Shepherd Hut One Year Later

An appeal is ongoing against a national park refusal of a shepherd hut holiday let in a Pembrokeshire village, nearly a year after planners refused it.

In an application refused by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park last August, Alex Mazaheri of Melrose, Whitehill, near Cresselly sought retrospective permission for a shepherd hut holiday let, and car parking space in the property grounds.

Works started in early 2025.

An officer report said a number of concerns had been raised by members of the public including the work already having been carried out, and the hut’s close proximity to the highway at one of the narrowest points of the road.

The application was refused, back on August 19, 2025, on the grounds including it represented “unjustified new development in the countryside,” it would “appear visually intrusive and discordant within the street scene and surrounding rural landscape,” and “insufficient information was provided to demonstrate that the proposal would achieve nutrient neutrality within the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) catchment”.

An appeal lodged with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), says the applicant “contends that the refusal was disproportionate and failed to properly reflect the modest scale of the proposal”.

It adds: “Neighbours and passers‑by have commented positively on the hut, noting its modest and sympathetic appearance.

“Following refusal, local press coverage generated a number of public comments, the majority of which were supportive of the proposal.

“While these are not formal consultation responses, they indicate that the local community did not view the shepherd’s hut as harmful.”

It went on to say Mr Mazaheri had “not sought to evade planning control but has instead acted in good faith, investing in landscaping and improvements for the immediate area while applying for planning in an open and transparent manner”.

In the appeal documentation local community council Carew has raised concerns about access to the site, along with other concerns raised by local objectors.

One, local county councillor Vanessa Thomas said works had stopped after an initial enforcement visit only to start again when the access was created and the ‘hut’ brought on site.

“This was all carried out without planning permission, and the unit and entrance was all complete before the application was submitted. The application is therefore retrospective. The concerns I raised in the original planning application remain the same.”

Cllr Thomas added: “The position of the Shepherd’s Hut is extremely close to the highway, and in one of the narrowest parts of the road. The positioning of the hut, along with the proposed access to the site, I feel are extremely dangerous, and should therefore not be allowed to remain where it is.”

She went on to say: “Whilst this is a 20mph road, it is a busy road. Many farmers use this road, and the size of the tractors travelling so close to the Shepherd’s hut, which is positioned just inside the hedge, is dangerous.

“The parking area, and the suggestion of turning into this space, on a 90-degree angle, is also a cause of concern, and to be reversing out into the road, as I think was suggested, can only lead to accidents.”

The window for final comments from all interested parties has now closed, a decision expected at a later date.