PLANS to convert a vandalised former Pembrokeshire town centre Chinese restaurant to a flat and bedsits are expected to be approved next week.

In an application recommended for approval the January 13 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Mr S Sahin and Miss S Ahmed, through agent Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, seek permission for a change of use of Grade-II-listed 20 Hamilton Terrace, Milford Haven from the former Mandarin Restaurant to one flat and eight bedsits, an amendment of an original scheme which included one extra bedsit.

The scheme is before committee rather than delegated to officers as it is recommended for approval despite being contrary to a policy of the development plan.

The application for the Mandarin follows a withdrawn scheme for three flats deemed invalid by council planners.

A supporting statement says: “The property has historically been in use as a Chinese restaurant on the ground floor with two flats on the upper floors of the building. The ground floor use of the building ceased some 10 years ago and currently lies vacant. Due to the lack of use of the building, it is in a very poor condition and has been the subject of unfortunate vandalism particularly to the interior of the building.”

It says that, after the previous scheme was withdrawn, the applicants have “since reviewed their position and now present revised applications to be considered by the council”.

It adds: “The clients have re-thought on what type of accommodation is needed and required in this part of Milford Haven.  It has been identified that the cheaper type of affordable housing for either workers or a single person is the most needed. Indeed, PCC Housing Need Register reflects this need, and this has also been confirmed by the local estate agents.”

It concludes: “The proposal is considered to put an important Grade-II-Listed Building back into beneficial use and would help to secure its long-term future. The proposal would represent a high-quality and sympathetic conversion and extension of the building, and which would make a positive contribution to the locality and conservation area status.”

An officer report recommending approval says one letter of objection was received raising concerns including potential impact on a neighbouring property and boundaries, and the discharge of the sewer under number 20.

It concludes: “The proposal is for the change of use of use with alterations and extensions to the building to create one self-contained flat and eight bedsits.  This would not accord [with policy] as it would involve the change of use of the ground floor to residential (C3) use in a Secondary Frontage.

“However, material planning considerations have been identified which are considered to be sufficient to justify a departure from the policy.”

A PREVIOUSLY backed call against officer recommendations for the relocation of a Pembrokeshire farm diversification scheme which packages and distributes specialist medical equipment across Europe will again be considered by councillors.

At the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County council’s planning committee, members backed a call by Mr Van Der Spoel for the relocation and expansion of an existing farm diversification business into an existing agricultural building at Castle Villa, Hayscastle despite an officer recommendation for refusal.

Back in July a similar application by Mr Van Der Spoel, through agent Harries Planning Design Management, was refused by planning officers.

A supporting statement for that application said the Dutch-born applicant, together with his wife and adult daughter ran the farm diversification business packing specialist medical supplies at their 135-acre sheep farm.

It added: “The business run from this site is FRIO ASTRID EURO Ltd, which has a franchise agreement with FRIO UK. This business has been run from Castle Villa since its incorporation in 1998. The business was initially run from the stable building on the farmyard at Castle Villa.

“The business set-up involves receiving stock from FRIO UK in Wolfscastle, packaging orders and distributing the stock to seven Western Europe countries.”

Wolfscastle-based FRIO produces the world’s first patented insulin cooling wallet which keeps insulin and other temperature-sensitive medicines cool and safe.

The scheme for the business, said to have outgrown its current site, was previously refused by county planners on grounds including a lack of “robust evidence” to prove it couldn’t be sited within a nearby settlement or an allocated employment site, such as Haverfordwest.

Since then, an application seeking to address the reasons for refusal was submitted, and, at the request of local member Cllr Mark Carter, a call for the scheme to be decided by full planning committee rather than delegated to officers was backed at the October meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning delegation panel.

The latest application is again, after its ‘minded to’ backing at the December meeting, recommended for refusal on similar grounds to previously at the January 13 planning meeting.

It has returned to the January committee for ratification after a ‘cooling off’ period, and, if backed then, will ultimately be decided by full council.

A report for members following the ‘minded to’ approval, warns: “Members should be aware that if they are ‘minded to’ approve the application on the basis of economic benefits and farm diversification, this is a consideration which can be applied to many other existing sites. This would have further consequences for the implementation of policies within the LDP and its delivery.”

It adds that, if it is backed again, it includes a condition, suggested by the agent, that: “Should the farm and business ever be operating by different individuals/companies, the use of this building by FRIO ASTRID must cease and be relocated should further planning permission not be obtained.

