A CALL to convert vacant office space, which was once an HSBC bank, to a ‘welcoming social space’ café in the centre of Pembrokeshire’s only city has been approved.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Rhiannon Barwick sought permission for a change of use of Old Bank House, 18a Cross Square, St Davids to a café, including the installation of a new side accessible access door and ramp, and creation of outdoor seating area to the rear of the building.

The office space in St Davids’ conservation area has been vacant since the 2022; a 2013 application change for a change of use from the former bank approved previously, the last use of the building as a holiday cottage agency.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said: “The premises has remained vacant and is located within the defined Retail Centre of St Davids. As local people ourselves, we’re passionate about supporting the St Davids community in every way we can — not just by offering a welcoming social space, but by getting involved and hosting activities like a run club.

“We understand what St Davids’ needs to thrive, and we’re committed to being an active, positive part of that.  We’d like to open from 7.30am, as there are currently no other cafés open at that time, and it offers a great opportunity to support early commuters.

“We plan to serve homemade pastries, offering a treat that no other café in St Davids currently provides. We plan to stay open until around 3pm, with additional evening events to host and support local clubs and community activities.”

It added: “In the central area of St Davids, there are currently only two active sit-in cafés, with all others operating on a takeaway-only basis — highlighting a clear need for a welcoming, community-focused space like ours.

“While most other cafes in St Davids are focused on the tourism trade, we would like to focus on both the tourism trade and the growing St Davids Community, by staying open all year round.”

The application was supported by St Davids City Council.

An officer report recommending approval said: “There are no concerns in relation to the impact upon the special qualities of the Park, nor in relation to the character or appearance of the conservation area, or nearby listed buildings. The recommendation is to grant permission subject to suitably worded conditions.”

The application was conditionally approved.

A PREVIOUSLY refused call for the relocation of a Pembrokeshire farm diversification scheme which packages and distributes specialist medical equipment across Europe will be decided by full council after being backed a second time by councillors.

In an application recommended for refusal at the January meeting of Pembrokeshire County council’s planning committee, Mr Van Der Spoel sought permission for the relocation and expansion of an existing farm diversification business into an existing agricultural building at Castle Villa, Hayscastle.

It had previously been recommended for refusal at the December meeting, but members went against the officer recommendation with a ‘minded to’ approval, meaning it returned to the January meeting after a ‘cooling off’ period.

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 insulated insulin 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 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.

The latest application is recommended for refusal on similar grounds.

At the December meeting, members heard from agent Wyn Harries his client’s business, selling into Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany, accounted for some 20 per cent of FRIO UK’s trade on its own.

Mr Harries spoke again at the January meeting, saying previous articles in the Western Telegraph had shown a great deal of public support for the scheme, which had no local objections, adding of the previous ‘minded to’ approval: “Comments on the Western Telegraph [story] show the general populace would be like-minded with the councillors.”

Cllr Mark Carter said: “The only comments [locally] are why aren’t they allowed to continue? It’s almost an ideal business, they are there, it’s tidy, they are getting on with it, there’s never a complaint, it is very hard to see the business that is going on there; I’m absolutely fully supportive of this family.”

Officers had, if members were again supportive of the scheme, proposed a Section 106 legal agreement condition for approval, to ensure the FRIO ASTRID storage and distribution use remains in the same ownership and control as the existing farm business.

A call by Cllr John T Davies to again go against the officer recommendation of refusal was made, supported by 11 members, with one voting for refusal.

The application will now go before a future full council meeting for a final decision, expected to be the March meeting.

COUNCILLORS have expressed their sympathy after plans to convert an annexe in a Pembrokeshire village to a holiday let were refused due to general ongoing guidance about nitrogen levels in the Haven Waterway which is limiting development.

In an application recommended for refusal at the January 13 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Mr J Burns sought a partly retrospective permission for the subdivision of an existing annexe at Briardale, Lamphey for holiday accommodation.

The application was before the committee rather than being decided by officers under delegated powers following a successful call at the October meeting of the council’s planning delegation panel.

It was recommended for refusal on the grounds it would result in an increase in nitrogen discharges draining into the Milford Haven Inner waterbody of the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) “where features are known to be in unfavourable condition due to current evidence of both chemical and biological failure,” an issue, based on Natural Resources Wales guidance that is affecting many developments that have foul water drainage.

Pembrokeshire County Council recently backed sending a letter to the First Minister, conveying the authority’s “great concern over Natural Resources Wales’ recent river nitrates guidance,” which has “essentially placed a moratorium on certain types of development in Pembrokeshire”.

It says the area which development is required to demonstrate nitrogen neutrality is approximately 75 per cent of the county, including Haverfordwest, Narberth, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock, and amounts to approximately 35 per cent of the council’s future housing land supply.

Speaking at the meeting, agent Richard Banks said there had been no neighbour objections to the scheme, the building having already been on-site used as an annexe for family members for some two years.

He said the potential to use the existing facility for 365 days a year meant there was unlikely to be an increase in foul water drainage to the SAC.

Councillor Alec Cormack, who moved the recommendation of refusal, said: “My sympathy is with the applicant, and any applicant affected by this regulation.”

Officers also expressed sympathy to the applicant, but stressed the scheme, as a material change of use, brought in the need to comply with the NRW guidance, adding the scheme would, on the information presented, likely have an impact on the SAC through an increase in nitrates.

Members voted 11 to one in favour of refusal.

Cllr Alan Dennison expressed his sympathy the applicant was “just caught up in this farce regarding nutrients,” with committee chair Cllr Mark Carter stressing there was a need to find a solution to the ongoing issue: “I’m very sorry for all these people, these agents, these applicants, these builders, caught up in this.”

A nearby housing scheme for 50 homes on land near Gibbas Way, Pembroke was recently refused in part due to the ongoing nitrates issue.