith in Welsh Water delivering the works on time and requested that committee members visit the site before making a decision. Fellow local councillor Iwan Ward supported concerns about the access road.
Planning committee chair Cllr Mark Carter said he was “always reliant on the knowledge of the local members” when considering planning applications and formally proposed a site visit.
Committee members unanimously supported the site visit. The application will return to a future planning committee meeting, where members will reconsider the proposal following their assessment of the site.
For outdoor hospitality operators and developers, the case highlights the importance of demonstrating adequate infrastructure alongside accommodation proposals, particularly where wastewater capacity and protected environmental areas are involved.
It also illustrates how local access conditions and the relationship between a proposed development and existing tourism businesses can remain significant considerations even when a highways department raises no formal objection.
