Chairman’s Notes
Members will no doubt have read reports in Llanelli or Burry Port Star about Llanelli Borough Council’s proposals for developments on Pembrey Saltmarsh and Dunes. Having been involved on your behalf in opposing this destruction of an interesting and ecologically valuable area, I will outline below what has happened so far.
In February 1933, Llanelli Borough Council granted themselves deemed planning consent for a road across this land linking Barry Port with Pembrey Country Park, and the bulk of the formation cut has been bulldozed across the dunes from near the Coastguard Lookout. Our Secretary and myself (and others) suspected at the time that much more was to come but could not get any details from the Borough Binning Officer nor the Chief Executive.
However, following Tibbald’s report to the Council with their recommendation in respect of Tourism development, the Borough Engineer applied to the council for outline planning permission for projects which in total would destroy the area completely from our point of view.
He did this by means of nine separate applications all dated 3.8.83, none of which were brought to the attention of the public by the usual Public Notices in the local papers. I only discovered them when inspecting the Planning Applications Register on 24.8.83. They are:-
D5/7265 Extension to Scenic Road. (A branch presumably partly/mainly to serve 7267)
D5/7266 Site preparation for 7267 below.
D5/7267 Holiday Village (Low density chalets, car parks, amenity water features etc.)
D5/7268 Recreation lake (With car parks, picnic sites etc.) This covers almost all of the rest of the Saltmarsh.
D5/7269 Site preparation for 7270 below.
D5/7270 Holiday Complex (Including motel, permanent chalets etc.) A substantial area South-east of the proposed lake.
D5/7271 Car Parks, Broad Walks etc. This covers nearly all of the seaward dunes
D5/7272 Narrow Gauge railway. Follows seaward edge of dunes, then between lake and 7270.
D5/7273 Beach Access Road. (Somewhat East of Coastguard Lookout)
On 25.8.33 I posted a letter to the Borough Planning Officer (first class) registering Llanelli Naturalists total opposition to the scheme on the grounds that individually the items would damage the ecological value of the area and in total would destroy it. I also listed the rarer plants which would be lost, i.e. Sand Catchfly, Fragrant Evening Primrose, Rock Sea Lavender, Sea Wormwood, Grass-leaved Orache, and the Willowherb (Epilobium lanceolatum) and Golden Samphire. I also said I deplored the lack of any Public Notice about such drastic proposals.
On 26.3.83, at a special meeting, the Development Committee granted them¬selves deemed planning permission for all the proposals. (No waiting for the more publicised Development Committee Meeting on 15th September ‘83).
