A call to let a north Pembrokeshire coasteering business, which had an adventure centre scheme overturned on appeal and has recently been served a trespass notice by the National Trust, keep a farm building for accommodation has been refused.
In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Jethro ‘Jet’ Moore, through agent Harries Planning Design Management, sought permission for the retention of existing bunk barn accommodation associated with outdoor activities business Adventure Beyond, previously temporarily approved, at Morawelon, Moylegrove, near Cardigan.
A supporting statement said Mr Moore runs his agricultural enterprise on some 100 acres at Morawelon, also running outdoor activities business Adventure Beyond, which provides outdoor activities including kayaking, coasteering, mountain biking etc, and training courses.
“The business caters for small groups from a variety of backgrounds and purposes, including youth groups and schools, Duke of Edinburgh, corporate grounds and tourism groups. The business utilises a variety of locations based on the services able to be provided, including locations within all three Welsh National Parks, the Gower Peninsula but also across the UK, including Dartmoor, Exmoor and further afield.”
It said, since 2013, the outbuildings at Morawelon have been used in connection with Adventure Beyond, as a satellite location for overnight accommodation and for for educational/training purposes; temporary permission being gained in 2019 for five years, the application seeking “to regularise the previous change of use of these buildings”.
Objections to the scheme were received from local community council Nevern, referring to a judicial review of a related Old Bus Depot application by the applicant for an adventure centre in Moylegrove.
Back in 2024, the national park approved an application by Adventure Beyond Ltd for an outdoor adventure centre, and associated works at The Old Bus Depot, Moylegrove.
It was later ruled by a high court judge to have been granted unlawfully following a legal challenge brought by Wild Justice, who claimed the scheme would see nesting birds and breeding seals disturbed by ‘noisy’ coasteers, a position disputed by Mr Moore.
Objections to the Morawelon scheme were also received from 20 members of the public, claiming it “constitutes corporate expansion rather than farm diversification,” along with claims of antisocial behaviour by site visitors, and “the adverse impact the commercial activities have” on the local biodiversity of Ciebwr Bay and surrounding nationally protected sites.
An officer report recommending refusal said: “The proposed development has resulted in unacceptable landscape impact on the National Park and could potentially disturb species and habitats within the coastal zone.
“The proposal would not be compatible with the National Park’s purpose of conserving and enhancing its natural beauty, wildlife, and cultural heritage, nor would it protect its Special Qualities or its landscape.”
It went on to say there was insufficient information to assess the full scale of the proposed farm diversification, or “whether the diversification is at a scale that prejudices the main agricultural unit, which would constitute a reason for refusal”.
The application was refused on the grounds of landscape and habitat impact, “a lack of information regarding the functionally linked business use of the development, and the interaction between the outdoor activities the business offers, and the proposed development on this site,” and the previously outlined diversification issue.
A trespass notice was recently served on Adventure Beyond by the National Trust stating that continued use of Ceibwr Bay would be considered trespass on its land, the objection centring on concerns that coasteering activities could disturb breeding seabirds at Ceibwr Bay.
Adventure Beyond has challenged the notice.
| [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. |