AN AMENDED scheme for a children’s care home on the edge of Fishguard have been submitted to county planners after a previous call was refused.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Martin Leahy of Ty Caredig Ltd seeks permission for a change of use of a dwellinghouse to a residential care home for up to two children at Bryn Delyn, Y Fraich, Fishguard.

Last November, a call to allow Bryn Delyn to be used as a children’s home, which raised fears from local objectors the scheme was being ‘rubber stamped’ by the council, was refused.

In that application to the council, Cardiff-based Ty Caredig Ltd sought permission for a Certificate of Lawfulness on the basis the use was not materially different from the property’s existing lawful use.

Residents had accused the council of “pushing through a highly controversial children’s home application behind closed doors”.

A supporting statement for that scheme, with many redacted parts, said the four-bed property had a lawful use as a dwelling house; saying the use as a care home did not require planning permission through a change of use.

However, planners said the use of the dwelling as a care home “would represent a material change of use requiring the benefit of planning permission”.

Since then, amendment to the scheme, for for a change of use has been submitted, a supporting statement saying Ty Caredig Ltd operates homes throughout Wales that provide specialist care for children, the latest scheme “seeks formal confirmation that the proposed use of Bryn Delyn as a children’s care home for up to two children (plus care staff) would not require planning permission”.

Fishguard Town Council has objected, on the grounds of highway safety and parking issues.

It also raised points of “apparent discrepancies between the planning application and the information available on the website,” but stressed it did support provision of suitable accommodation for vulnerable young people and children “with the correct infrastructure in place”.

Local county councillor Cllr Par Davies has said the scheme has her “full support,” as did the certificate call, adding: “Rumours abound regarding this application with objections concerning the usage of the property as a care home for young people. The application states that only two young people would be cared for in the property.

“This type of property is needed as we often talk as councillors for the need for Pembrokeshire children in care to remain in Pembrokeshire instead of the alternative of moving them to other areas in the country and this application fulfils that need.”

Her statement of support went on to say she could not agree with objections regarding an increase in traffic on the unadopted road at Y Fraich, with no objections or concerns raised when there were working farms there.

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

SEABIRDS, BATS AND CREATIVITY

ORIEL Y PARC in St Davids will celebrate the wildlife, art and character of the Pembrokeshire coast this May half-term with a packed programme of family events, guided walks, expert talks and local markets.

The National Park Discovery Centre will host a week of activities inspired by the landscape, giving families the chance to explore the natural world through birdsong, creativity and coastal discovery.

Throughout the holiday week, A Trail of Birds and Song will run through the centre’s woodland, courtyard and grounds, inviting young adventurers to search for hidden nests.

Children will also be able to take part in two drop-in Make & Take sessions, creating woodland window art on Wednesday (May 27) and clay seabirds on Thursday (May 28).

The highlight of the week will be Seabirds Discovery Day on Thursday (May 28), bringing the wildlife of the Pembrokeshire coast to Oriel y Parc through expert talks, demonstrations, guided walking and family-friendly discovery.

A courtyard market will run from 10:00am to 3:00pm, alongside a series of expert-led events.

Greg Morgan, RSPB Cymru Detection Dog Handler for the Biosecurity for Wales project, will speak about the role specially trained dogs play in protecting Wales’s seabird islands. This will be followed by free demonstrations from Jinx, the biosecurity detection dog.

The Discovery Day will also include a guided walk and talk from Caerfai to St Non’s, led by National Park Authority Ranger Libby, a former Seabird Island Ranger.

National Park Authority Ranger Chris, a former Skomer Warden, will also give visitors an insight into life on the island, its internationally important seabird populations and the pressures they face in a changing climate.

As dusk falls, attention will turn from the coastline to the night sky, with a guided Brilliant Bats walk around St Davids.

Some Seabirds Discovery Day events have limited numbers and booking is essential. Further information is available at www.orielyparc.co.uk.

Alongside the events, visitors can explore a range of exhibitions, including Garry Fabian Miller’s light-filled Môrwelion / The Sea Horizon, Dafydd Wyn Richards’ new paintings of the Pembrokeshire coast, and locally inspired work by Jo Thomas of Pembrokeshire Craft Makers.

In the Tower, Celebrating the Mischief of Rooks by Jackie Morris and Elly Morgan focuses on the noise, movement and character of the rooks around Oriel y Parc, with paintings and ceramics inspired by the birds that gather in the surrounding trees.

The half-term programme also includes two courtyard markets featuring local stallholders, handmade crafts and produce. Makers Bizarre returns on Tuesday (May 26), followed by the May Craft Market on Saturday (May 30), with free entry to both.

The Manager of Oriel y Parc, Rachel Perkins said: “Pembrokeshire is a landscape of constant discovery. This May we are peeling back the layers of the coast to reveal the vital work and wild secrets that make this National Park unique.

“From the dogs guarding our islands to the bats of the Cathedral, it is an invitation to see this world-class environment through fresh eyes.”

Father and son Gareth and Daniel Willington honoured by fishing and rugby communities

A DECADE has passed since the Harvester fishing tragedy claimed the lives of father and son Gareth and Daniel Willington.

The pair, remembered as skilled fishermen, much-loved family members and cherished friends, remain deeply missed across the Welsh fishing community.

Gareth, 59, and Daniel, 32, left Milford Haven Docks in the early hours of Thursday (Apr 28), 2016, aboard the fishing vessel Harvester.

They were fishing for crab and lobster when the vessel got into difficulty off the north Pembrokeshire coast, near St Davids Head and Abereiddy.

The alarm was raised at around 2:30pm after reports of a fishing boat in trouble. A major search operation was launched involving the Coastguard, RNLI lifeboats and emergency services.

Gareth was recovered from the sea later that day and taken to Withybush Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Daniel was never found, despite extensive searches by rescue teams and local fishing vessels.

A later Marine Accident Investigation Branch report concluded that the most likely scenario was that Daniel became caught in rope while working on deck, and that Gareth went to help him, resulting in both men going overboard.

Neither man was wearing a personal flotation device at the time. The tragedy later led to renewed calls for stronger safety measures for fishermen working at sea.

The Fishermen’s Mission marked the anniversary today, saying Gareth and Daniel’s loved ones remain in their thoughts as the charity honoured the legacy they left behind in Welsh fishing — pysgota Cymru.

Their memory is also kept alive each year through the Willington Slate Trophy, contested by Pembroke Rugby Club and St Davids Rugby Club over two league matches.

The annual tradition not only remembers Gareth and Daniel, but also raises vital funds for The Fishermen’s Mission and the RNLI.

Supporters are being encouraged to look out for upcoming fixtures later in the year and to join the rugby and fishing communities in commemorating the Willingtons and their lives at sea.

Photo caption: Remembered at sea: Gareth and Daniel Willington, whose loss is still felt ten years after the Harvester fishing tragedy (Pic: The Willington family).