PLANS for a housing scheme of 12 homes near a Pembrokeshire village school, which includes an affordable housing contribution of £30,000 and a new school footpath, have been submitted.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Haverfordwest-based Carew Castle Estates, through agent Harries Planning Design Management seeks permission for a housing development of 12 three-bed homes on land south of Sageston County Primary School, Sageston.

The application site comprises of the old school paddock in the centre of Sageston.

A supporting statement says: “This application seeks full approval for 12 detached residential units, with an adoptable access road off the highway. The proposed dwelling mix will comprise four house types, all with three bedrooms, with house type A providing slightly smaller units and house type D providing a one-and-a half-storey dwelling.”

It says an expected five per cent contribution to affordable housing would be met through a commuted sum of £30,519, secured by a Section 106 legal agreement.

It adds: “The proposal also includes a school footpath, with the land gifted to the school. The footpath will allow access to the school and will be controlled by electronic gates. This footpath has been designed in communication with the school governors to ensure that is required.

“We believe this footpath will provide positive community benefits and will ensure that the existing footpaths in the area link directly to the school. The footpath will be bound with anti-climb fencing and significant evergreen hedging to provide ample screening between the dwellings and the path. The footpath will be constructed by the school.”

It concludes: “This proposal is considered to offer an acceptable form of residential development in line with the local development policies. The proposal is respectful of its context and offers a range of tenure options for the market.”

The scheme will be considered by county planners at a later date.

A MULTI-MILLION POUND scheme to redevelop a derelict Pembrokeshire motel, described as “one of the last true blots on our county’s landscape” with the promise of creating 18 jobs, and even bringing back a post office lost after the Horizon scandal, has been approved.

In an application before Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s May 21 development management committee, Nick Neumann of Newgale Holidays sought permission to redevelop the former Roch Gate Motel to a mixed commercial and community use hub called ‘The Gate,’ including a village shop/post office, bistro/restaurant, and a tourism development of 18 holiday lodges.

Since a pre-application consultation in 2023 and a formal submission of plans last September, amended plans reduced the landscape impact, as well as reducing the number of lodges from 25 to 18 and removing previously included industrial units from the scheme.

The application was recommended for approval despite concerns raised by Natural Resources Wales on visual and landscape impacts, a report for planners saying: “The proposal, however, is recognised as bringing significant benefits in terms of removing a building which is causing harm to the National Park landscape at present, given its significant dilapidation and disrepair.”

The vacant derelict former motel – dubbed an “eyesore” in previous applications – closed back in 2008 and has a history of later approved planning schemes, including as a bespoke hotel and an affordable housing scheme, but none have come to fruition.

Speaking at the May meeting, applicant Nick Neumann, who has become a county councillor since the scheme was first mooted, said: “The former Rochgate Motel located at the gateway to the St Davids Peninsula on the A487 is somewhat famous for the wrong reasons as it remains one of the last true blots on our county’s landscape. Namely the ‘pink palace’ has remained dormant for nearly 20 years slowly deteriorating in condition whilst various proposals have come forward and never materialised.

“The site, originally a former World War 2 radar station which became a commercial premises including motel, restaurant, spa and events facility in the early 1960s, was a much-loved popular venue for nearly 50 years before closing its doors in 2008.

“Today we still receive comments from people who loved the motel back in the day. I myself can fondly remember visits with my late parents, and I wouldn’t mind betting that at least one person at this meeting today would have memories of a visit to the motel. The motel was an institution back then and with your approval, will become once again.”

He added: “The scheme (aptly named ‘The Gate’) will include the reinstatement of a bistro style restaurant, a village shop (an asset lost from our community within the last two years), an events space, and a modest tourism development, all just a stone’s throw from Newgale sands, and six miles from our county town.

“The proposal will bring a significant multi-million-pound investment into the community, create 18 FTE jobs, restore lost community provisions, and will see the revitalisation of the brownfield site with a new exciting provision to our growing community of Roch.”

He finished: “We have in principle funding agreed by the Development Bank of Wales, and in principle grant funding agreed by Visit Wales. Our intention would be to start the development as soon as conditions were discharged, with a fully committed phasing plan in place commencing with the demolition of all existing buildings and the planting of new landscaping.”

Other speakers at the meeting raised their support for the proposals, with former community council chair, and chair of the Nolton and Roch community Land Trust, David Smith saying an ad-hoc survey of local residents had seen more than 120 supportive responses in just a few days.

He contrasted two previous granted, but never implemented, schemes for “an ugly replacement motel” and an “ill-conceived housing development” with the current scheme, which includes a replacement post office; the former post office indirectly closing in part due to the Horizon Post Office scandal, where many postmasters were wrongfully convicted as a result of faults in accounting software developed by Fujitsu for Horizon.

He said the scheme would “significantly enhance the convenience and wellbeing of local residents,” as well as creating jobs and would “replace a decaying eyesore that is a blight on the community”.

Current community council chair Michael Harries also spoke, saying the community has been “tarnished by a pink monstrosity eyesore” since the motel closed in 2008.

He contrasted the “false hopes” of previous schemes with Mr Neuman’s plans, saying residents had waited for a long time for a suitable development and were “excited to see this project progress”.

Moving approval, Cllr Simon Hancock said he was “really, really delighted” to do so, saying it would be a “huge economic benefit” for the area, with Cllr Sam Skyrme-Blackhall seconding the “fantastic way forward,” along with Cllr Chris Williams in support, who said: “I can’t believe it’s been so long, it has been an eyesore, I’m absolutely delighted something is going to come out of this.”

The application was conditionally approved.

WELSH WATER customers are getting a raw deal, with bills increasing while ‘disgraceful’ pollution continues and executives pocket ‘scandalous’ payments, the Senedd heard.

Rhys ab Owen expressed concerns about Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water being issued a £1.3m fine for failing to monitor water quality at 300 different sites and committing 800 offences.

“This is on top of the sewage that was discharged last year, over 118,000 times,” he said. “That is a sewage spill every five minutes – the highest… of any UK water company.”

Mr ab Owen told the Senedd: “Constituents find it very difficult to believe – it sticks in the back of the throat – that executives are paid eye-watering sums, that there are discussions for them to be paid even higher salaries.

“And this at the same time that Dŵr Cymru is increasing household bills by 27 per cent this year, an average of £86 per household. Costs for householders are increasing yet scrutiny seems to be decreasing due to lack of funding and investment by the Welsh Government.”

Huw Irranca-Davies said Welsh Water will invest £6bn between 2025 and 2030, including £1.2bn to deliver environmental improvements and tackle nutrient pollution.

The deputy first minister said: “I’ve been consistently clear – both with the water companies and indeed the regulator, Ofwat – that customers in Wales expect to see real, tangible improvements.”

He said Welsh Water acknowledged its failings following the court case – committing to reducing the ecological harm from storm overflows by 90 per cent, and 100 per cent by 2032.

Mr Irranca-Davies, whose responsibilities include water, told Senedd members he will shortly be meeting Jane Hanson, who was appointed Welsh Water’s chair in January.

Janet Finch-Saunders, the Conservatives’ shadow climate secretary, said: “I just can’t believe that we’re still discussing this. Whilst we’re talking about it, there’s probably dozens of pollution incidents taking place right now.”

She described chief executive Peter Perry receiving total remuneration of £892,000 as scandalous, with a bonus of £91,000 paid in 2024.

Addressing the deputy first minister during topical questions on May 21, she said: “I do think you need to be far more robust in your meeting with the chair….”