Appeal lodged over £7.5m holiday park expansion after plans refused
Bruce Sinclair, Local Democracy Reporter
An appeal has been lodged against the refusal of plans for a £7.5 million holiday park expansion in west Wales, which was resubmitted after a high court judgement overturned previous council approval.
In late 2023, Pembrokeshire councillors approved a contentious application by Heritage Leisure Development (Wales) Ltd for works including the installation of 48 bases for holiday lodges, a spa facility at a former pub, holiday apartments, a café and cycle hire, equestrian stables, a manège and an associated office at Heritage Park, Pleasant Valley/Stepaside.
It was said the scheme, next to the historic remains of the 19th century Stepaside ironworks and colliery, would create 44 jobs.
The final decision of support on the basis of economic benefits was made at full council after members of the planning committee had twice supported the scheme against officer recommendations of refusal, based on the Local Development Plan, including the site being outside a settlement area.
Since that approval, a successful legal challenge was launched by Stepaside & Pleasant Valley Residents’ Group (SPVRG Ltd), who had objected to the original application, a high court hearing quashing the approval.
After that an application was resubmitted by Heritage Leisure Development (Wales) Ltd, through agent Lichfields; the application before the October 2025 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, again recommended for, and given, a refusal.
Since that 2025 refusal, an appeal has been lodged with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) by Lichfields on behalf of Heritage Leisure Developments (Wales) Limited.
It says the reason given for the 2025 refusal was officers saying it went against the council’s development plan in “not being within or well-related to a town, service centre or service village,” adding that only two elements of the scheme, the proposed bases for caravans and proposed self-catering apartments failed to accord with the policy.
It also said the 2025 officer report considered the scheme would “set an undesirable precedent and would make it difficult for the council to resist similar proposals”.
It has questioned the consistency of decision making, with planners in 2025 granting planning permission for 15 caravans at Great Wedlock, near Tenby, against officer recommendations, where the planning committee, prior to a final decision by full council “considered the economic benefits outweighed the conflict with the plan, and that the units would be accessible for those with disabilities”.
It said no economic impact assessment was submitted with that planning application, adding the benefits of that scheme were “materially less than those offered at Heritage Park”.
It goes on to say it “is untenable for the council to contend that the approval of this application would seriously undermine the Development Plan,” saying the policies in it are “clearly out of step with the Council’s own up to date evidence base” and there are “significant material considerations that outweigh the conflict with the aged plan”.
The appeal will be heard at a later date.
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