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 community campaign has been launched calling for a dedicated banking hub to be set up in Pembroke Dock, following confirmation that yet another bank is to close its doors for good.

The campaign, led by Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Samuel Kurtz, is aimed at providing a banking lifeline for residents currently faced with lengthy journeys to carry out face-to-face meetings at their respective bank or building society.

The latest closure will be Lloyds Bank, Pembroke Dock, which will cease  operating on June 26. Other recent closures include Pembroke, Tenby, Saundersfoot, Narberth, Neyland, and Milford Haven.

Samuel Kurtz is now calling on residents, local businesses, and community councils to support his formal request for the creation of a Banking Hub in Pembroke Dock, which is a shared banking facility offering face-to-face services operated by major UK banks.

“This bank closure is a devastating loss for our communities,”  Samuel Kurt told The Herald.

“I know that online banking suits most people most of the time, but there are times when speaking to someone face to face is essential. Why should people have to travel miles and miles to enable this to happen?

“The LINK organisation, which assesses banking needs, claims existing ATMs and Post Offices are sufficient. But this doesn’t reflect reality — especially for elderly residents, small businesses, and those who rely on in-person advice and services.”

The most recent LINK assessment was conducted remotely on January, 29, 2025 and concluded that no new banking provision was needed. But Samuel Kurtz MS strongly disputes this.

He claims that essential face-to-face services such as mortgage advice, direct debit management and support of powers of attorney aren’t available at Post Offices, while poor transport links to alternative branches in Haverfordwest make travel costly and inaccessible for many.

 Sam Kurtz has now arranged a meeting with LINK to talk through the steps needed to secure a Banking Hub and is urging residents to sign an online petition and submit a review request to LINK.

“With community support, I believe we can make a powerful and evidence-based case for a Banking Hub in Pembroke Dock,  ideally based at the existing Lloyds site on Dimond Street,” he said.

“With Pembroke Dock being an important retail hub for South Pembrokeshire, it makes sense for a new banking hub to be located within the town.  This is why I’m asking as many people as possible who would like to keep access to banking services in the county to come forward and help make the case to LINK by signing the petition.”

People can support the campaign by signing the petition, requesting a review from LINK or alternatively, by writing to them.

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.