Planners Expected to Reject Retrospective Application for Alpaca-Filled Wedding Venue Tipi

A retrospective call to keep a 160-person wedding venue tipi, where guests are greeted by alpacas, teddy bear sheep and Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, is expected to be turned down by Pembrokeshire planners next week.
Mr R Lloyd and Ms C Davies are seeking permission for the retention of a seasonal wedding events venue with the siting of a tipi and formation of ancillary parking area on land next to Redberth Gardens, Redberth, near Tenby.
Members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, meeting on April 23, are recommended to refuse the retrospective application for the ‘Serenity Garden’ tipi venue, erected in August 2023.
Serenity Garden, on its website, says the tipi offers a “very special wedding venue, set in the heart of the Pembrokeshire countryside,” with “friendly resident alpacas, teddy bear sheep, goats, ducks and Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs” greeting guests.
The site says the tipi offers “an enchanting setting for wedding feasts and dancing,” when lit at night by twinkling lights.
A planning statement supporting the application says it is anticipated that there would be approximately 15 wedding events during the season; the venue open 11am-11pm Monday –Saturday.
Concerns about the application have been raised by nearby St Florence Community Council, which said it was disappointed at the retrospective nature of the application, and that no details of a pond associated with the scheme were on the plans, with no drainage details, and a need to consult with Public Protection on potential noise control.
Seven letters of concern from the public were also raised, on issues including the potential impact on local residents, no site notice, added traffic, no local benefits, security concerns, and claims that bookings and deposits are already being taken for events.
A report for planners states: “The tipi comprises four interlinked sections with a height of 3.5 metres. The tipi has canopy openings to the east elevation facing towards the access path which meanders from the car park area to the north. A car park area has been formed along the northern part of the site and is accessed via an internal road which serves adjoining holiday lodges.
“Whilst the tipi is described as a temporary structure, it would have a level of permanence in that it would be erected in early April and remain on site until the end of October to minimise the effort of dismantling it after each planned event.”
It concludes: “The proposal represents an unjustified form of development in a countryside location. In addition, the application fails to include sufficient information to demonstrate that the suitable drainage infrastructure can be incorporated into the site, that noise levels would not have a detrimental impact on local amenity and that biodiversity would be protected and enhanced.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​