Ymgyrch
Diogelu Cymru Wledig
Campaign
for the Protection of Rural Wales
CANGEN SIR BENFRO / PEMBROKESHIRE
BRANCH
LLYWYDD
/ PRESIDENT Professor Arthur Thomasson
CADEIRYDD
/ CHAIRMAN Mary Sinclair
Glebe
House Martletwy Narberth SA67 8AS 01834 891331 FAX 01834
891475
YSGRIFENNYDD
/ SECRETARY Thalia Campbell
TRYSORYDD
/ TREASURER Geoffrey Sinclair
ELUSEN
GOFRESTREDIG / REGISTERED CHARITY
Andrew
Richards
Case
Officer
Pembrokeshire
Coast National Park
Llanion
Park
Pembroke
Dock
2nd
September 2015
Dear
Mr Richards
I
am writing on behalf of the Executive of the Pembrokeshire Branch of
CPRW to express concern about some aspects of the National Trust’s
application NP/15/0403/FUL to re-develop Gupton Farm, buildings, at
Freshwater West, Castlemartin.
1.
PCNPA publishes no closing
date for this consultation on its web site.
We
therefore accept that no decision will be made until the 8 weeks
advertised has been reached. We note that it is a delegated
decision. In view of the complex issues, We ask that it be put
before the committee for a decision because of the following:
The
site is extremely sensitive in the context of Freshwater West and
Castlemartin Corse. ,
This
application contains references to other significant developments
projected but not contained within it and is part of a partnership
scheme for the area, a scheme which is not widely in the public
domain,
The
National Trust already controls access to an area of beaches and
ponds from Stackpole Quay to Broadhaven. This includes two popular
beaches and the much loved network of Bosherston Lily ponds. These
popular spots were more accessible before the National Trust took
them over because access was cheaper
Gupton
Farm is sited in an area where there is currently easy access to free
parking and to the beach at Freshwater West. It is an undeveloped
area that has not been commercialised and which should remain as
such for the benefit of all.
2
Local Residents are becoming
priced out of National Trust car parks and as a result, from local
beaches and Bosherston Lily Ponds.
I
am a member of the National Trust as are many members of CPRW. We
support their aims but are dismayed that in Pembrokeshire they are
not an inclusive organisation. Their high parking prices tend to
exclude local low income families for much of the year from the
section of the coast the Trust manages, from Stackpole Quay to Broad
Haven, including the nationally lauded beach of Barafundle. We will
object to any charge levied for parking at Freshwater West.
.The
Bosherston Lily Ponds used to be a popular Sunday walk for families
with children from Pembroke and Pembroke Dock. A £5 parking fee at
the National Trust car park for even just one hour’s walk around
the Ponds, long enough for young legs, is unacceptable. Recently
when I walked there on a Sunday afternoon I met no local families;
instead I met National Trust members and visitors from away.
We
applaud the National Trust opening up new paths and further access
but are concerned that access is not universally available. The
price the National Trust charges for parking is denying access to
poorer families.
3.
The proposed re-development
of Gupton farm house and buildings
We
welcome the application to rescue and re-develop Gupton Farm
buildings but request the following:
a)
That the roof lines of the buildings will not raised to an extent
where they will become more visible in the landscape and visible
from the beach area at Freshwater West.
b)
In order to maintain the integrity of Freshwater West we request that
any external lighting be subdued and set at a low height so that it
is contained within the site itself. This is to protect the special
qualities of Freshwater West and Castlemartin Corse.
c)
The camping area that the National Trust is considering will be in
direct and unfair competition (being closer to the beach) with
existing camp sites which already serve the area. The National Trust
should not be so greedy as to operate in direct competition with
local businesses. The site it identifies for camping is on an
agricultural field on the west side of Gupton, within views from the
Dunes and from the B4319 as it descends from the Angle Road. We
object to the development of a campsite outside the existing
application area. Caravans and camper vans would be an
unacceptable form of development, even temporary in such a
wonderfully undeveloped area.
d)
The car park proposed is intended at first for internal use only but
the National Trust in their DAS (design and Access Statement
submitted with this application) envisages that it to eventually
become an alternative car park for users of the beach .
Local
residents inform us that the County Council’s Shoreline Realignment
Project to deal with sea level rise no longer intends to maintain the
B4319 which follows a route through the dunes. In the first instance
the County Cou8ncil intends to no longer maintain the bridge over
the river flowing from the Corse into the sea via the beach at
Freshwater West. . People will then not be able to drive from
Castlemartin through Freshwater West to the Angle road but will
instead have to return to the Speculation Inn junction. Local
residents understand the County Council are working to a plan
devised a partnership between the National Park, the National Trust
and others.
With
this aim of closing the road the National Trust has already been
allowed to remove the listed river outfall on Freshwater West beach
which has resulted in flooding on Castlemartin Corse SSSI. Because
the floods damaged local farmers’ fields they were obliged to
replace the removed outfall with a plastic pipe. This is a miserable
replacement for the much loved outfall. Local people believe it has
been done to hasten the destruction of the road and bridge and close
the road to traffic.
