CK Planning has once again been successful in obtaining planning permission for clients who had battled for some time with the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park to obtain planning permission. Andrew and Marlis Malien, who operate Pen Pant Farm just outside Solva, proposed to convert what was an existing, former farm workers cottage on their farm back into a dwelling for their daughter to live in to enable her to take over their farming operation.
Andrew and Marlis have owned and operated Pen Pant for 42 years, however they are both beyond retirement age and they want to bring their daughter, Erika, in to take over the running of their long-standing, successful business. The Welsh Assembly Government support succession farming and this was an ideal scenario where the continuity of this family business could be ensured.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority failed to accept this point, taking the rather ‘blinkered’ view that the farm did not meet new planning policy and was not financially viable. Fortunately Planning Inspector A.D. Poulter disagreed with this point, accepting that the farm is financially sustainable. National Park officers even suggested that Erika could live up to 30km away and manage the farm with the help of CCTV camera’s!!
So impractical was this suggestion that Dorian Williams of the National Farmers Union appeared at the Hearing to support Andrew and Marlis.
Andrew and Marlis say that they cannot thank Chris Kimpton of CK Planning enough for his expert advice and the thoroughly professional way in which he handled this matter on their behalf.