Business
Life-changing ‘support into work’ funding announced for South West Wales
Thousands of people with disabilities and health conditions across South West Wales are set to receive personalised support to secure employment, thanks to a major expansion of specialist employment support.
New funding worth up to £14.4 million is being delivered to South West Wales as part of the Connect to Work programme, which helps break down barriers to opportunity. This comes as part of the Government’s £3.5 billion Get Britain Working package — the biggest investment in employment support for a generation — unlocking work and boosting living standards as part of the Plan for Change.
The announcement was made on Thursday, March 5, by the Department for Work and Pensions.
South West Wales will now receive up to £14.4 million to support up to 3,850 disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to work with tailored employment support to find good, secure employment. This forms part of a total programme investment of over £950 million across England and Wales.
The Minister for Employment, The Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson said: “The government believes in the potential of every person in every part of the UK. That’s why I’m delighted to confirm funding for South West Wales.
“For too long, too many people have been written off and left behind. But Connect to Work changes that by giving people real, tailored support to move into good jobs and out of poverty. That’s what spreading opportunity means in practice.”
The programme’s support is designed to fit around the individual where participants can meet their employment adviser wherever they feel most comfortable. It also provides intensive, personalised help including individual coaching from employment specialists, job matching services, and ongoing support for both participants and employers.
The Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, said: “Providing targeted help for people to get into work means a more financially stable future and a better quality of life for many.
“The tailored support offered by Connect to Work services in Wales will ensure anyone who can work is supported to get the right job for them, helping them achieve their goals.”
Business
Crymych golf simulator, play space and wellness centre call
A CALL for approval for the use of Crymych industrial units as a golf simulator, child’s play space and a wellness centre offering a sauna, ice baths, and oxygen therapy has been submitted to county planners.
In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Mr and Mrs Evans, through agent Preseli Planning Ltd, seek a partly retrospective permission for the erection of commercial building containing three individual business units, at a former vacant storage yard at Parc Gwynfryn, Crymych.
A supporting statement says: “The building provides three sperate business spaces, two of the units are occupied, one as a golf simulator (7B 2) a second is occupied by a child’s role play and play space (7B 4) and the central unit (7B 3) is currently unoccupied, proposed to be let as a wellness centre.”
The site owners and applicants, Mr and Mrs Evans, are also the operators of the golf simulator enterprise and the original developers of the industrial estate, the statement says.
“The aim of the application is to regularise the existing building and existing and proposed uses. The building was substantially complete May 2025 and first occupied June 2025. Unit 7B2 is occupied by a golf simulator whereby users book slots online and self-serve.
“Unit 7B3 is currently unoccupied but would be occupied by wellness centre once planning permission is granted, consisting of sauna, ice baths, cryotherapy room, oxygen therapy etc. Unit 7B4 is occupied by a new enterprise which offers indoor roleplay space for children, Byd Bach.”
It adds: “In terms of the golf simulator, this is owner managed and the sites proximity to their main office within the site makes managing and attending the unit convenient and enables multiple businesses to be managed by the same members of staff.
“In terms of Byd Bach, this is operated by a local couple who also manage other premises in Crymych, amongst other employment. The site’s proximity to Crymych is therefore important and these arrangements are only successful given that the site is well-related to Crymych.
“The offering would not disrupt existing comparable provision, the closest facility of this kind being in St Clears, well beyond the catchment of this facility.
“The third unit is not yet occupied but would be operated by a local spinal injury sufferer, and athlete, who would benefit from the facilities themselves and offer therapy for others.”
Citing a recently-approved change on use of a building on the industrial site itself to a Hair and Beauty Salon, it said it was considered the development would not have a significant detrimental effect on the overall supply of business units or land in Pembrokeshire or Crymych.
The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.
Business
Little Haven garden shed holiday let appeal dismissed
AN APPEAL against a national park refusal of a scheme to convert a garden shed to a holiday let at a Pembrokeshire seaside village with the highest rates of second homes and holiday lets in the county has been dismissed.
Last April, in an application before Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Shabnam Banihashem of 19a Wesley Road, Little Haven sought permission to convert a rear garden shed, already replace with a summerhouse, to holiday let accommodation.
