Plans for Gin Distillery in UK’s Smallest City Expected to be Refused

Resubmitted plans for a gin distillery in the centre of Britain’s smallest city which objectors fear “could result in death, injuries and large-scale damage to property” are expected to be refused by Pembrokeshire national park next week.
Last October, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park planners, refused an application by Mr N Walsh for a change of use of the exiting guest house at St Davids Distillery, Restaurant & Rooms, 11-13 Nun Street, St Davids to include the bar/restaurant and distillery.
The plans for the Grade II-listed property had drawn 23 responses of concern, including intensification of use from the bar, impacts on local amenity, and Health and Safety concerns about the installation of a still and the use of ethanol, with fears of a fire and explosion risk.
The scheme – supported by St David’s City Council – was partly retrospective as the gin still had been installed, but was not currently in use, in the distillery sited below existing bedrooms at the guesthouse.
The latest application, a mixed used of 11-13 Nun Street as a bed and breakfast and housing part of a gin distillery plant required for processing gin distillations for St Davids Distillery, is again recommended for refusal.
It is proposed that the ethanol and botanicals would be stored off-site and brought onto the premises only when distilling is taking place; 30 days of any 12-month calendar year, and that the property would not be offering accommodation for guests on these days.
An officer report says: “This application seeks consent for the mixed use of the premises as bed and breakfast and gin distillery. Whilst the description given by the applicant refers to ‘part of the gin distillery plant’ being housed at the premises, it is considered that since the gin still is the crucial element required for the process of gin distillation, the application does seek consent for a gin distillery.”
It added: “There are a number of mitigation measures suggested in order to minimise the risk associated with the use of ethanol at this site.
“However, the measures required to control these measures would not, in the opinion of the authority, be reasonable, practical or enforceable. As a result, the proposal would be inappropriate, and as such, a recommendation to refuse planning permission is made.”
There were also 14 letters of objection to the proposals, raising concerns including it “could result in death, injuries and large-scale damage to property” and “The site is not suitable for producing and storing inflammable materials,” traffic, noise and lack of privacy, and other industrial settings in and around St Davids that could be used for housing the distillery.
The report adds: “It is recognised that it would be possible for the Authority to apply a condition restricting the use of the still to the hours, and amount of days per calendar year as suggested by the planning statement, however officers have a fundamental concern regarding the reasonableness and enforceability of any such conditions since they would require the B&B to provide details of all bookings, and inspections to be carried out by officers.”
The application is recommended for refusal at the October 16 meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee on grounds it would introduce a use that was “incompatible with its location and a design which does not adequately address matters of health,” and “the proposed development would result in harm being caused to residential amenity due to the requirement of planning conditions which would be considered unenforceable and impracticable”. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​