RAPTUROUS applause broke out after national park planners turned down retrospective plans for a slurry lagoon and cattle shed near Goodwick last week, January 21.

At a packed January meeting of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s Development Management Committee, members heard Daniel Harries, of Velindre Farm, St Nicholas, had built accommodation for hundreds of dairy cattle without National Park permission.

A park enforcement visit on January 5 had uncovered the unauthorised work.

Mr Harries has previously said that he had had to build the cattle sheds for animal welfare reasons, and has claimed he had the support of around 95 per cent of the local community.

The application, which would see milking cows increase from 540- 860, had previously been deferred from the September 2014 meeting pending a site visit, and in October a recommendation for refusal was narrowly overturned pending further information.

It was due to be considered at the December 2014 meeting but requested additional information was not received in time.

Seven letters of support, including a 218 signature petition, were received, along with 56 letters of objection.

The application was again recommended for refusal at the January meeting on the grounds it was “an inappropriate and harmful form of development” in open countryside and the slurry lagoon would have an adverse impact on neighbours.

Councillor Owen James said: “This application makes a mockery of the purpose and principle of the national park. Would you like to open your window and be greeted by a lake of stinking muck?

“The level of concern, the anger, the tears, the upset I have witnessed has been overwhelming.

“People do not dare to object because of the recrimination. As far as the 95 per cent claim of support; I don’t think so, I certainly don’t think so.

“The national park is a special place, care has to be taken to preserve it; this application is totally incongruent to the process.”

Councillor Tony Wilcox said: “The fact they’ve gone ahead is a no-no, it smacks of arrogance.”

The application was refused by 13 votes to two, with one abstention.