Referee Martin Jones says Eluned Morgan’s visit to a community that recently backed Reform UK showed leadership willing to listen rather than hide away

FIRST MINISTER Eluned Morgan has been praised for visiting Hakin over the bank holiday weekend, with local referee Martin Jones saying her appearance showed a willingness to engage with communities where the political tide may be turning.

In a social media post after attending the Pembrokeshire League title decider, Jones said it would have been easy for senior politicians to avoid areas where support had “clearly shifted”, but argued Morgan deserved credit for doing the opposite.

His remarks come after Hakin, part of Milford Haven, elected a Reform UK county councillor, Scott Thorley, in a result seen by some as a sign of changing political sentiment in the area.

Jones wrote that Morgan’s visit “stood out” because it showed “a willingness to engage, not retreat”.

He also praised the First Minister’s approach on the day, saying her attendance did not feel like a staged appearance.

According to Jones, Morgan stayed at the event, spoke with local people, listened to what they had to say, and took time to connect with both matchgoers and residents.

He was also complimentary about the presence of members of her team, including Marc Tierney, saying it was encouraging to see political figures engaging directly with the public rather than keeping their distance.

Jones said that, regardless of political allegiance, leadership should still be prepared to show up in person and hear what communities are thinking.

In his post, he described Morgan’s visit as “refreshingly real” and said it mattered to see politicians “turning up, listening, and being present” at a time when many political conversations can feel remote from everyday life.

The visit took place at a high-profile local football fixture over the Easter bank holiday weekend, drawing a sizeable crowd and giving the First Minister the chance to meet residents in an informal setting.

While political divisions remain sharp across Wales, Jones’s comments suggest that personal engagement on the ground can still cut through, even in places where parties face a more uncertain reception than they once did.

The First Minister was also spotted at St Davids Cathedral on Easter Sunday.

Photo caption:

First Minister Eluned Morgan speaks with local referee Martin Jones during her visit to Hakin over the bank holiday weekend (Pic: Martin Jones).

A CALL for a 60-foot-long shed and stables at the proposed home of a gypsy traveller family near a Pembrokeshire village has been refused by planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Ryan Surname Boswell & Family, through agent Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, sought provision for an access road and replacement of temporary stables and storage containers with a multi-purpose shed and stables at Greenwells, Cosheston Bridge, Cosheston.

The application initially sought a 24.3 by 9.1 metre building, which has now been reduced to 18.3m by nine.

A supporting statement said that land to the north “is subject to a current planning application for the provision of two traveller family pitches with improvements to access and ecological enhancements with other land in our client’s ownership being un-affected”.

It added: “Mr Boswell and his family are of traveller origin and intend to make this site their family home. They own various domestic equipment, children / family articles, mowers / tools and farming equipment that require secure storage. The shed will also be used to house horses/ponies that are currently stabled in the temporary wooden stable block currently on skids on the land in question.”

It concluded: “The scale, design and use of materials (and colours) of the proposed shed is comparable to many new such sheds throughout Pembrokeshire. There will be no significant negative impacts on the level of amenity enjoyed by any neighbours or those travelling along the minor county road to Cosheston from any aspects of the proposed development.”

Local community council Cosheston had raised concerns including the “excessive” size of the proposed building, feeling “this is on the large side of what is required for a couple of ponies”.

It added: “Our concern is that the applicant intends to run his building/property maintenance business from the property. If the council grants the application, restrictions should made on the property’s use. i.e. restricted to agricultural use only.

“We have no objection to the construction of a small stable block, similar in size to the existing one on site.”

Objections were also received from two members of the public, raising concerns including the scale, environmental concerns, and a potential conflict with the ongoing application.

An officer report recommending refusal said the scheme was part-retrospective due to the prior formation of an access track within the field.

It added: “Despite amendments to the application as originally submitted by the reduction in building footprint and scale, the proposal remains a substantial and visually intrusive structure in the open countryside. An essential countryside need has not been justified nor evidence provided of an agricultural or equine enterprise warranting a building of this size or permanence.”

The application was refused on the grounds it “is not typical of a structure intended solely for the storage of paraphernalia associated with grazing land or for equine use and no information has been provided within the application to demonstrate the functional need for a building of this scale”.

It added: “The nature, siting and scale of the building would not be compatible with the capacity and rural character of the site, and together with the access track results in an unjustified and visually intrusive form of development in the open countryside, which does not represent sustainable development.”

PLANS for three solar-powered parking meters at National Trust south Pembrokeshire beauty spots have been given the go-ahead by the national park.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the National Trust, through agent Mott Macdonald Ltd, sought permission for replacement solar-powered parking meters, along with associated infrastructure including an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera, at Broad Haven, Stackpole Quay, and Bosherston Lily Ponds carparks.

An officer recommending approval said it was intended to install a Solar Strada S5 Terminal parking meter at Broad Haven Carpark, an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera and Solar Strada S5 Terminal at Stackpole Quay carpark, and a Solar Strada S5 Terminal parking meter at Bosherston Lily Ponds.

It added: “As there was a previous level of visual intrusion caused by the existing infrastructure, the proposed parking fee terminals are considered unlikely to exacerbate the existing level of visual impact caused by the existing pay and display terminals.

“The proposed installation of the solar parking fee terminals at Broadhaven, Stackpole Quay and Bosherston Lily Pond carpark and the ANPR camera at Stackpole Quay carpark are considered to be well designed in terms of scale, siting, visual amenity and biodiversity.”

The application for the three units was conditionally approved by park planners.