A PLAN for an out-of-town DIY store in Brecon has been thrown out by the Brecon Beacons National Park (BBNP). Members of the authority's planning committee rejected an application for a 25,000 square foot retail warehouse and a gardening centre, despite park planning officers recommending it be approved. Members of the committee said they feared the development would have a devastating effect on Brecon town centre, and were also opposed to allowing a retail development on land earmarked for industrial use at the Brecon Enterprise Park. A report by planning consultants denied a DIY store would have an adverse effect on the viability of the town centre, but members questioned the quality of the report. Brecon councillor Paul Ashton said he was concerned that a number of businesses in the town hadn't been included in the study, and questioned the validity of the report's findings. Traders who attended the special January 23 planning meeting praised the committee - who rejected the application by 15 votes to 1 - for voting against the recommendation of the planning officers. Roger Price, of Brecon furnishing and DIY store Spectrum, said: "The councillors did a really good job and spoke up very well." Mr Price, who earlier addressed the committee on behalf of the Chamber of Trade, said the applicants behind the proposed retail warehouse had cast an 'envious eye' at a thriving sector of Brecon retail trade that they intended to 'poach.' He also told the committee that 16 Brecon businesses in hardware, gardening, and other DIY-related sectors already employed 168 people, while the DIY store was promising 40 full-time and 20 part-time posts. Despite the Chamber of Trade listing 16 similar businesses, the retail impact assessment only named three businesses as DIY and gardening outlets. The committee heard this was due to technical reasons, with some businesses discounted for being outside the town centre, as defined by the BBNP, or others such as B Jenkins & Sons builders' merchants classed as wholesale businesses, despite having showrooms. Cliff Jenkins, of the Watton-based business, said: "Historically, we have traded in Brecon for 125 years, but all of our retail sales were discounted as we're considered to be wholesale." Mr Price commented: "The planning laws are not flexible enough to allow the inclusion of actual facts and figures. "The report expected £5.2 million turnover to have a negligible effect on the town centre." "I do believe Brecon people want a DIY store, but they would also to keep the town centre." Planning officer Bernard Eacock said the DIY store could help 'plug' Brecon's retail leak - cash spent outside the area. Officers had also suggested the development would cut car journeys with fewer shoppers travelling to other centres such as Merthyr Tydfil. Shoppers in Brecon town centre gave the decision a mixed reaction. Administrator Susan Stavrides said she would have welcomed a new retail store: "I think it would have been a good thing, from a personal perspective, it would have been good as I currently have to travel to Hereford or Merthyr for those type of stores. I think competition is good as far as business is concerned." A man, who did not wish to give his name, added: "I can see that it wouldn't be good from a shop keepers point of view, but as a shopper I would be keen as I currently go to Merthyr."
