Plans to expand the facilities offered by a Pembrokeshire seaside town pub, which was once a toyshop, have been approved by the national park despite concerns raised by the local civic society.
In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, The Old Town Crier Pub Ltd, through agent Argent Architects, sought permission for the installation of a retractable canopy to rear courtyard of The Town Crier Pub, 3-4 Upper Frog Street, Tenby.
A supporting statement said the scheme for the pub, in Tenby town centre, with a rear boundary on the town’s Grade-I-listed 13th century town wall, “makes a positive contribution to the site, adding an elegant structure, which remains sensitive to the host building and the historic town wall”.
The application added: “The proposals are limited to the private realm of the premises’ courtyard, and do not touch the town wall. The experience of the town wall from the public realm will remain unchanged. There is no perceived impact on the historic town wall arising from the proposals.”
The application was supported by Tenby Town Council, but Tenby Civic Society raised concerns about the potential impact on the nearby town walls.
It added: “We regret having to put these views as on balance the modern scheme built on this site has a lot of virtues, one of which has been to open up views and appreciation of the inside of the town walls to the public as customers.
“The application presents no justification for the impact on the inside of the town walls, and the proposal would in our view diminish the significance and appreciation of the inside of the town walls.”
An officer report recommending approval noted the concerns, pointing out the civic society was not a statutory consultee.
It added: “Whilst in very close proximity to the town walls, the proposed canopy is not readily visible from the public realm, the existing courtyard connecting to the highway only via a pedestrian door, this offering limited views into the site. In terms of overall impact on the special qualities of the National Park, the proposal is considered acceptable.”
The Upper Frog Street site of the Town Crier was formerly the Clarice Toys toy and novelty shop, and is called the Town Crier in tribute to the late John ‘Yobbler’ Thomas, a former proprietor of the shop and a former town crier of Tenby.
John Thomas served as Tenby’s town crier for more than 30 years, and was responsible for bringing four national crier contests to Tenby.
John and wife Caroline, who would become a councillor and serve as mayor in the town, set up Clarice Toys in Tenby’s Upper Frog Street after their marriage in 1961, with the business being later run by their son and daughter, Ian and Kerri.
| [donate]
| Help keep news FREE for our readersSupporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism,then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. |
