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Farming

Christmas comes early for Brian

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Winners: Ffermio presenter Alun Elidyr (left) with Mrs Thomas and Llion Roberts from Ifor Williams Trailers

Winners: Ffermio presenter Alun Elidyr (left) with Mrs Thomas and Llion Roberts from Ifor Williams Trailers

A SEMI-RETIRED farmer whose ill-health means he now watches more TV is celebrating after winning a major prize. 73-year-old Brian Thomas is now the proud owner of a new trailer worth over £2,000 after entering a competition on the popular S4C programme Ffermio. Every year the programme runs the competition in partnership with Ifor Williams Trailers, Europe’s biggest trailer manufacturers, and the number of entries has increased over the years.

Viewers are asked to answer questions over a seven-week period and then, using the initial letters, give a seven-letter word. Brian, of Blaengilfach Uchaf, Cilrhedyn, Llanfyrnach, near Crymych in Pembrokeshire, has come up with the correct answers every year but until now has not been lucky enough to win. He has won this year’s second prize, an LM85G model, eight-feet long and with dropsides, a headboard and tailboard, which is worth £1,970 plus VAT.

Blaengilfach Uchaf is a 200-acre holding on which Brian, who also worked as an agricultural contractor, keeps store cattle and sheep. He is one of five siblings, four of whom farmed in the area. He is helped on the farm by his wife Mary and son-in-law Richard Davies, and over the past three years his deteriorating health has restricted his mobility.

“I now have more time to watch TV and read, and so I do enter more competitions,” he said. His only other success came when he won £500 in a competition on the S4C programme Rasus. There are already two Ifor Williams trailers at Blaengilfach Uchaf but the new model will prove very useful for different jobs.

“We always buy the company’s trailers because they are the best around,” said Brian. Unfortunately, due to his illhealth, he was unable to attend this year’s Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s Winter Fair at Llanelwedd, and so it was left to Mary and their daughter Elaine to collect their prize and take it home to Llanfyrnach. Gwawr Lewis, of the production company Telesgop, who make Ffermio, said that interest in the competition increased every year.

“Whether you’re a farmer or someone who loves the great outdoors an Ifor Williams trailer will always be a superb product to win,” she said , “It’s fantastic that the company has, once again, put up three of their best products as prizes, which helped to ensure that interest was again massive.

“The Ffermio competition is very valuable to us, with viewers far and wide tuning in, in the hope of getting their hands on the trailers. “The winners appreciate the quality of the trailers, be they farmers, small holders, or horse owners. It is a very special time for Telesgop’s Ffermio team, to see the excellent prizes going once more to very worthy winners. ”

Iorwerth Roberts, the company’s head of sales in North Wales, said Ifor Williams Trailers was proud to be associated with Ffermio and that the faith in their product was clearly demonstrated in the response to the competition. “We have had fantastic support from our loyal customers over many years and in return we feel it is vitally important to support the rural community,” he said.

“Ffermio provides us with a great way of giving something back.” Winner of the first prize, a TA5G 10-feet-long trailer with sheep decks, worth £4,105 plus VAT, was Myrddin Davies, of Ffordd Tan y Ysgol, Llanrwst, while the third prize of a Q5e model with hinged solid sides, roof rack and stock door, worth £1,110 plus VAT went to Morris Jones, of Tryal Farm, Llanrhystyd, near Aberystwyth.

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Community

‘Last chance’ warning for Pembrokeshire farm barn attraction

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A PEMBROKESHIRE farm barn attraction, which gained a 3,500-strong petition of support after previously being refused by planning officers, is being given a “last chance saloon” to justify staying open ahead of a site visit.

Late last year, Stuart Williams of Home Farm, Leweston, near Camrose, was refused retrospective permission by planning officers to retain the Willhome Farm Barn farm park – and ancillary buildings – built in June 2022.

The site – whose facilities were used by the council’s own educational providers and parents of children with learning difficulties – is home to rabbits, llamas, donkeys, poultry, owls, goats, ponies and pigs, along with a café building, public conveniences, a children’s play area, and parking.

The attraction was set up as a form of diversification after the farm lost its entire cattle herd through bovine tuberculosis; developing over time to having more than 150 children and students visiting a week.

It was previously refused by officers due to highway safety concerns and fears it would generate additional foul water flows which are likely to result in an increase in phosphate levels in the Cleddau River.

Since the refusal by planners, a change.org petition, Grant Planning Permission for Willhome Farm Barn in Pembrokeshire, was set up by Hook-based Jessica Austin, which has attracted more than 3,500 signatures to date.

Jessica’s petition said: “This decision not only affects this resilient family but also impacts schools attended with over 6,000 pupils, by adults from local wellbeing centres and families with children who have autism or learning difficulties like mine.”

Earlier this year, the applicant submitted a fresh call, which was again due to be decided by planning officers.

At the request of local county councillor, and former council leader, Cllr Jamie Adams, a special meeting was held in July backing a decision for it to be made by councillors rather than officers.

The application was due to be heard at the October meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, with a recommendation of refusal, reasons including those given for the previous application, the application returning to the December meeting to allow the applicant’s agent more time to address planning issues.

