Changes to housing scheme once feared to have been sold to Birmingham, claimed by The Pembrokeshire Herald

Amendments to previously granted plans for a Pembrokeshire housing estate which was once feared to be sold to Birmingham City Council have been given the go-ahead.

In 2022, Wales and West Housing and construction partners Jones Brothers (Henllan) Ltd have been granted permission by Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee for a 50-home social housing development on land off Maesgwynne Lane, Fishguard.

That permission, subject to meeting an S106 planning obligation, was completed in early 2023.

The 1.7 hectare site is developed into a mix of one bedroom apartments, one bedroom bungalows, two, three and four bedroom houses.

Rumors have since emerged that the project has been sold to Birmingham City Council for out-of-date housing, dismissed by the developers as “no truth”.

Wales & West Housing has denied the claims, saying they are completely untrue.

“There is no truth to this rumour,” a spokesman for Wales & West Housing said earlier this year.

“We are very much continuing to develop the site off Maesgwynne Lane. We are working with our construction partners Jones Brothers (Henllan) Ltd to build 50 new homes for affordable rent on the site, as approved by Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee.

“The development is being funded by Wales & West Housing in partnership with Pembrokeshire Council and the Welsh Government.

“When it is finished, we will be working with Pembrokeshire County Council to enable local people who are most in need of homes they can afford to rent.”

Birmingham City Council added at the time: “This is not something we are aware of here so it appears to be an inaccurate rumour.”

Amendments to the previously granted scheme were recently submitted to county planners by Jones Brothers (Henllan) Ltd, with minor changes to the roof and other visual changes.

Approving the changes, a report to planners stated: “The proposed changes are not so significant as to have a greater impact than the approved scheme; there will be no negative impact from a visual point of view or from the point of view of local development; no third party interest would be disadvantaged; and there will be no conflict with national or development plan policies.”

The amendments were conditionally approved.