A ruling on a £200,000 transformation of a former Pembrokeshire village pub, where planning officers recommended reinstating removed chimneys, has been postponed to allow councillors to inspect the property.
Application Details and Committee Scrutiny
At a recent meeting of Pembrokeshire Council's planning committee, an application from Craig Kidney requested approval for the removal of chimney stacks and the construction of a front porch and retaining garden wall at the former Carpenters Arms pub in Cosheston. The application required committee scrutiny as it was submitted by or on behalf of a close family member of a council member. It had previously been scheduled for committee review in April and June, being pulled from both agendas.
Divided Recommendation from Officers
Officers issued a divided recommendation: approval for the porch and retaining wall, but rejection of the retrospective chimney stack removal on the grounds 'the removal of the chimney stacks has had a harmful impact on the character and appearance of this part of the Cosheston Conservation Area, creating harm to visual amenity and the historic environment'. Cosheston Community Council raised no objections, though two letters of opposition highlighted concerns including the proposal's effect on the historic character and Conservation Area, and the unauthorised nature of the alterations.
Agent's Arguments and Site Visit Suggestion
Speaking at the meeting, agent Andrew Vaughan-Harries of Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, who had only taken up the application the previous week, explained the applicants were a teacher and plumber who had invested approximately £200,000 renovating the 'run-down property,' with the chimneys demolished following advice they were unsafe. Mr Vaughan-Harries raised concerns about the 'legality' of the application forms, claiming the documentation submitted with the scheme was inaccurate. He also noted that, while the two chimneys had been taken down, there remained 'a great whopping' chimney at the rear, restored at a cost of around £5,000, adding that while 'two wrongs don't make a right' other chimneys had been 'quietly' removed from properties within the conservation area without any objections; suggesting members attend a site visit to view the property prior to any decision. Officers disputed the planning form was incorrect.
Councillor Views and Decision to Postpone
Following discussion on the merits or otherwise of chimneys in buildings within conservation areas, councillor Simon Hancock, who is also Dr Simon Hancock curator of Haverfordwest Museum, said he had been reading around the importance in chimneys in a historical context. Describing Cosheston as 'one of the gems of south Pembrokeshire,' he said he had no problems with the conversion, but felt that 'the chimney stacks ought to be replaced,' moving the split approval proposed. At the behest of councillor Tony Wilcox 'in the interest of natural justice' where '99.9 per cent of the village had no issues whatsoever' with the removal of the chimney stacks, councillors backed a site visit before any formal ruling was made, passing the motion by seven votes to five.
