The call to keep a ‘funky’ holiday lodge in woods near a Pembrokeshire village has been turned down, partly over a dispute on what constitutes a caravanRobert Harries Senior Reporter and Bruce Sinclair, Local Democracy Reporter
07:51, 01 Jul 2025
Cabin in The Woods in Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
A bid for keeping a ‘funky’ holiday lodge in woodlands near a Pembrokeshire village has fallen through after a row about what constitutes a caravan.
Greg Baker, represented by Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, applied for retrospective consent at Pembrokeshire Council for establishing a second tourism unit with a bespoke fixed holiday lodge, hot tub and parking at Cabin in The Woods, Kilgetty, after beginning works in April 2023. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
In defence of the application, a statement from Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd suggested: “The current application presents a scheme to provide a second bespoke holiday unit on land in our client’s ownership.
“The application for a second holiday let unit is in response to demand for more ‘funky’ holiday accommodation in Pembrokeshire and the popularity of the Kilgetty area, it being central to many visitor attractions in the county.”
They further argued: “The proposed new development would be sited on land in our client’s ownership and whilst not adjacent to the existing holiday let unit, we believe the site can satisfactorily accommodate the scale of development proposed and by making use of the slope of the site and presenting a high quality design appropriate to its setting, and it would not detract from the semi-rural character and appearance of the locality.
“Further, whilst the proposal now represents a new build development rather than the reuse of an existing building, there is policy support for this type of holiday development expansion in countryside locations.”
The application documentation suggested that since a previous application, Woodberry Cottage has been used as a holiday let successfully for many years: “This remains the case and as such, the proposal is still intended to extend and complement the existing holiday letting business on the site.”
However, the application was rejected by county planners who determined that the scheme “is for self-catering accommodation in the form of a cabin, on the basis of information submitted with the application, this is considered to be a caravan rather than built development, as there is no robust information to demonstrate that it is permanently fixed to the ground”.
They further noted: “The application site is located in a countryside location outside of any defined settlement boundary.
“Due to the policy conflict associated with this type of development in a countryside location, the proposal along with its associated development would be unjustified and result in a significant detrimental visual impact on the rural landscape.”
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