Award-winning beauty spot pub submits plan to expand

Bruce Sinclair – Local democracy reporter

Plans to expand a popular Welsh award-winning pub, in part using a former public toilet, have been submitted to a national park.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Lloyd James C/O Owen & Owen Ltd for Cresselly Estate, through agent Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, seeks permission to upgrade an existing food outlet with the conversion and extension of a former public toilet block to a bespoke kitchen, store and staff toilet, freestanding wash-up / food preparation unit, new fishing grill, mobile barbecue, new covered seating area and external bar container unit including a customer toilet, at The Cresselly Arms, Cresswell Quay.

A supporting statement says the former toilet block closed some two years ago and is now in the applicant’s ownership, having previously been leased by the county council; the toilet closing after fears of a leaking ‘sealed’ cesspit.

It says nearby listed building the Cresselly Arms “has been purveying a variety of drinks for over 200 years together with a limited range of snacks,” adding: “Whilst the number of customers will have varied over the years, at times when the local Hunt meets at the Cresselly Arms large crowds and their vehicles congregate in the area.”

It goes on to say: “Over recent years the Inn has stationed mobile units associated with the preparation and enjoyment of food within its curtilage and this proposal is to improve the quality of the presentation of food and refreshments, including making use of the redundant toilet block to the north.

“Stationing ancillary uses / temporary units within the garden area of a public house is permitted development – and therefore not requiring specific planning consent as not development.”

Of the proposed development itself, it adds: “The temporary marquee will be replaced by a new open seating structure which will have a corrugated steel roof coloured grey or dark green to minimise its visual impact. The servery will have a roof completed in slate to match that of the converted toilet block.

“As a result, the proposed development would remain sympathetically located within Creswelll Quay village and, due to its siting, form and design, would not cause significant visual intrusion.

“Whilst the proposal would introduce new uses onto the site it is considered that these activities are ancillary to the operation of the long established Cresselly Arms and for the most part take place within the curtilage of the inn.

“Conversion of the stone-faced toilet block to include a kitchen, food storage facilities and a staff toilet, would support the new ancillary uses present in the garden of the public house, as well as giving a positive new use to an existing property.”

It says the proposal “would satisfactorily harmonise its general and specific setting and no natural or traditional features would be affected or lost as a result of the proposal,” and the proposed structures would “represent a sustainable form of development in terms of their construction and design”.

The Cresselly Arms under  landlord Steve Adams won the CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) pub of the year award for the whole of Wales in 2024, having previously been named the best in Pembrokeshire.

The scheme will be considered by park planners at a later date.