Affordable Self-Build at Risk in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park – Consultation Open Until 5 December 2025

[chazzyjeff]

If you are interested in affordable self-build, community housing or small rural developments in West Wales, there is a consultation open that could significantly affect how self-build is delivered in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (PCNPA) has published a draft Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG). Some sections of the draft appear to:

• Restrict rural exception sites to rental-only housing, excluding affordable ownership and self-build options.

• Require every scheme to match the Local Housing Market Assessment (LHMA) mix exactly, despite TAN 6 supporting flexibility to reflect individual needs and preferences (including self-build).

• Introduce viability testing rules that may be difficult for one-off or unsubsidised self-builds to meet.

If adopted, these measures could make affordable self-build practically impossible within the National Park, despite national planning policy (TAN 2, TAN 6 and Planning Policy Wales) supporting ownership-based affordable housing that remains affordable in perpetuity.

Neighbouring authorities such as Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Powys already permit affordable self-build dwellings on rural exception sites through Section 106 mechanisms. The PCNPA’s draft approach appears inconsistent with both national policy and established regional practice.

Consultation deadline: 5 December 2025
Documents and questionnaire:
https://www.pembrokeshirecoast.wales/get-involved/public-consultations/

If you live, work, or hope to build in the National Park, it is worth reviewing the SPG (particularly paragraphs 6.1–6.3, 6.16–6.19 and Section 7) and submitting comments through the online questionnaire.
In particular, you may wish to respond to:

• Question 11 – LHMA conformity requirement

• Question 17 – Restriction on ownership/self-build tenures

• Question 19 – Viability testing provisions

Individual and local responses are important, and even brief submissions will help to demonstrate the level of concern within the self-build community.

 

Many thanks for your consideration