Freshwater
West is the best Atlantic Beach in the area. It is free to all, is
easy to access and walk on, is a wonderful solace and walking area
for the residents of south Pembrokeshire with its glorious dunes
and seascape. Since we, the residents of south Pembrokeshire have
always enjoyed free access to the beach and free parking we look to
the National Park and the National Trust to be more open about their
long-term plan for the area. We look for proper consultation with
the local community Councils (Angle and Stackpole/Castlemartin) and
with the residents of Pembroke and Pembroke Dock because this beach
is in their backyard.
We
understand from local residents that Angle Community Council has not
been consulted on these plans despite having most of the accessible
section of Freshwater West Beach within their area of concern. This
is unacceptable.
We
expect the National Park and the National Trust to continue to
provide free parking and free access to the beach and dunes if with
their partners they close the road. We also expect roadside
parking to be available as usual on the remnants of the road for
those who just like to drive and sit looking at the view. This is
especially important for disabled people and the elderly with
mobility problems which prevent them from moving with ease into and
out of a vehicle. They prefer to remain in the car with a view of the
beach as at present. They can no longer do this at Broadhaven as the
National Trust has moved the car park off the main section of
headland to an area where the beach is no longer visible from a car
parked in their car park. It is understandable but there should be
room for both approaches.
e)
Page 13 paragraph 1 of the DAS sets out the objectives of the
proposed project, one of which is to be a market leader in high
quality land and water based activity holidays. But firstly
Freshwater West is an extremely dangerous bathing beach. We were
regularly warned as children not to swim there. A school friend’s
little brother drowned there while paddling in the shallow surf,
sucked out and under without any warning. There used to be a red
flag and a warning sign at the point of access to the beach. The
attraction of Freshwater West is not the dangerous waters, but the
views of its wild seas, the rolling waves and hissing surf, its dune
landscape, and its quiet, large beach to walk along. It should not
be developed in any way for water sports and recreation, as that
would detract from its best asset- the wild Atlantic sea and beach,
uncommercialised in any way. This is an area where south
Pembrokeshire residents can find solace and renewal. Freshwater West
should not be sacrificed to development to make money for the
National Trust. That would be unsustainable and a blot on this
special corner of Pembrokeshire.
f)
In the same paragraph its vision speaks of ‘ provision of
facilities for disabled
features’. and ‘brand
marketing for the National
Trust and Pembrokeshire’. Freshwater West should not need to be
developed to give a brand name for the National Trust. Its land and
seascape is all the brand it needs and it ahs that already. And what
are disabled
features that
the DAS refers to?
g)
We are dismayed that the huge dune backing the beach and north of the
river has been left unplanted by marram grass following the damage
done to it, which local residents claim was by film makers. We
cannot understand why they were not obliged to stabilise the dune
after using it. Surely there has been a suitable season to plant
since it was bared. Local residents believe that the partnership
wants the wind to strip the loose sand and blow it inland to help to
hasten the sea’s invasion and a re-drawing of the coastline to
their plan. Unfortunately the wind-blown sand may well score the
solar and thermal panels proposed at Gupton, the solar farms at
Hoplass and Wogaston over the Angle ridge and solar panels on homes
in the area. We ask that the destruction by neglect of the dunes be
stopped and that marram grass is replanted on the large, bare and
exposed sand dune to stabilise it. We appreciate that sea level will
rise, and we see a need for preparation for that event, but we object
to it being artificially hastened..
h)
Closing the road by refusing to maintain it and the bridge will
isolate Castlemartin from Angle, and make the experience of the
coastal ride, from wonderful Atlantic wildness of Freshwater West to
settled quiet bay at Angle a thing of the past.
4.
In Summary
We
do not object to the redevelopment and re-use of the buildings as
long as they remain discreet.
We
ask that outdoor lighting at the re-development be subdued to
protect the integrity of a very special place.
We
will object to any attempt to develop the beach and dunes for
recreational purposes. We object to the projected camp site and
request a condition to prevent it being developed on the
agricultural field identified because of the adverse impact on the
special quality of this area.
We
will object to any attempt by the National Trust and County Council
to charge the public for parking.
We
ask that you require the dunes to remain protected.
The
sea has not yet reached a level to invade so we are disappointed that
the County Council is already withdrawing maintenance to close the
road before it is absolutely necessary, to the detriment of south
Pembrokeshire residents.
We
will object to any commercialisation of Freshwater West.
We
thank the National Park for ensuring that habitats for bats and
other species have to be provided where they are being removed by the
proposed building work
We
look to a planting regime which uses species found locally, in
keeping with the dune landscape.
Yours
sincerely
Mary
Sinclair
Chairman
of the Pembrokeshire Branch of CPRW.
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