1 The loss of a valuable community facility

A local pub can be at the heart of a village - a place where people can meet and socialise. Politicians now recognise this and have passed laws to protect communities from profiteering developers. In the Planning Policy Wales (para 10.1.4) it says that public houses "can play a vital economic and social role in their loss can be damaging to a local community"  The Sea Lawns - with its function rooms was even more than just a pub - it was a real amenity for the whole community.

Other establishments in the vicinity appear to be doing very well. The Pelican is doing a good trade in both food and drink - as it appears is the Plough and Harrow, The Fox and many other pubs in the area.  The restaurant Frolics in Southerndown is thriving and the Ewenny Farm Hotel is often full with no vacancies.

The Sea Lawns has the potential to match this!

2 The visual impact on the beautiful heritage coastline

The Glamorgan Heritage Coast is a area of great natural beauty. The Vale of Glamorgan recognises this in it Unitary Development Plan when it says "the undeveloped, unspoilt nature of the coastline is fundamental to the character of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast"  The proposed development would dominate the area visually - blocking the views from the road and along the coast. It would also be completely out of scale with the surrounding buildings - and would completely spoil the special character of the area.

We do not want another Heritage House blot on our landscape!

3 The effects on the tourist trade in the Vale

The Vale of Glamorgan recognise the importance of the Heritage Coast as a tourist attraction - and also the role that Ogmore by Sea plays as an access point to the Coast. The Sea Lawns is the ONLY hotel actually on the Heritage Coast and the only pub with sea views. Developing sustainable tourism is a stated objective of both the Welsh Assembly (Planning Policy Wales 2002) and the Vale of Glamorgan (Unitary Development Plan - Policy 6).

Tourism also creates local employment opportunities - many local teenagers got their first jobs at the Sea Lawns.

We believe that the arguments against this development are so strong that they cannot be ignored.

In 2006 AND 2010 the previous plans were rejected for these reasons! 

Please write to the Vale. to your MP and to the Press to give your opinions on these points.