Planners approve "eyesore" house

The new house replaced a previous dwelling on the site

A controversial new house overlooking the Pembrokeshire coast can remain, planners have ruled.

Permission was given for a replacement dwelling at Parrog, Newport, in 2006.

Hundreds of people had since objected, claiming what was built was visually intrusive and "completely out of scale and keeping with the area".

Officers at the county's National Park Authority said it differed from what was originally planned but was within its current guidelines.

The authority had received 35 letters of objection and a petition signed by almost 500 people claiming it was an eyesore, along with two letters of support.

At a meeting the park's development management committee members voted 10-6 in favour of granting retrospective planning consent.

Officers had said it met "current adopted planning policies" and that it was not considered there were "any material differences".

At the end of the day common sense has seen through Richard Banks, planning consultant

Officers also said the legal advice they had received questioned whether it was in the public interest to pursue enforcement action if planning was refused.

Speaking after the meeting, planning consultant Richard Banks, who appeared for the applicants, said they were "obviously delighted."

"At the end of the day common sense has seen through," he said.

"This house had planning permission in 2006 - what has actually been constructed at the Parrog is actually a smaller property."

One of the objectors, Hywel Williams, said campaigners would now look to see if they could appeal.

"I'm actually appalled because I think the arguments [we] made were fairly well put," he said.

"There were so many non-compliances with planning that took place - there has been a lot of fudging of issues."