AN APPEAL against a national park refusal of decking at a Pembrokeshire seaside village pub, installed for safety reasons after a child had near miss with a vehicle, has been dismissed.
Last year, Kath Lunn, of the Hibernia Inn, Angle, sought retrospective planning permission from Pembrokeshire Coast National Park to keep wooden decking installed at the front of the pub that April.
The application was submitted after a national park enforcement investigation.
The proposal – in the village’s conservation area – was supported by Angle Community Council, and two letters in support of the scheme, on highway safety grounds, were also received.
Kath Lunn, in her application said the decking was erected following a near miss with a child on the adjoining road earlier this year.
“There has always been bench seating there with umbrellas, but earlier this season there was a very close miss when a diner’s child ran into the road and was almost knocked down. We felt it our duty of care to the customers to make the area safe.
“We considered a brick wall but thought this decking would be more aesthetically pleasing being made of natural wood. We did extend out a little further than we wanted to, to avoid cars parking and causing an obstruction in the roadway as we have experienced this in the past.”
Concerns were raised about the design by the park’s building conservation officer, who said: “The works clearly neither preserve the character or appearance of the conservation area, especially the latter.
“I am aware of the problems facing village pubs and the need to provide improved facilities – and the pub is clearly vital to the community.
“There is potential here for an alternative scheme whereby the front garden is enclosed by a traditional wall and the tables and chairs provided within a nicely landscaped frontage. That would be a gain from the original open tarmac area and hopefully would provide a viable option.”
An officer report for park planners recommended refusal on the grounds of the impact it would have on Angle’s Conservation Area.
An appeal against the decision was later lodged with the Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW).
While the Inspector noted a number of the modern exceptions, the street scene close to the appeal property “is largely characterised by a significant proportion of historic buildings, the frontages of which are almost entirely free from any sizeable modern alterations and additions”.
The Inspector’s report added the decking area “appears as on overly prominent, modern addition which partially obscures the traditional appearance of the Hibernia Inn and appears incongruous when viewed in context with the more traditional, unaltered built form nearby”.
On other matters, the Inspector noted the owner’s difficulty in attracting people to the pub’s rear garden in good weather and the limited visibility for drivers, but said: “I have nothing to contest the limited number of anecdotal incidents referred to by the appellant and interested parties.
“However, I also have no cogent evidence to suggest that such incidents have occurred regularly, that the previous situation at the appeal property posed a significant risk to highway safety or that the appellant’s desire to provide a safe environment for customers and their children could not be achieved by other, less harmful alternatives.”
The Inspector noted the owner’s willingness to discuss alternative approaches, along with the suggestion from the Conservation Officer that a traditional wall may be more appropriate, adding: “However, such alternatives are not before me in this appeal and as such, I make no comment on them.”
