A CALL to expand the licensed area of a Pembrokeshire community pub, recently hailed as one of the most friendly in Britain, has been given the go-ahead by county planners.

The White Hart Inn in St Dogmaels was ranked second friendliest pub in the UK in a study by security experts Get Licensed, which looked at Tripadvisor reviews and median crime scores around each pub to find the friendliest in the UK.

The 250-year-old White Hart, on Finch Street, reopened as a community pub in 2021 following a campaign after it closed in May 2019, when the last landlords decided to refocus to other activities.

The White Hart Community Inn Ltd was formed as a Community Benefit Society and a community share offer launched with the guidance of the Wales Co-operative Centre.

Two years of fund-raising and campaigning saw enough money raised through individual community shares purchases together with financial support from the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government via the Social Business Growth Fund administered by Social Investment Cymru at WCVA, alongside a grant from Pembrokeshire County Council.

White Hart Community Inn (St Dogmaels) Ltd had asked Pembrokeshire County Council for permission the expand the licensed premises through a change of use of the former manager’s accommodation, vacant since early 2022.

The application was conditionally approved by planning officers.

This is the second application for works at the White Hart recently.

An application by White Hart Community Inn (St Dogmaels) Ltd to install solar panels at the historic pub was recently granted by Pembrokeshire County Council.

That proposal was backed by St Dogmaels Community Council, which said it “fully supports the application for the installation of photovoltaic panels”.

Receiving the recent Get Licensed award, the White Hart Inn received a top score of five on Tripadvisor, and 66.67 per cent of its reviews highlighted the pub’s ‘friendly’ and ‘welcoming’ atmosphere.

A YOUNG MAN receiving treatment at a local mental health unit has found hope and inspiration through a piano donated in memory of Matt Baker – just days after the instrument arrived at the hospital.

Matt, affectionately known as “Mr Good Times” of Haverfordwest, passed away in March aged 49. In tribute, his family used donations from his funeral to gift a Yamaha electric piano to Bro Cerwyn Hospital, where Matt had spent the final months of his life.

Now, in a moving story shared by Matt’s mother, Phyllis Oostermeijer, one of the patients on Matt’s former ward has already been uplifted by the gift – reconnecting with music and even expressing an interest in attending local art charity The VC Gallery, which also received a donation in Matt’s name.

Phyllis said: “I am writing this with tears of joy and emotion running down my cheeks. A mother got in touch with me. Her son, who is on the same ward Matt was, had discovered the piano. He was playing from the music book that came with it and told his mum, ‘It’s beautiful – it makes me want to make music again.’”

The patient initially thought his own keyboard had been brought in from home. When he learned it was a gift donated in memory of Matt, whom he remembered playing and singing on the ward, he was moved.

“He told his mum how wonderful it was to listen to Matt sing and play,” said Phyllis. “Now that he knows Matt gave the piano and supported The VC Gallery, he says he wants to go there – somewhere he never previously wanted to visit.”

For Phyllis, the encounter has reaffirmed the family’s decision to donate the instrument: “Did we do right to decide on a piano? I think this confirms we did. Mental health wards are desperate for this kind of help – activities to help unwell people find themselves again.”

She added: “So Matt is helping from the grave – or from the sky. We have to keep helping where we can.”

The story has touched hundreds online and highlights the power of small acts of kindness and the enduring legacy of a man whose love for music and people continues to ripple through the community.

FRESH plans for a Pembrokeshire holiday park extension have been submitted after a high court judgement overturned a council approval against repeated officer recommendations for refusal.

In late 2023 councillors approved a contentious application by Heritage Leisure Development (Wales) Ltd for works including the installation of 48 bases for holiday lodges, a spa facility at a former pub, holiday apartments, a café and cycle hire, equestrian stables, a manège and an associated office at Heritage Park, Pleasant Valley/Stepaside.

It was said the scheme, next to the historic remains of the 19th century Stepaside ironworks and colliery, would create 44 jobs.

The final decision was made at full council after members of the planning committee had twice supported the scheme against officer recommendations of refusal, based on the Local Development Plan, included the site being outside a settlement area.

Approval was given, by 37 votes to 16, with two abstentions, as it was considered that greater weight should be afforded to economic benefits of the scheme rather than policy.

Since that approval, a successful legal challenge was launched by Stepaside & Pleasant Valley Residents’ Group (SPVRG Ltd), who had objected to the original application.

A March High Court hearing presided by Judge Jarman KC recently ruled against the council decision, quashing that approval, and saying “the reason given by the council did not deal adequately with the important principal issues of development in the countryside, sustainability and precedent”.

It added: “Nor did it deal adequately with the important principal issue of the extent to which detrimental impact on existing sites was or should be taken into account when weighing the economic benefit of the proposed development. The economic assessment of the interested party expressly dealt with the latter, but not the former.”

It said the “major departure from countryside and sustainability policies is likely to have a lasting relevance for the question of policy in future cases,” and the “council’s resolution [was] simply to endorse the resolution of the planning committee, which predated the fuller report of the head of planning to the council.”

A fresh application has now been submitted by Heritage Leisure Development (Wales) Ltd, through agent Lichfields, which is identical to that previously approved, aimed at addressing issues raised in the recent judgement.

In its lengthy submissions, Lichfields says “it is clear that members can reach a decision that is contrary to the development plan without setting a precedent”.

It adds: “However, given that there remains a conflict with the plan policies, there is also a need to consider the nature of the 2024 scheme that comprise unique circumstances that mean that the decision would not set a precedent.”

Listing a long list of ‘unique circumstances’ reasons, it says: “Together the application offers a unique development which, when considered in its entirety, is a bespoke offering that means that there are specific reasons why the proposed development at Heritage Park should be granted and that in doing so, this will not be setting a precedent for future decisions.”

It finishes: “The council has already granted planning permission for the development with members having grappled with many of the issues raised in the judgment. We would welcome the council reaching the same decision while also setting out the requirements raised in the judgment as part of the reasons for granting planning permission.

“This will ensure that there can be no further delays to the delivery of the proposed development and investment being made at Heritage Park while supporting the wider economic development and community offer for the local area and Pembrokeshire as a whole.”

Amroth Community Council has once again objected; councillors proposing the scheme be ‘called in’ for decision by Welsh Government organisation Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW).

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