Plans to replace a dilapidated Burry Port building with retirement flats have been approved by Carmarthenshire county councillors.
The planning committee yesterday discussed plans to replace the fire-damaged property at Sandhurst, The Harbour, Burry Port, with seven apartments and garages.
The site is to the immediate south of the new Chandler’s Yard development at Burry Port Harbour with the harbour itself to the east.
The proposals will see six two-bedroom flats built – three on the ground floor and three on the first floor – with a two bedroom apartment in the roof void of the property.
A planning officers’ report to the committee backed the plans, saying: “The size, scale and design of the proposed development is of a high quality and uses a pallet of materials vernacular to the area as a whole, and will improve the visual appearance of the area by removing a fire damaged property that has blighted the area for a number of years.”
Planning officer John Thomas said that the current property had contained five flats and was accessible by a single track lane, the same access as the new scheme. Traffic had been the main concern raised by objectors to the plans, but Mr Thomas said the retired occupants were unlikely to add to traffic on the lane.
Local members, Councillor Pat Jones and Cllr Stephen James, representatives of Pembrey and Burry Port Town Council, and local residents had all expressed concern about road safety.
Cllr James was also worried about the size of the development.
The scheme was approved subject to a Section 106 agreement between the council and the developer which will agree a financiail contribution for the improvement and extension of local traffic calming scheme and will ensure the flats are occupied only by retired people.
