News
St Davids: Premier Inn plans approved
THE APPLICATION for a Premier Inn Hotel and other homes in St Davids has been delegated to National Park officers to approve after members of the Development Management Committee gave their support.
The Committee met at a packed Ty’r Pererin Hall on Quickwell Hill in St Davids today (Jun 6).
Members of the YoPI (Yes to Premier Inn) and NoPI (No to Premier Inn) campaigns were also in attendance and gave their views to the committee.
The plans will see the hotel, 38 affordable homes and 32 open market dwellings built on land at Glasfryn Lane.
St Davids County Councillor David Lloyd said: “Prior to the interest of Premier Inn to locate in St Davids the homes were to have been developed by the St Davids Peninsula Community Land Trust, following seven years of preparatory work, with a view to employing the profits from the sale of the open market homes to match fund the replacement of the local swimming pool closed in 2009.
“The controversy surrounding Premier Inn’s interest, however, resulted in the Community Land Trust having to withdraw from the project causing the plans to create a new pool to be abandoned. Fortunately, the badly needed provision of affordable housing for local people remains part of the application. It is in my view imperative that these homes are built.
“Ysgol Dewi Sant’s School roll dropped from over 500 pupils to as few as 390 in 2016. As is well known, in January 2016, the school was scheduled for closure. It narrowly survived, but at the price of losing its sixth form. In my view it is unthinkable that the chance of underpinning the school’s future should not now be grasped.
“With regard to the Premier Inn element of the application, notwithstanding the blow of losing what in my view will be the only chance of replacing the pool, I support the application.
“The 63 new bedrooms would serve to replace the 55 2/3-star hotel rooms that have been lost in recent years following the closure of Whitesands Bay Hotel, St Nons Hotel, Glan Y Mor Hotel and the change in status of Twr Y Felin Hotel. In my view St Davids is seriously under provided for in mid-range hotel accommodation, a view shared by Keith Griffiths, proprietor of what is now the five-star Twr Y Felin.
“The experience of Tenby, which is wholly reliant on tourism, as is St Davids, has shown that the arrival of Premier Inn has been a major boost to trade in both the accommodation and retail sector. I am confident the same will apply to St Davids.
“Finally I turn to the question of the nature of the joint application. While it would not be accurate to say that Premier Inn is enabling the provision of housing within the joint project it would be fair to say that by sharing the significant cost of the various site surveys and the cost of planning application itself, it has made possible the almost unique proportion of affordable houses, some 54%, that make up the housing element of this application. It is a remarkable opportunity for the St Davids Peninsula and indeed for the Park and one too great to lose.”
Cllr Paul Harries felt that the application could have been better than what it was while other members were concerned about the hotel being three stories high.
Cllr Phil Baker said he was concerned about the need for 63 beds and questioned why it had to be three-storey.
Mr Ted Sangster moved that the recommendation to delegate to officers be approved and that was seconded by Cllr Peter Morgan.
Cllr Mike Evans also sought assurances that the first lot of rented homes should go to local people.
The application was approved unanimously.
The decision was met with applause by some members of the audience.
Following the decision, Cllr Lloyd added: “I felt that the meeting was conducted fairly and everybody had the opportunity to give their views and this was acknowledged by members of the committee and the outcome was one that I very much support.”
Business
Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost
RURAL Wales is seeing a major upgrade in mobile connectivity, with faster 4G now live in several areas. Seven locations across North, South West, and West Wales are benefitting from new 4G mast upgrades funded by the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN), aimed at closing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.
The upgrades, which went live on Thursday (Nov 14), bring improved 4G coverage to communities including Bontddu, Llanelltyd, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Penmaenpool, Tabor, Snowdonia National Park, and Bontgoch. Local businesses, emergency services, and residents are expected to benefit from faster internet access, which supports daily communication, business opportunities, and economic growth.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for modern life and should be available from Cardiff to the remotest parts of Wales. Today’s upgrades bring us closer to making this a reality.”
SUPPORTING DIGITAL INCLUSION
As part of the rollout, Peter Kyle and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant visited Ebbw Vale to discuss digital inclusion with charity and industry leaders. They met with representatives at BGfm, a digital inclusion hub in Blaenau Gwent, to learn about how connectivity impacts daily life in Welsh communities.
Telecoms Minister Bryant said: “We are working tirelessly to make sure rural communities aren’t left behind online.
“These upgrades mean businesses can now operate without connectivity limitations, 999 services are better equipped to respond, and residents and tourists can stay connected across the Welsh countryside.”
ADDRESSING CONNECTIVITY GAPS
An estimated 1.5 million homes across the UK remain without internet access, limiting people’s ability to access essential services such as banking and healthcare. In addition to the SRN upgrades, the Chancellor has allocated over £500 million in next year’s budget for digital infrastructure expansion, targeting these underserved areas.
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the importance of this investment, particularly for rural Wales, where fast, reliable internet can be transformative.
“Connectivity is critical for day-to-day life in rural areas – from supporting local businesses to ensuring emergency services are just a call away,” Stevens said.
The upgraded masts, previously limited to EE customers and emergency 999 calls, now serve a wider user base, bringing essential internet access to more people without requiring new infrastructure.
Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “With the activation of five new SRN sites, Wales is seeing the tangible benefits of the Shared Rural Network, bringing crucial connectivity to rural communities.”
GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN REMOTE WALES
The improvements come alongside a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties, helping future-proof digital access in even the most isolated locations.
The latest upgrades mark another step in the Government’s mission to improve mobile coverage and close the connectivity gap across Wales, creating opportunities and supporting economic growth across rural communities.
News
Milford Haven man admits to downloading indecent images of children
A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sentenced after admitting to downloading over 1,000 indecent images and videos of children, including highly explicit content involving young children. Gareth MacDonald, now 23, appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and videos across various devices.
The court heard that police visited MacDonald’s home, which was the scene of protests after his arrest, last year following intelligence suggesting that child abuse images had been accessed there.
Officers spoke with MacDonald’s mother at the door before entering to conduct a search.
During the operation, two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, and two hard drives were seized.
MacDonald initially spoke to one of the officers privately, admitting to downloading the images and saying, “It’s me.” Later, in formal interviews, he revealed that he had grown “bored with legal pornography” roughly a year earlier, knowing that what he was doing was illegal but continuing regardless.
Prosecutor Emily Bennett informed the court that MacDonald’s devices held 15 Category A images, the most severe classification, 26 Category B images, and 960 Category C images. Some content depicted children as young as nine, and the most serious material involved pre-teen children in distressing situations.
Bennett also noted that MacDonald had briefly joined an online group where members self-identified as paedophiles, although he left without sharing any material. Cleaning software was also found on his devices.
Defense counsel Dan Griffiths acknowledged that MacDonald’s actions had crossed the custodial threshold, but argued that there was “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.” He highlighted MacDonald’s cooperation with police and his willingness to comply with rehabilitation programmes.
Judge Geraint Walters, presiding over the sentencing, addressed MacDonald, saying, “For some considerable time, you have accessed this kind of imagery, fully aware of the harm it represents.” He acknowledged that MacDonald largely isolated himself and stayed at home, factors he considered in the sentencing.
MacDonald was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and participate in the Horizon programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.
News
Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home
A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.
Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).
In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.
PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”
This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.
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