Local community council The Havens had objected to the scheme, saying it has concerns over parking and highway access arrangements, and concerns about impact on Highway traffic safety-related matters.
An officer report recommending refusal said: “The Authority has concerns in connection with the proposal due to the impact upon the residential amenity of the host dwelling, and its immediate neighbours, the impact upon the character of the Little Haven Conservation Area due to the potential for additional traffic, and due to the proposed summerhouse being unsuitable in terms of size for the use of holiday letting.”
The application was refused on grounds including “introducing a significantly greater level of noise and disturbance than the current situation, to the detriment of the residential amenity of neighbouring properties,” and impact on the conservation area.
Since that refusal, the applicant appealed the decision with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW); a site visit by the inspector taking place on January 28 of this year.
The main areas covered in the appeal were the effect of the proposal on the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers and future occupiers of the proposal, with regard to noise and privacy, and the character of the Little Haven Conservation Area, the inspector’s report said.
In dismissing the appeal, she said: “I have found the proposal would be acceptable with regard to its effect on the Conservation Area.
“However, this is outweighed by the harm that would be caused to the living conditions of the occupiers of the host dwelling, as well as occupiers of the proposal, with regard to privacy.”
A previous national park report, based on the second homes council tax premium payable to Pembrokeshire County Council, has said nearly two-thirds of properties in Little Haven are either second homes or holiday lets.
At the time of the 2023 report, the highest rates of seconds homes or holiday lets in the national park were: Nolton Haven 60 per cent, and Little Haven 62.96 per cent.
Business
Templeton Pembrokeshire fuel business home for security call
A CALL for a home to provide security for a well-established Pembrokeshire fuel distribution business and a proposed museum, which has hopes of developing further business units, has been submitted to county planners.
In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Dan Thomas, of KP Thomas & Son, through agent Cynllunio RW Planning Ltd, seeks permission for the erection of dwelling for management of on-site enterprises and associated works at The Fuel Depot, Templeton.
A supporting statement says family-run K P Thomas and Son, situated on a site close to a former airfield and former nuclear bunker, has been operating for 39 years and has “grown into a major local employer, currently providing work for 32 staff,” supplying “over 45,000 customers annually and distributes 30 million litres of fuel, 8,000 tonnes of LPG gas and 500 tonnes of coal every year,” and was “formally designated as an essential key service provider during the Covid-19 pandemic”.
A statement from Dan Thomas said he had moved some 15 minutes away to Narberth when he became a homeowner some five years ago, but “it quickly became clear that this arrangement was not workable due to the urgent and unpredictable nature of our operations”.
He said any detailed several incidents on-site which required an immediate on-site response, “the travel time from Narberth frequently caused delays, operational disruptions, and increased environmental risks”.
He said even living in nearby Templeton could cause difficulties for any emergency call-outs, which often occur in the early hours; the 24-7 business handling fuel distribution and transport logistics throughout Pembrokeshire and beyond, with his own working hours often running from 5am to as late as 8pm.
“Consequently, I had no choice but to relocate to the family home adjacent to the depot to ensure the continued safe and efficient operation of the business. This remains a temporary measure, and a permanent on-site dwelling is therefore essential to ensure long-term operational efficiency, safety, and compliance.”
He added: “As part of our fuel distribution operations, we regularly receive bulk fuel deliveries overnight. In the event of a spill, leak, or fault, an immediate response is vital to prevent environmental contamination and ensure public safety. Currently, if such an incident were to occur, I would need to travel from my home to the site before taking any action.”
As well as the existing facilities, it is hoped to construct several leasable commercial units on the site, with prospective tenants wanting permanent on-site security and immediate site supervision, Mr Thomas said.
His statement also says his grandfather “had begun developing a museum as a business but unfortunately passed away before its completion,” adding: “The value of the museum content alone, excluding the building, which includes a kitchen and café facility, was appraised at just over £12.5 million.”
He finished: “The proposed on-site dwelling is not a matter of convenience but one of operational necessity, safety, and environmental protection.”
The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.
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