PLANS to convert a historic north Pembrokeshire former farm milk parlour and grain store, which is in danger of falling to ruin, to a home have been given the go-ahead.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Mr and Mrs Humphrey, through agent Wyn Harries MRICS, sought permission for the conversion of an agricultural barn into a three-bed dwelling at Maes y Felin, Bridell.

A supporting statement said: “Maes y Felin is located in the open countryside within Pembrokeshire County Council. It is accessible directly south of Cardigan, off the A487 turn towards St Davids Church, Bridell. The building forms part of a range of outbuildings associated with the Grade-II-listed farmhouse Maes Y Felin, and Dyfed Riding Centre business.

“The building is located centrally within the yard. It is a two-storey building, with the former milk parlour and grain store on the ground floor, with general loft space above. It is currently used for general storage.”

It added: “Externally, the building’s roof will be raised with a level ridgeline. All existing openings will be retained. Equally, the façade will be retained with much of the stone being repointed to safeguard the character of the original building.

“This proposal is motivated by a recognised need to improve the barn structure as the roof has begun to collapse and without immediate action, the building could degrade past being able to be converted.”

It went on to say: “The retention of key openings on the south elevation such as the arched cart access, decorative arch stone lintels as well as the majority of the original stonework will help to preserve the traditional character of the agricultural shed.

“However, the building needs to be improved as it is currently falling to ruin. Therefore, renewed fenestration, a new slate roof, and the removal of the concrete block lean-to will introduce a welcome upgrade.”

An officer report recommending approval said Heneb, The Trust for Welsh Archaeology have confirmed that the stone barn subject to the conversion to a dwelling is recorded on the 1889 1st edition Ordnance Survey map as a component of Maes-y-Felin farmstead, which is considered to be of historical interest.

The application was conditionally approved by county planners.

A RETROSPECTIVE call to approve works at a north Pembrokeshire home, which includes a chicken run and solar panels, has been refused after concerns were raised by the Trunk Roads Agency.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Chris Jones, through agent Josh Macrae sought permission for retrospective alterations to 2 Brynawel, Dinas Cross, including the erection of a polytunnel, PV panels, a chicken run, and a small shed, along with the extension of the domestic curtilage.

A supporting statement said permission was granted back in 2020 to convert the property back into a single dwelling from two flats, and to add an extension and change the fenestration.

It added: “The property was subsequently sold, and the new owners then commenced work on the redevelopment of the property.

“Prior to commencing work, they neglected to discharge the conditions of the original approval; and during the development they omitted the approved balcony and changed the layout of the fenestration.

“The new owners also have erected a polytunnel, steel shed and chicken shed unaware that these would require planning permission, and they had an array of PV panels installed, having been informed by the company that did the installation that the new array fell under permitted development.”

A sticking point in the scheme getting the go-ahead were concerns raised by the Trunk Roads Agency on the grounds of insufficient information being provided on any potential safety impact on the nearby A487 road; a national park planning officer report recommending refusal on those grounds.

Of the scheme itself, the report said: “Whilst the extension to the curtilage is large, it is not considered that there would be wider landscape impacts. Had the development been acceptable from a highway safety perspective, a condition would have imposed to take away normal permitted development rights in terms of outbuildings / structures to control any further development.

“Overall, the proposal is not considered acceptable due to the concerns raised by the Trunk Roads Agency around highway safety, and a recommendation to refuse is made.”

The application was refused on the grounds of a “lack of sufficient information pertaining to road safety”.

A CALL to allow a Pembrokeshire farm to keep welfare facilities to care for rare breed breeding Tamworth pigs has been given the go-ahead.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Sharron Nicolas, through agent Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, sought a certificate of lawfulness permission for the creation of a welfare flat within a previously-approved agricultural building, plus a rear lean-to extension and the erection of two further sheds at Fairybank Fields Farm, Bethesda, near Clynderwen.

An application for a certificate of lawfulness allows an applicant to keep a development if they can provide proof of occupancy or use, without any enforcement taking place, over a prolonged period.

The previous agricultural building application was granted back in 2003.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said the two-level welfare unit in the 2003-granted shed “contains the necessary elements to allow overnight stays which are essential when the pigs are farrowing.”

It added: “Mr Allan and Mrs Sharron Nicholas have been owners of Fairybank Fields since 1998. Unfortunately, Mr Nicolas died in February 2025. Although managing the farm at Bethesda, they lived at Pleasant View, Cold Blow, Narberth meaning a round trip of some 12 miles per visit – a visit which was required on a daily basis because of the need to feed and generally care for their animals – which were and still are rare breed pigs together with a number of beef cattle.

“It is essential that the pigs require continuous care when farrowing or when there are other pressures on animal health. When such occasions occurred, it was the practice of Mr Nicholas to spend the night at the farm and to use the welfare provision.”

It said Mr Nicholas would have spent approximately three months’ worth of nights (circa 90 nights) staying over at Fairybank Fields – a period of some 12 years when the bedroom above had been created to late 2024 when his brother assisted Mrs Nicholas in caring for the pigs as Mr Nicholas was too ill.

It went on to say: “Whilst the principal activity at the Farm is the breeding of the rare breed, the Tamworth Pig of which there are only currently 290 breeding sows in the UK, Mr and Mrs Nicholas also have had beef cattle on their farm and Mrs Nicholas intends to re-start that element in 2026.”

An officer report recommending approval said a site visit had been undertaken finding no evidence of the unit being occupied as a separate residential dwelling, nor as a primary residence.

It said a range of evidence was submitted in support of the application, including a detailed timeline, aerial imagery and multiple witness statements “which consistently indicate that the rear extension to Building 1 was constructed circa 2008, Shed 2 was completed in September 2012 and Shed 3 was erected in 2015”.

It said historic aerial photographs and witness statements demonstrated “on the balance of probability, that the operational development was substantially completed well in excess of four years prior to the submission of the application and has not been subject to any material interruption,” considered to be lawful by virtue of immunity from enforcement action.

It was granted approval on that basis.