A FORMER county councillor has paid tribute to the late Mike Stoddart, describing him as a “principled incredible friend” with an “encyclopaedic knowledge of the law” and an unmatched ability to expose wrongdoing.

In a personal memory piece shared with The Herald, Cllr Michael Williams said he first became aware of Mr Stoddart when he ran the Milford Mercury, recalling how some figures at County Hall appeared “fearful” on publication days because of Stoddart’s determination to “root out… dubious activities”.

Cllr Williams also recounted being threatened with libel action after raising concerns about the record and claimed successes of an external consultant hired “at considerable expense”.

He said he was contacted by a Cardiff legal firm demanding £20,000 and warning he would be sued, describing the correspondence as “frankly intimidating” and saying it left him fearing “the loss of everything”.

Cllr Williams said he sought help from Mr Stoddart, who he recalled arriving at his home with his wife Viv and spending an entire evening working through “a considerable quantity of documentation” and advising how to respond.

“Mikes encyclopaedic knowledge of the law was incredible, and he was able to offer some much-needed reassurance,” Cllr Williams wrote.

He added that he worked with Mr Stoddart on allegations involving grants and “dubious travel claims”, which he said culminated in a referral to the council’s audit committee.

Cllr Williams claimed the “taxpayers of the county were massively let down” by Dyfed-Powys Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, despite what he described as a “detailed dossier” submitted by Mr Stoddart.

Reflecting on decades in public life, he said one enduring lesson was that those who ask “awkward questions” can find themselves “shut down”, adding that bodies including the council and police could become “aggressive and intimidatory” when challenged.

Cllr Williams said he feared that without Mr Stoddart, “far less dubious fraudulent or indeed criminal activities will be exposed”.

“Mikes courage together with his sheer intellectual powers are irreplaceable,” he added.

UK-WIDE hospitality company Loungers could soon have one of their café bars based at a recently closed Tenby seafront bar and restaurant.

Loungers, founded in 2002, runs family-friendly Lounge café bars across the UK – including the Cofio Lounge at the Guildhall, Carmarthen, and the Waldo Lounge at Haverfordwest’s Riverside.

In an application submitted to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Bristol-based Loungers UK Limited, through agent Richard Pedlar Architects, seeks permission for the installation of new fascia signage and a new totem sign including a menu board at Salty’s Beach Bar and Restaurant, Battery Road, Tenby.

Illustrations for the signage application show the Loungers signage, bearing the name ‘Lansio Lounge’ in the Loungers font, Lansio translating from Welsh to ‘launch’.

Salty’s Beach Bar and Restaurant, a family-run venue based in Tenby, announced its closure on social media, confirming that Sunday, January 4 was its final day of trading.

The Loungers application is only for the signage, any Lounge restaurant scheme unlikely to need approval as the existing location was a similar business, avoiding any need for a change of use application.

Tenby Town Council is recommending approval for the signage, but the park’s buildings conservation officer Rob Scourfield is recommending refusal for the proposals, in the town’s conservation area.

“Section 160 of the Historic Environment (Wales) Act requires that when considering planning applications, special attention must be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the area.

“As a rule of thumb, we have no allowed internally illuminated signage within the CA, despite pressure to do so. The employment of discrete externally-lit signage would be preferable – as submitted however, the proposal will have an adverse impact on the character and appearance of the conservation area.”

Loungers has been contacted about the proposals and its future plans.

The application will be considered at a later date.

A CALL to convert vacant office space, which was once an HSBC bank, to a ‘welcoming social space’ café in the centre of Pembrokeshire’s only city has been approved.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Rhiannon Barwick sought permission for a change of use of Old Bank House, 18a Cross Square, St Davids to a café, including the installation of a new side accessible access door and ramp, and creation of outdoor seating area to the rear of the building.

The office space in St Davids’ conservation area has been vacant since the 2022; a 2013 application change for a change of use from the former bank approved previously, the last use of the building as a holiday cottage agency.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said: “The premises has remained vacant and is located within the defined Retail Centre of St Davids. As local people ourselves, we’re passionate about supporting the St Davids community in every way we can — not just by offering a welcoming social space, but by getting involved and hosting activities like a run club.

“We understand what St Davids’ needs to thrive, and we’re committed to being an active, positive part of that.  We’d like to open from 7.30am, as there are currently no other cafés open at that time, and it offers a great opportunity to support early commuters.

“We plan to serve homemade pastries, offering a treat that no other café in St Davids currently provides. We plan to stay open until around 3pm, with additional evening events to host and support local clubs and community activities.”

It added: “In the central area of St Davids, there are currently only two active sit-in cafés, with all others operating on a takeaway-only basis — highlighting a clear need for a welcoming, community-focused space like ours.

“While most other cafes in St Davids are focused on the tourism trade, we would like to focus on both the tourism trade and the growing St Davids Community, by staying open all year round.”

The application was supported by St Davids City Council.

An officer report recommending approval said: “There are no concerns in relation to the impact upon the special qualities of the Park, nor in relation to the character or appearance of the conservation area, or nearby listed buildings. The recommendation is to grant permission subject to suitably worded conditions.”

The application was conditionally approved.