COMMERCIAL coasteering activities in Pembrokeshire’s national park will need to be licensed at a cost of £100 from May following a decision by park members.

At the March 25 meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, members were recommended to agree the delegation of the introduction of a licensing scheme in relation to commercial coasteering operations on land owned or leased by the National Park Authority, subject to the satisfactory completion of associated environmental assessments for specific routes.

A report for members said: “The Authority has historically relied on a combination of voluntary codes of behaviour to guide the operation of a range of recreational activities in Pembrokeshire, including on land in which the Authority has an interest.

“This has operated successfully for many years, however changes in the number of providers operating over time and complaints raised in the last two years have highlighted the benefits of moving to a more formal arrangement through the issuing of licences for coasteering activity.

“The intention is to move to a system of licensing following the completion of environmental assessments for existing coasteering routes from May 1. Should any routes not pass the environmental assessments, they would not be included in such licensed arrangements.”

It added: “The change to licensing agreements between PCNPA directly with coasteering providers is a significant change in the proposed management of coasteering. The majority of coasteering in Pembrokeshire takes place on land owned or managed either by PCNPA or by the National Trust. Both organisations have historically worked historically together on this issue and the move to issuing licenses is supported by the National Trust as well as PCNPA Officers.”

It went on to say: “There is a recognised difference between general public access and commercial activity. Licensing will give a legal basis to the permission for providers to use Authority-owned/managed land which will ensure that the public benefit (special qualities, wildlife and conservation features) is not compromised by commercial activity. Coasteering with commercial groups has the potential for much greater risk of disturbance/environmental impact than individual public access on foot on public rights of way or beaches which is why it needs to be dealt with differently.”

It added: “A fee of £100 as a cost for the PCNPA Licence is being assigned for this year, which does not cover the costs of the environmental assessment work but is a contribution towards costs whilst the Authority transitions to these arrangements. Over the next few years, the intention is for the Authority to move towards a position of full cost recovery for this work.”

Members, by 10 votes to one against, and one abstention, backed the introduction of the licensing scheme for national park lands.

The Carmarthen eatery is still open, but trading under a different legal entity after being put into liquidation

A CARMARTHEN Italian restaurant has been named by HM Revenue and Customs after deliberately underpaying more than a quarter of a million pounds in tax — with the company now in liquidation.

Claudio Cernat Ltd, formerly trading as Florentino’s on Jacksons Lane, appears on HMRC’s latest list of deliberate tax defaulters published on Wednesday (Mar 26).

The company failed to pay £278,561.67 in tax between April 2016 and March 2020. A further penalty of £185,977.52 was imposed.

Records held by Companies House show the firm is now in liquidation, having been incorporated in March 2015.

Largest west Wales case

The Carmarthen case is the most significant to emerge in West Wales from the latest HMRC “name and shame” list, both in terms of tax owed and penalties issued.

It stands in contrast to other Welsh entries, which are largely made up of smaller businesses and individual tradespeople owing tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands.

Who is running the restaurant?

Despite the liquidation of Claudio Cernat Ltd, Florentino’s restaurant in Carmarthen appears to still be operating, with bookings being taken through its website.

However, the website does not identify the company or individual currently running the business. Unless a sole trader, it is a legal requirement to have Limited company name on a business website.

The Herald contacted the restaurant by telephone on Thursday (Mar 26) to ask who currently operates the premises.

A female member of staff answered the phone as “Florentino’s” but declined to provide the name of the business employing her.

The call was then passed to a man who said the restaurant was under “new management” and “nothing to do with the old company”.

When asked to identify the business now operating Florentino’s, the man declined to give a company name or confirm the identity of the owners.

He gave his name only as “John” and said he would ask the new management to return the call “when they come in”.

Director linked to new company

Records show that Claudiu Florentin Cernat, a director associated with the former Carmarthen company, is now listed as a director of a separate business, Maximus Italian Ltd.

The Swansea-based company was incorporated in February 2025 and operates in the same sector — licensed restaurants.

There is no suggestion that the new company is involved in any wrongdoing.

Swansea cases also named

The list also includes three cases from the Swansea area.

Koyuncu Ltd, formerly trading as Pepino’s Pizza in Gorseinon, failed to pay £46,975 in tax, with a penalty of £28,185.

Lee Andrew Dunn, a mechanical fitter from Portmead, underpaid £29,326.20 and was issued a £17,449.06 penalty.

Christopher Lance Whitcombe, an engineer from Fforestfach, underpaid £54,598.69 and received a £46,596.84 penalty.

High street crackdown

Around 140 individuals and businesses across the UK have been named in the latest HMRC publication.

The list includes restaurants, takeaways, convenience stores and vape-related businesses, alongside self-employed trades, highlighting what HMRC says is ongoing non-compliance across high street sectors.

HMRC said all those named had the opportunity to avoid being listed by making a full disclosure during investigations, but failed to do so.

Kevin Hubbard, HMRC’s Director of Individuals and Small Business Compliance, said: “We are actively tackling tax non-compliance among high street businesses across the UK, and today’s namings show we will act wherever we find it.

“Everyone on this list had the opportunity to come forward to make a full disclosure — and didn’t. HMRC will always pursue those who deliberately refuse to pay what they owe.”

No businesses or individuals from Pembrokeshire or Ceredigion appear in the current list.

HMRC only publishes cases where more than £25,000 in tax has been deliberately underpaid. The list relates to civil penalties only, and names remain public for up to 12 months.

Lib Dems warn jobs boost may be limited as turbines set to be built abroad

MILFORD HAVEN’S role in Wales’ flagship floating wind project remains unclear after new criticism emerged over the Port Talbot investment.

The UK Government has announced £64 million to turn Port Talbot into the UK’s first floating offshore wind hub in the Celtic Sea, a move expected to support thousands of jobs.

However, fresh political concerns have now been raised over how much of that economic benefit will actually stay in Wales.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have warned that the project risks becoming an assembly operation rather than a full industrial supply chain.

David Chadwick MP said: “Any job creation is a positive step for Port Talbot, but Labour need to be honest about what this actually contains.

“These turbines are set to be built using imported steel and only assembled locally, not manufactured. This means much of the real economic value will still go elsewhere.”

Milford Haven still waiting for clarity

The announcement has also left unanswered questions about Milford Haven’s role within the Celtic Freeport.

While Port Talbot has secured clear backing as the main construction hub, there has been no detailed explanation of what activity will be based in Pembrokeshire.

That lack of detail is significant.

Milford Haven already has deep-water access, established energy infrastructure, and a long-standing role in UK energy security—factors which many expected would place it at the centre of offshore wind operations in the Celtic Sea.

Jobs — but where is the value?

The UK Government says the project could unlock over £500 million in private investment and support up to 5,000 jobs.

But critics argue that if key components are manufactured overseas, Wales risks missing out on the higher-value parts of the supply chain.

That raises a broader concern for Pembrokeshire: whether Milford Haven will secure meaningful long-term work, such as maintenance, servicing, and logistics—or be left with only limited involvement.

Energy transition moment

For Milford Haven, the stakes are high.

The port has long been a cornerstone of Britain’s fossil fuel infrastructure.

Floating offshore wind represents the next phase of that story—but exactly how big a role the Haven will play is still to be defined.

With billions in investment expected in the Celtic Sea, local leaders are now likely to push for clearer commitments to ensure Pembrokeshire is not left behind in the transition.