Plans for a major housing development and farm relocation in a small Pembrokeshire National Park village have been put out for a pre-planning public consultation this week.

Lawrenny Home Farm development, a circa £7m project will see around 33 new homes and up to seven live-work offices built in the National Park village. The mixed-use residential development was part of a Europe-wide Royal Institute of British Architects competition to find a perfect design, in keeping with the village.

The plan to modernise and expand Lawrenny was originally conceived by farmer David Lort-Phillips and presented to the local authority in 1970. Over 40 years he rebuilt and modernised the mostly 18th Century cottages. When he began there were around a dozen habitable cottages, few with running water. Now there are 35 homes and more than 20 businesses based in the community. First phase restoration work was recognised in the Prince of Wales Award scheme in 1975. In 2007 the village won the Calor Best Village in Wales award.

“Pembrokeshire is already one of the most wonderful places to live in the UK,” said David. “Small villages like Lawrenny have the potential to provide an almost unparalleled work-life balance. Lawrenny is a peaceful and beautiful location yet one which will have some of the best internet speeds in Wales, serving modern, beautifully designed and well-built homes and offices. This village is right in the middle of the National Park, on the shores of the Haven, a short distance from the coast: it provides a natural playground for young and old.”

“Building homes in our communities that serve the needs of 21st Century families brings huge value into the local area and to Pembrokeshire as a whole. Not only do local trades and services benefit from the investment, but the local community can also draw back its own sons and daughters to raise their families here. What’s more, it attracts talented and ambitious newcomers who choose Pembrokeshire as the place to get that work-life balance just right,” said David.

The proposed homes and offices, to be heated by woodchip from local woodlands, will almost double the size of the existing village. They will also have some of the best internet connectivity in the UK with so called Fibre to the Home (FTTH) bringing speeds of up to 300mbps.

The development will also see the old Home Farm, an organic dairy business that has been based in the middle of the village for 60 years, moved to a new purpose-built site outside the village adjacent to Broad Lane. The farm relocation will see the existing organic dairy fully upgraded comprising of a new dairy unit, slurry store, calf shed and underpass.

The consultation exercise, which commenced yesterday (Thursday), will give locals an opportunity to review the latest designs following an earlier public consultation undertaken in July/August 2016. Following the initial consultation feedback, a new road access leading to the residential site along an existing farm track has been proposed, to reduce any traffic impact on the local community.

Farm plans and additional technical reports have also been completed, for example, reviewing Transport, local Archaeology, Visual Impact and Ecology matters.

• Copies of; the proposed application(s); the plans; and other supporting documents may be inspected online at www.atriarcgroup.com/clients/Lawrenny.

Computer facilities are available to view this information online at Tenby Library, Greenhill Avenue, Tenby, SA70 7LB (open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between the hours of 10 am and 5 pm or 10 am to 12.30 pm on Saturday). The library also holds a hard copy for viewing.

Alternatively, you may view hard copies of this information at - Lawrenny Village Shop, Lawrenny (Monday to Sunday 9.30 am - 12.30pm and Monday 2 - 4.30 pm); Pembrokeshire Coast National Park offices, Llanion Park, Pembroke Dock (Monday -Friday, 9 am - 4.30 pm).

Anyone who wishes to make representations about this proposed development must write to the agent, Wayne Reynolds on [email protected] or address correspondence to Atriarc Planning, Llwyntreharne, Llangynin, St. Clears, Carmarthenshire, SA33 4LA.

Consultation responses received after April 14 may not be considered as part of the formal planning submission.

Wayne Reynolds will also be in attendance on March 24 from 3 to 6 pm at Lawrenny Village shop to go through the proposals and answer any queries local residents (or interested people) may have.

The formal planning application(s) are expected to be submitted to the National Park in the late spring.