News
Blackpool Mill plans supported


Transformation: Blackpool Mill will be converted into a tourist attraction
SUPPORT has been given by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park to the transformation of Blackpool Mill at a meeting yesterday (Mar 22).
The Park’s Development Management Committee discussed the application which will now go back to CADW for their approval.
Restoration of the 19th century Mill is expected to cost around £2.5m and will see the building transformed into a heritage tourist facility.
Works will be carried out to the interior and exterior of the building while café and railway line around the site would also be built.
The application was for a listed building consent and it will now be considered by CADW for their approval.
Bluestone founder William McNamara said: “Thirteen years ago I stood in front of the planning committee with a vision to create Bluestone. I promised to provide significant jobs and year round quality tourism. Bluestone was a big ask and it has been a long tough journey but your judgement to approve then was not miss-placed.
“We have delivered and more on our original promise and we now employ in excess of 700 full time people year round. We have a massive local supply chain and we operate at 97% occupancy year round.
“Bluestone is a success story for the county and I wish to do the same for Blackpool Mill. The Mill is an important building, one of the finest examples of a mill in the UK.
“However, without an appropriate financially sustainable use it is destined only to receive essential maintenance, no public access, ongoing vandalism, a real waste and a sad prognosis for such an important landmark.
“We have spent two years preparing this planning application and we’ve considered many options.
“We also calculated early on that the Mill as a standalone attraction would not be viable. Viability is key to its long term future and it must have a greater appeal and generate enough revenue to undergo the necessary investment in the Mill.
“With this approval we will spend in excess of £600,000 on fabric of the Mill alone. This application is the first of three. The remaining two we are hopeful will be considered at the next meeting in May.
“The narrow gauge light railway, all-weather events barn, the presentation and interpretation of the wetland and woodland are all vital to this project, as is the land link to the main Bluestone resort.
“Without the three elements the project cannot proceed. It is a good scheme, sensitively designed and appropriate to the Mill and its setting. It will provide the people of Pembrokeshire and tourists with a year round, all-weather and unique and quality attraction complementing and not displacing the existing operators. There is overwhelming local support.
“This proposal will cost Bluestone more than £3m overall and inject an additional £650,000 into the local economy and create 80 full time jobs. I sincerely hope you will put your trust into us once again.”
Cllr Bob Kilmister said: “This is a massive project and the building itself is quite superb, the setting is wonderful and we’re just dealing with the listed building consent and I have no hesitation in recommending approval.
“I have seen a future for the building and one that requires that level of investment and its worthy of that. It could become a jewel in the crown and a building of this importance should receive our support.”
Committee member Ted Sangster said this application was grounded in demonstrable success and that it would provide significant economic benefit to the area.
The application was fully supported with twelve members voting in favour and two abstained.
Community
Carmarthenshire man missing in Thailand: Last seen on Phi Phi Island

A 26-year-old man has been reported missing in Thailand after his family lost contact with him more than eight weeks ago.
Daniel Davies was last seen on March 13 on Phi Phi Island, a popular tourist destination in southern Thailand. He had been staying at the Hangover Hostel in Bangkok prior to his disappearance.
A missing person report has been filed with Dyfed-Powys Police, and the case is now listed under reference number DP-20250329-215.
Daniel is described as being around 6ft tall, of slim build, with blonde hair and a beard. He also has tattoo sleeves on both arms.

Echoes of the Lost – a national missing persons initiative – has now joined the appeal alongside SARS Cymru, urging anyone with information to come forward. In a statement, they said: “Daniel, if you happen to see this post, please get in contact with your family. They are worried. If you wish to message us to pass information along, please feel free to do so.”
His aunt, Nicola Doran, has been sharing emotional appeals online, writing: “My nephew Daniel Davies, 26, from Llanelli – he’s gone missing in Bangkok, Thailand. He’s been reported and is now a missing person. No one has had any contact in weeks.”
Friends and family have been spreading the appeal across social media, hoping someone in Thailand may have seen him. One post reads: “Can all my mates out in Thailand, Bangkok area, please share this and keep eyes out for my lil’ kuzen – he’s been missing 8 weeks over there.”
Daniel’s disappearance has been reported to Thai police, and the UK Foreign Office is understood to be aware of the case.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police by emailing 101@dyfed-powys.police.uk or calling 101, quoting reference DP-20250329-215.
Farming
Nonsense to base farm funding on population, says union

FARMERS in Wales have warned that changes to the way agricultural support is calculated could see them lose millions in future funding, as allocations move from a needs-based system to one based on population size.
The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has criticised the shift, branding the move “nonsense” and “concerning,” arguing it fails to reflect the reality that Wales has more farms per head than England.
Under the former EU model, funding was distributed based on need. However, from 2025-26, support for Welsh farmers will be included in the Welsh Government’s overall budget and determined by the Barnett formula—a population-based mechanism.
Guto Bebb, Chief Executive of the FUW, told BBC Radio Wales: “This latest decision is very concerning because if there is any future increase in farm funding, Wales will be allocated a population-based 5.2% rather than the 9.2% share we previously received based on need.”
The change, announced in the UK Budget last October, has raised alarm bells among the farming community. Mr Bebb urged farmers and unions to ensure that politicians in Cardiff remain committed to backing what he described as a “crucial part of the rural economy.”
The First Minister, Eluned Morgan, had already voiced similar concerns earlier this year, warning the Welsh Affairs Committee in Westminster that the new model could leave Wales short-changed. “When it comes to agriculture, we should be significantly higher than 5%,” she said.
Despite the concerns, both the UK Treasury and Welsh Government have insisted the new settlement will benefit Welsh agriculture.
A spokesperson for HM Treasury said: “The Welsh Government is receiving over 20% more per person than the equivalent UK government spending in England. This translates to over £4 billion more in 2025-26. The full amount of agricultural funding from 2024-25 has been baselined into this settlement.”
Meanwhile, the Welsh Government said it welcomes having full discretion over agricultural support spending and confirmed that more than £366 million has been allocated this year—an increase from the previous year when farm funding was still ringfenced.
However, farming leaders remain sceptical, warning that the shift could jeopardise livelihoods in rural communities if funding does not continue to reflect the true scale and nature of Wales’ agricultural sector.
Farming
Bird flu restrictions lifted after major outbreak in Shropshire

BIRD FLU restrictions requiring poultry and captive birds to be housed indoors in part of Shropshire have been lifted.
The measures were introduced in January following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at Griffiths Family Farms, part of Oakland Farm Eggs, near Wem.
A 3km protection zone and a wider 10km surveillance zone were established around the site. The surveillance zone extended into the Wrexham local authority area.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed that disease control measures have now been completed. The area previously within the protection zone is now part of the surveillance zone only.

Around one million hens had to be culled at the site—one of the largest poultry farms in the UK—after the virus was detected in the flock.
Under protection zone rules, all poultry and captive birds must be kept indoors. Surveillance zone rules require premises to keep records of all poultry and egg movements in and out of the area.
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