A CONDITION restricting a rural Pembrokeshire home to agricultural workers-only has been removed after its occupants lived in breach of that for some two decades.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Richard Tadman and Rebecca Brinton, through agent Carver Knowles, sought a certificate of lawfulness for non-compliance of an agricultural/forestry occupancy condition for Brynmelyn, Mynachlogddu.

The condition restricting the occupancy was part of a consent for the farmhouse granted back in 1985.

An application for a certificate of lawfulness allows an applicant to stay at a development if they can provide proof of occupancy without any enforcement challenge over a prolonged period.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said evidence had been gathered to verify that since May 2006 the property has been occupied in breach of that condition, Ms Brinton purchasing the property that year, with Mr Tadman living there until 2022 and Ms Brinton continuing to do so.

When Mr Tadman was living at Brynmelyn he was self-employed as a mechanic, and Ms Brinton has not worked in agriculture or forestry, other than the couple keeping a few animals including chickens, ducks, turkeys, and pigs for a short period from 2008 until 2010 when the pigs had to be culled following a TB outbreak, the poultry succumbing to foxes.

The statement said council tax payment records to Pembrokeshire County Council showed the occupancy from 2006, adding that many of the previous owners apart from the original has not got an agricultural worker connection either,

An officer report recommending approval, which led to the issuing of a certificate of lawfulness, said: “The occupation of Brynmelyn of persons not employed in agriculture or forestry has been continuous for a period in excess of 10 years. It therefore represents a use unauthorised by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

“The use of the dwelling exceeds the time limit for the Local Planning Authority to take any enforcement action, in accordance with Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) and / or the preceding Town and Country Planning Act 1971. This authority considers that a Lawful Development Certificate can be issued.”

SHEEP farmers in Wales are being urged to pay close attention to the mineral and trace element supplementation of lactating ewes and lambs this spring and summer following what has been described as a “perfect storm” of nutritional challenges over the winter.

The warning comes from Rumenco’s Technical Services Manager, Dr Alison Bond, who said a combination of forage shortages, heavy rainfall and the increased use of brassica forage crops may have left some flocks at risk of underlying deficiencies.

She said that although sheep may not always show obvious outward signs, deficits in minerals and trace elements can still affect key areas of flock performance, including ewe milk production, lamb growth rates and the future condition of breeding ewes.

Dr Bond said: “Many sheep farms will have endured unprecedented conditions over recent months, with forage supplies depleted after a dry summer.

“This may have resulted in lower quality fodder being fed, or greater reliance on grazed fodder crops, for example. In the case of brassicas, which include swedes, turnips and forage rape, there are specific issues around iodine, vitamin B1 and other trace minerals, including copper, selenium and cobalt, that could present risks.”

She added that heavy winter rainfall in many areas is also likely to have increased soil nutrient leaching, particularly on lighter land, raising the risk of mineral deficiencies in early season grazing.

To help address the problem, Dr Bond is recommending that ewes and lambs at grass are supplemented with a high-quality mineral and trace element lick.

She said mineral buckets can provide an efficient method of supplementation and pointed to Rumenco’s Supalyx 4 in 1 bucket as one option designed to cover a broad range of potential deficiencies.

According to Dr Bond, the product includes plant essential oils intended to stimulate appetite and support gut health, alongside trace elements such as zinc and selenium in a bio-available form to help support hoof health, udder health and immune function.

She also highlighted the importance of vitamins, including vitamin B12 to support growth rates where pastures may be low in cobalt, and vitamin B1, or thiamine, which is particularly relevant where sheep have been grazed on brassicas.

Dr Bond explained: “Brassicas can cause shifts in the rumen bacteria environment which may affect the natural production of thiamine by the rumen.

“Furthermore, certain brassica crops can lead to the production of thiaminase which can destroy thiamine, leading to a deficiency. Vitamin B1 deficiency causes a condition called Cerebrocortical Necrosis, with common symptoms including blindness, head pressing and stargazing, something most farmers will have seen at some point.”

She said brassicas can also create problems with iodine absorption.

“Brassicas also contain glucosinolates, which are converted by hydrolysis into goitrogens in the rumen,” she said. “Goitrogens interfere with iodine absorption, which commonly results in the disruption of thyroid function. This is a cause of the condition goitre in sheep, which shows as a swelling of the thyroid gland.”

Dr Bond said adequate supplementation should not be viewed simply as a short-term measure, but as an investment in flock health and future performance.

“With market prices forecast to remain strong for the foreseeable future, ensuring that the flock avoids the effects of mineral and trace element deficiencies should help to prevent in-season health and performance problems,” she said.

“It will also give lambs the best chance of reaching their full potential as quickly as possible. Equally importantly, it will have a positive impact on the condition of ewes, which should ideally not lose more than 0.5 body condition score during lactation.

“Keeping ewes in good condition during lactation is the first step towards a successful tupping later in the year and a healthy lamb crop in 2027.”

Images supplied with the article are copyright Tim Scrivener, Agriphoto, and are for use only in connection with this story.

If you want, I can also turn this into a more natural Herald-style farming piece with a stronger intro and less promotional wording.

A CALL for a 60-foot-long shed and stables at the proposed home of a gypsy traveller family near a Pembrokeshire village has been refused by planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Ryan Surname Boswell & Family, through agent Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, sought provision for an access road and replacement of temporary stables and storage containers with a multi-purpose shed and stables at Greenwells, Cosheston Bridge, Cosheston.

The application initially sought a 24.3 by 9.1 metre building, which has now been reduced to 18.3m by nine.

A supporting statement said that land to the north “is subject to a current planning application for the provision of two traveller family pitches with improvements to access and ecological enhancements with other land in our client’s ownership being un-affected”.

It added: “Mr Boswell and his family are of traveller origin and intend to make this site their family home. They own various domestic equipment, children / family articles, mowers / tools and farming equipment that require secure storage. The shed will also be used to house horses/ponies that are currently stabled in the temporary wooden stable block currently on skids on the land in question.”

It concluded: “The scale, design and use of materials (and colours) of the proposed shed is comparable to many new such sheds throughout Pembrokeshire. There will be no significant negative impacts on the level of amenity enjoyed by any neighbours or those travelling along the minor county road to Cosheston from any aspects of the proposed development.”

Local community council Cosheston had raised concerns including the “excessive” size of the proposed building, feeling “this is on the large side of what is required for a couple of ponies”.

It added: “Our concern is that the applicant intends to run his building/property maintenance business from the property. If the council grants the application, restrictions should made on the property’s use. i.e. restricted to agricultural use only.

“We have no objection to the construction of a small stable block, similar in size to the existing one on site.”

Objections were also received from two members of the public, raising concerns including the scale, environmental concerns, and a potential conflict with the ongoing application.

An officer report recommending refusal said the scheme was part-retrospective due to the prior formation of an access track within the field.

It added: “Despite amendments to the application as originally submitted by the reduction in building footprint and scale, the proposal remains a substantial and visually intrusive structure in the open countryside. An essential countryside need has not been justified nor evidence provided of an agricultural or equine enterprise warranting a building of this size or permanence.”

The application was refused on the grounds it “is not typical of a structure intended solely for the storage of paraphernalia associated with grazing land or for equine use and no information has been provided within the application to demonstrate the functional need for a building of this scale”.

It added: “The nature, siting and scale of the building would not be compatible with the capacity and rural character of the site, and together with the access track results in an unjustified and visually intrusive form of development in the open countryside, which does not represent sustainable development.”