“This will be regulated by the submission of documents annually to demonstrate the farm and business remain under ownership by the same individual/company.”

THE CONFEDERATION of Passenger Transport has welcomed Welsh Labour’s pledge to introduce a £2 cap on all single bus fares across Wales if the party leads the next Welsh Government, while warning that any such policy must be properly funded to be sustainable.

Responding to the announcement, Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) said lower fares could play an important role in boosting bus use and cutting car dependency, but cautioned against unfunded commitments.

Aaron Hill, Director of CPT Cymru, said buses remain the most widely used form of public transport in Wales.

“Buses are Wales’s favourite form of public transport, carrying nearly 200,000 passengers a day. They’re a green, affordable and convenient alternative to travelling by car,” he said.

“Bus operators welcome ideas and policies that will encourage people across Wales to take public transport more often.”

Mr Hill said Wales had lagged behind other parts of Great Britain in recent years when it came to fare initiatives, pointing to England’s £2 cap scheme, which has been extended several times with central government backing.

“Wales has been slow, in comparison to the rest of Great Britain, to invest in lower bus fares, so a cap of £2 would be a welcome step in boosting public transport usage,” he said.
“It is vital that any cap is backed with adequate funding, and that a strategy is in place to capture gains for the long term if the cap is for a limited period.”

Welsh Labour has also pledged to introduce 100 new bus routes across Wales as part of its wider transport plans. CPT said the ambition was positive but stressed the need for realistic delivery.

“Bus operators welcome Welsh Labour’s pledge to introduce 100 new bus routes,” Mr Hill added.
“We stand ready to work with the party on identifying pockets of demand and on discussing how this goal could be fulfilled, while ensuring value for money.”

However, the organisation warned that past experience showed a gap between political ambition and financial reality.

Public funding for bus services under the current Welsh Government has, CPT said, not always matched the scale of commitments made by ministers, with operators facing rising costs linked to fuel, wages and vehicle investment.

“Public funding under the current Welsh administration has not always been sufficient to meet the level of ambition set out by politicians,” Mr Hill said.
“It is vital that, as a nation, we bridge this gap and that pledges are backed by hard cash.”

Opposition parties have previously raised concerns that fare caps, while popular with passengers, can place significant strain on already stretched transport budgets if not fully funded, potentially leading to service reductions elsewhere. Some local authorities have also warned that rural routes, which are more expensive to operate, could be at risk if funding does not keep pace with lower fares.

CPT said any future investment must be carefully designed.

“All public investment in buses must be designed to generate value for money and to deliver a visible impact for passengers,” Mr Hill said.

Welsh Labour has argued that cheaper fares and expanded routes would increase passenger numbers, reduce congestion and help meet climate targets, but has yet to set out detailed costings for the proposals.

With bus services under pressure across Wales, CPT said collaboration between government, local authorities and operators would be essential if fare caps and network expansion are to deliver lasting benefits rather than short-term gains.

Unite has also cautiously welcomed today’s Welsh Labour’s commitment to a £2 bus fare cap and the expansion of bus routes across Wales, recognising that affordable, reliable public transport is essential for workers, communities, and the Welsh economy.

The union has long argued that buses are a public service, not a profit-making exercise, and the commitment to bring services back under public control through the Bus Services Bill is a significant step in the right direction.

A fare cap, if properly funded, could help tackle transport poverty, support access to work and education, and reduce car dependency.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Public transport should be just that. Owned by the public and run for the public. And this should extend to fares that allow workers, students and families to go about their business for a fair fare. Today’s announcement by the Welsh Labour is a step in the right direction.”

Unite also welcomes the news in December confirming the passing of the Bus Services (Wales) Bill, which will see bus services come back under public control.

Lead officer for public transport in Wales, Alan McCarthy said: “It will surprise nobody that deregulation has failed to deliver for communities in Wales. Unite has long campaigned for bus services to return to public control, the bill is a significant step forward in ensuring that services work in favour of passengers and communities rather than shareholders and profiteers.

“The next step is to ensure that workers’ pay and conditions are not just preserved but enhanced as a result of this. Deregulation created an environment where profits were maximised by suppressing pay. Bus workers pay and conditions in Wales are among the worst in the UK. Unite will not allow workers to pay for franchising.”