It was again recommended for refusal at the December meeting.

Speaking at the December meeting, agent Carys Thomas felt highways concerns could be dealt with through passing bays and temporary signage, an informal agreement having been entered into with a local landowner.

Local member Cllr Jamie Adams said the area had seen a decline in agricultural stock vehicle movements, following a decline in cattle numbers, suggesting concerns about increased traffic generated by the attraction was something of “a misnomer”.

He added: “Without supporting the changing needs of farms in Pembrokeshire we will lose the economic drivers of our communities, communities like mine in Camrose, it’s farms that support many of the other rural business and many of the services in the communities.”

One of the sticking points for officers was the length of time of the “long and arduous process” of the various applications and their reasons for refusal, dating back some 18 months, with what they saw as insufficient information to address their concerns, members heard.

Cllr John T Davies moved a site visit before any decision, allowing the applicants a final chance to address the planning issues, describing his proposal as “a final opportunity, a last-chance saloon,” adding: “If it’s not addressed by then I will be very clear in my vote of refusal; one final opportunity, one final throw of the dice.”

Members, by eight votes to four, backed a site visit ahead of a final decision, the application expected to return to the February meeting.

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Business

Decision on Trewern Farm building plans delayed until 2025

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A CALL to let a 950-herd north Pembrokeshire dairy farm to keep a farm shed built without permission a decade ago which was expected to be approved has instead been put on temporary hold, national park planners heard.

In an application recommended for conditional approval at Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee meeting of December 4, Trewern Farms Ltd is seeking permission for the retention of the agricultural building and lay down area at Trewern Farm, Felindre Farchog.

The application is part of a wider complex planning history associated with the site.

A report for Park planners says: “Trewern Farm is operated as a zero grazing style dairy farm with 304 hectares located on two separate parcels of land, one at Trewern with the remainder being at Penpedwast, adjacent to Castell Henllys. The farm has a dairy herd of approximately 950 cows.

“Trewern Farm has expanded significantly over recent years with many of the buildings and structures on site having been erected without the prior benefit of planning permission, and having since been regularised through a combination of retrospective applications and certificates of lawfulness.

“The building subject of this application is believed to have been constructed in 2014. The site currently comprises an agricultural shed immediately adjoining another shed and is used for cubicle housing.

“A slurry lagoon, silage clamps and 12 of the newer agricultural buildings are now lawful as Certificates of Lawfulness were granted for these whilst the Authority was awaiting an Environmental Impact Assessment to be submitted by the applicants for the 2015 planning application to regularise the unauthorised buildings.

“However, this is the last of the outstanding agricultural buildings which are not lawful, and an enforcement notice was served in May 2018 requiring its removal. This notice was appealed in November 2019 and is currently being held in abeyance by the Planning Inspectorate.”

It says the building referred to in the application “is described as being designed to house cattle in a series of cubicles, and forms part of a longer set of buildings running along the southern section of the farming complex,” adding: “The livestock numbers are not proposed for increase as a result of this application but will be as secured [by a planning consent] restricted to no more than 960 milking cows with 1020 maximum excluding calves.”

Local community council Nevern has said it has “grave concerns” about the application, asking, amongst other things, how the 960 cattle limit will be policed and the important woodland will be protected.

At the December 4 meeting, planners were told the application would be deferred to a future meeting as not all received documentation had been published on the national park’s planning website.

The application is expected to return to the January meeting, committee chair Madelin Havard offering her apologies to the applicant for the delay.

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Farming

57% of Welsh people expect food prices to rise due to Family Farm Tax

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New research sparks concerns over food affordability

SHOCKING new research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats reveals that 58% of people in Wales anticipate food prices will rise due to the Family Farm Tax introduced in the recent Budget.

In response, the Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to reject the government’s Finance Bill, citing its damaging impact on family farms and wider rural communities.

Worrying changes in food habits

The research highlights alarming trends in how Welsh residents plan to cope with rising food costs. Nearly half (47%) of those expecting increases said they would switch to cheaper alternatives, while 32% revealed they would cut back on the amount of food they buy.

These changes could have significant health implications, with 19% of respondents admitting they are likely to buy less fresh fruit and vegetables if prices go up. The knock-on effect on small businesses is also evident, with 16% of respondents saying they would turn to larger supermarkets, posing further challenges for independent retailers already grappling with the rise in employers’ NIC contributions and the potential impact of the bus fare cap on foot traffic.

Liberal Democrats push for action

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to scrap the Family Farm Tax, arguing that its effects extend far beyond the farming sector. They warn of serious consequences for families and pensioners struggling to manage rising costs, urging support for their manifesto pledge to boost farming budgets by £1 billion, including £50 million annually for Wales.

“A tax that hits every family”

Welsh Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader David Chadwick MP said:
“I will fight this disastrous tax hike every step of the way and ensure Wales’ voices are heard in Westminster. The impact of this tax hike goes beyond farming communities—families and pensioners across Wales will be hit if food prices go up.

“The Budget has proven that the new Labour government does not understand rural communities or farmers and their vital role in food security, environmental protection, and the Welsh economy.

“We are urging the Labour government to axe the tax now. If not, the impact on already struggling communities will be catastrophic.”

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