CHANGES to previously-approved plans to rebuild a fire-ravaged Pembrokeshire seaside pub have been refused, in part due to fears they could place a protected seabird species at “significant risk of injury or death”.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Builders Crown Ltd, through agent A.D Architectural Design Consultants Ltd, sought a variation of a 2024-approved scheme for alterations and refurbishment works to the Duke of Edinburgh Inn, Newgale, following a severe fire earlier that year.

The amendments sought in the latest application included enlarging the first-floor level of accommodation and various changes to fenestration and external access.

The Duke of Edinburgh was severely damaged during a blaze in the early hours of January 16, 2024.

The fire burned through the roof of the two-storey building which consisted of the ground floor pub with accommodation above, causing significant damage.

It took fire crews from St Davids, Haverfordwest, Milford Haven and Fishguard crews around six hours to bring the blaze under control.

Local community council Nolton and Roch supported the proposed works to the pub approved in 2024, describing The Duke of Edinburgh as “synonymous to Newgale”.

Since that overall approval, the amendment scheme was submitted, but officers recommended those proposed changes be refused, saying they were “considered by officers to be unsympathetic to the landscape and seascape and would prove to be excessive in bulk due to the proposed first-floor balconies and other associated exterior alterations”.

A report added: “The increase in fenestration and the proposed glass frontage for The Duke of Edinburgh Inn would likely cause detrimental impacts on Manx Shearwater populations through excessive light pollution, potentially disorienting protected species and putting them at significant risk of injury or death. The proposed development is considered to have a significant adverse impact on design, scale, light pollution, and biodiversity.”

It said both the park’s ecologist and the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales had “significant concerns” about the impact on the protested species, with artificial light “known to attract seabirds, potentially leading to grounding events,” adding: “The additional roof lights, the level of glazing, and the glass frontage of the proposed development are major concerns because they increase the amount of artificial light on the site.”

Skomer and Skokholm and Seas off Pembrokeshire Special Protection Area (SPA) and the Skomer Island and Middleholm SSSI and the Skokholm Island SSSI support the largest concentration of breeding seabirds in England and Wales and hold the largest breeding colony of Manx Shearwater on earth, approximately 60 per cent of the world population, the report said.

Fledgling Manx Shearwaters can be disorientated by excessive light pollution resulting in collisions with structures and the birds becoming grounded, which can result in a loss of life.

The amendment application was refused on the grounds “the excessive scale and elevated nature of the proposed fenestration will potentially cause significant light pollution that would have a detrimental impact on Manx Shearwater populations by disorienting them and putting them at significant risk of injury or death,” and the proposal “will have a significant overbearing impact on the visual amenity of this site and its surrounding landscape”.

Mid and West Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) immediately undertook a fire investigation to determine the cause of the 2024 fire, with no suspicious circumstances found.

Earlier this year, The Duke of Edinburgh Inn was placed on the market through estate agent Sidney Phillips with a guide price of £325,000.

AN APPEAL against a refusal of a call to convert an ‘unviable’ former Pembrokeshire village pub to a house has been lodged.

In a partly retrospective application refused by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in July 2025, Ms G Key, through agent Evans Banks Planning Limited, sought permission for the conversion of the former Taberna Inn and associated flat, Herbrandston Village, Milford Haven, to one residential dwelling.

Work started in March 2021 but has not been finished.

A supporting statement through the agent said: “We understand that the property was purchased by the applicant in November 2020 and operated for four months as a public house on the ground floor.

“The property has therefore remained closed as a public house since that date and only used for residential purposes by the applicant. This current application therefore seeks to regularise the situation and enable the properly to be used as a single residential dwelling.”

It says the loss of the pub to the village will not be felt as strongly as elsewhere as Herbrandston has an alternative venue, Herbrandston Hub, which opened in February 2020, and acts a successful community venue and centre for the settlement’s sports teams.

It adds: “The Pandemic had and continues to have many impacts on people’s lives and also their livelihoods, no more so than in the leisure and hospitality industries. With socialising patterns having now changed, many village public houses have found it impossible to continue to operate at anywhere near a viable level.”

Local community council Hebrandston objected to the proposal on the grounds the village has already lost amenities in recent years, with the community hub only open part-time.

The application was refused on grounds including it would “result in the unacceptable loss of an existing community facility,” and “the applicant has failed to demonstrate the potential for continued use of the facility as unviable”.

Since that refusal an appeal has been lodged with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) by the applicant.

The applicant, in appealing, says she bought the former pub in “a closed and near condemned condition” with it not cost-effective to keep running as a pub, adding it would not reopen as a pub under her ownership.

The appeal will be considered at a later date.

A NEW chapter in local journalism is set to begin as Herald prepares to launch a dedicated podcast and video interview series, building on more than a decade of reporting across west Wales.

The project, which is expected to begin recording within weeks, will see a wide range of guests brought into a fully equipped studio to discuss the issues shaping Pembrokeshire and beyond. From politics and community campaigns to business, crime and personal stories, the aim is to give a platform to voices that matter locally.

The move marks a significant step in the evolution of Herald, which has grown from a traditional print publication into a digital-first news platform reaching millions of readers online each week.

Editor Tom Sinclair said the idea had been years in the making, even if it had not been fully realised until now.

“We’ve actually had the equipment for a long time,” he said. “It was originally purchased as part of a large production setup, but at the time the audience and the technology just weren’t there in the way they are today.

“Now everything has changed. People watch video, they engage with clips, and they want to hear directly from the people involved in the stories.”

The Herald understands that the studio has been assembled using professional-grade equipment originally sourced from a public sector production facility, alongside cameras, lighting and audio systems built up over many years.

The result is a broadcast-style environment capable of producing multi-camera interviews, discussions and recorded segments suitable for both long-form viewing and short clips for social media.

Sinclair said the focus would be on straightforward, honest conversations rather than heavily produced content.

“This isn’t about slick presentation or trying to be something we’re not,” he said. “It’s about asking the right questions and letting people speak. That’s what we’ve always done in print, and this is just the next step.”

Initial plans include a series of structured interviews with local figures, alongside topical discussions reflecting the biggest stories of the week. With the Senedd elections approaching, the new format is also expected to provide a platform for candidates and campaigners to set out their positions directly to voters.

Interest in the project has already begun to build, with members of the public, campaigners and political figures contacting the Herald to take part. The Herald understands that a number of early guests are being lined up, with recording expected to begin shortly once final technical preparations are complete.

The introduction of podcasts will also open up new opportunities for local businesses, with episode-level sponsorship packages being explored as a way to support production costs while promoting local services.

Sinclair added that the project would remain rooted in the community.

“We’ve spent 13 years building an audience and earning trust,” he said. “This is about using that platform in a new way — not replacing what we do, but adding to it.”

While the format is new, the goal remains the same: to inform, to question, and to reflect the voices of Pembrokeshire.

Readers, businesses and potential guests interested in taking part in the podcast series can contact the Herald via email at [email protected].