Scrutiny placed on temporary camp sites at national park

Temporary caravan and campsites in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park are to come under scrutiny.

Members of the public are being invited to contribute their views on the impact of these sites in the National Park.

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority will be conducting the public consultation, and has chosen to focus specifically on temporary sites operating under permitted development rights, not those with existing planning permissions.

During a National Park Authority meeting on May 1, members agreed to converse with the public regarding possible methods of controlling caravan and campsites.

Results from the public's input will play a critical part in shaping future decisions concerning permitted development rights.

Among the alternatives being evaluated, the favoured options by the authority includes the introduction of an Article 4 Direction or a voluntary code of conduct for exempted institutions.

If the Article 4 Direction is implemented, it would necessitate planning permission from temporary 28-day campsites within the National Park.

Alternatively, the voluntary code of conduct would apply to organisations currently allowed to supervise or approve caravan and campsites without the requisition of planning permission or a permit.

Currently, a considerable 7,500 pitches are located within Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s territories, operating with planning approval or under an exemption certificate.

A growing number of operators, however, have been ignoring the 28-day permitted development rights, resulting in many temporary campsites functioning much longer than the expected duration, extending to about 6 months within the year.

Highlighting her concerns on this issue, Sara Morris, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s director of placemaking, stated: "The current situation is undermining our ability to properly plan for the area and pursue a strategy of regenerative tourism."

She continued to add that campsites are coming into existence "without the degree of scrutiny or public consultation given to sites going through the official planning application process."

To analyse the capacity for accommodating more sites within the park without causing harm to the landscape, a study was commissioned in 2015 which concluded that there is only very restricted capability in some areas, while other locations are already filled to capacity.

Additionally, informal meetings carried out with statutory undertakers in late 2023 unveiled concerns related to potential effects on water quality and capacity.

The consultation process will launch in late May and will run until 5pm on Friday, September 20, 2024.

Depending on the feedback, the authority will consider the required further steps.

If the Article 4 Direction is chosen as a preferred option, then a formal notice regarding this process will be issued in October 2024, leading to its potential introduction in Autumn 2025.

The authority encourages all interested parties to participate in the consultation which will be held at the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park website.