Pembrokeshire County Council
Cyngor Sir Penfro
Environmental Information Regulations Request Development Directorate Response date: 9 June 2016
Request:
Request for information regarding the location of Fishguard Harbour:
I request help from you and the team again; this time to determine which of two geographical locations is the correct location of Fishguard Harbour - as officially recognized by the Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC).
I have used extracts from two official documents relating to Fishguard Harbour and together with Attachment 1 to this e-mail, go to support Location 1 as the correct location of Fishguard Harbour. Further, this is the only location recognized by all Fishguard & Goodwick native residents.
The planning documents submitted by Conygar Investmment Complany Ltd. to the Pembrokeshire County Council in connection with Planning Application 11/0739/PA identified Location 2 as the correct location of Fishguard Harbour. The Pembrokeshire County Council Planning and Rights of Way Committee were presented with a Report on this Planning Application, dated 17 April 2012, from the Director of Development, Dr. Steven Jones in which this Location was apparently accepted.
Location 1. The first extract is a Publication, sponsored by the Welsh Government. It includes many images of Fishguard Harbour: both the old, now commonly known as Lower Town or Lower Fishguard, and the operational Harbour with deep water, that was created at the turn of the 19th Century.
ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL MONUMENTS OF WALES
Web site: http://www.rcahmw.gov.uk/
Fishguard Harbour Site Description Fishguard Harbour was created by blasting vast quantities of rock from the cliffs on the west side of Fishguard Bay, north of Goodwick village, to provide a level area of nearly 11 hectares. Upon this a huge quay was constructed, wide enough to accommodate the newly-built railway line from Clarbeston Road, the harbour station and its associated sidings and buildings, and long enough to accommodate transatlantic liners.
Planned to be the western end of the Great Western Railway's line from London and its major sea port, replacing Neyland, the harbour opened in 1906 with the inauguration of the Fishguard to Rosslare boat service. The anticipated transatlantic traffic did not materialise. A stone breakwater extends from Pen Cw at the north end of the quay into Fishguard Bay; it was later lengthened to about 850m and a lighthouse (nprn 309558) constructed on the eastern end.
A 750m-long inner or east breakwater, carrying a navigation light at its northern end, was added later. A housing estate, known as Harbour Village (nprn 410488), for railway employees was built on Pen Cw.
B.A.Malaws, RCAHMW, 19 May 2008. see attached Harbour photos.
The second extract is a copy of the Fishguard Harbour Certificate and a photograph of Fishguard Harbour and Harbour Village (houses specifically erected to accommodate Fishguard Harbour employees).
Fishguard Harbour[edit] see attached copy of Certificate of the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Company
The harbour was constructed by blasting 1.6 million tonnes of rock from the hillside to make a 900 m long breakwater. The quarried-out area became the quay. The harbour was finally opened on 30 August 1906. Planned to be the end of the Great Western Railway's line and its major sea port, replacing Neyland, problems with the harbour (known as Fishguard Harbour) prevented larger ocean liners from docking. Accordingly the harbour has a smaller inner breakwater protecting the remaining open side. Directly above the harbour is a small estate known as "Harbour Village", built to house workers during the construction of the harbour.
Attachment 1 – is a commonly available international map showing Fishguard Bay, the Parrog road, Fishguard Harbour and Harbour Village.
Fishguard Harbour has the Government Postal Code SA64 0BU
Location 2 The second location is shown in Attachment 2 as the proposed site for Planning Application 11/0739/PA. The area, marked in red, stretches from the Parrog (coastal road between Goodwick and Fishguard) to the Low-water mark (the line reached by sea water at low tide), and between the East breakwater (extending out from Goodwick Beach) and the north-west coast, covering the medieval fish-trap (seen as a ‘tick’), the historic Pier/Jetty and reaching beyond the old lifeboat house and slipway.
The Planning Application documents describe this marked area as Fishguard Harbour. However, the Application does allocate this area with the correct Postal Code of SA64 ODE for premises adjacent to the Parrog.
There are only two possible locations of Fishguard Harbour. One is the original Fishguard Harbour or Lower Town, and the other; either Location 1 or Location 2 above.
Would you please help to identify which of the two locations is officially recognized by the Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC)?
Response:
Planning Service response:
The area referred to as ‘Fishguard Harbour’ for the purposes of the planning consent is the area that the applicant identified in their planning application. At the original application stage, the applicant complied with obligations under The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) Order 2012 (as amended) including Article 5 which requires “a plan which identifies the land to which the application relates” (i.e. the red edged plan). At the “site address details” (Q4) on the 1APP application form, guidance states that the location should simply be described as clearly as possible.
Property Service response:
The Council leases the foreshore and the sea bed at Fishguard and Goodwick from the Crown Estate under the terms of a regulating Lease dated 1st February 2001 registered at HM Land Registry under title number CYM71625. Please see the attached copy for information. (Copies of the lease are also available from the Land Registry). Please note that the Copyright of the document remains with the Crown.
Plan 4 attached to the lease shows the area at Fishguard Bay leased by the Council edged and shaded pink. The plan also defines the Harbour limits.
Lower Town Harbour and Fishguard Harbour are identified as separate entities within the lease. Fishguard Harbour is located within the foreshore fronting Goodwick Parrog and Lower Town Harbour is located in Lower Town Fishguard.
The County Council is a tenant of the Crown Estate and accepts the definition of the demised premises given by the Crown as landlord and owner of the freehold estate. In the circumstances it might be more appropriate to direct enquiries to the agents acting for the Crown regarding information about Crown property.
The Agents may be contacted at:
Rhian Howells Senior Surveyor Cooke and Arkwright One Central Park Western Avenue Bridgend CF31 3TZ Telephone 01656 644612 Email [email protected]