A MAJOR developer has purchased land in Saundersfoot, clearing the way for it to bring new homes to the town.

Persimmon Homes West Wales secured planning permission to build 72 new, high-quality homes at Sandy Hill in the popular Pembrokeshire town back in July.

This agreement means all the pieces are in place for the builder to start works on site, with a view to having their first properties on the market this summer.

The scheme includes a mix of quality new one to four-bed detached and semi-detached homes as well as terraced houses and apartments that will help meet local housing needs and open the door to home ownership for more local families. The properties will be finished in render and stone.

Boasting a number of proposed community benefits, the development will bring a range of facilities to the local community, including an equipped play area at the heart of the site, contributions to highway and active travel upgrades, and a dedicated active travel link that connects the site back to Sandy Hill Road.

The design also incorporates a sustainable drainage system with bio-retention areas and rain gardens, green technologies such as solar panels and electric vehicle charging points, as well as ecological enhancements to mitigate impacts on dormouse habitats and preserve existing trees and hedgerows.

As part of the housebuilder’s community contribution, Persimmon will also transfer 35% of the homes (25 in total) to a local housing provider for rent and shared ownership to help alleviate pressure on Pembrokeshire’s housing list.

The five-star developer donates £48,000 across Wales each year to good causes and much-valued organisations as part of its Community Champions initiative. Recent local recipients include Saundersfoot Cricket Club, Saundersfoot Rotary Club’s Tenderfoot programme, and the 2025 Saundersfoot New Year’s Swim.

Welcoming the agreement, Persimmon Homes West Wales’ Managing Director, Stuart Phillips, said:

“We are delighted to have cleared this final hurdle that now means we can commence works at Sandy Hill to deliver much-needed new, high-quality homes to Saundersfoot.

“Persimmon is determined to leave a positive and lasting legacy where we build and we look forward to working with the local community and its leaders as we bring forward these new homes.

“I want to give my thanks to everyone involved in the Persimmon team as well as the local planning authority for all the work they’ve put in to get to this point.”

A FORMER veterinary surgery manager who stole £50,000 from her employers has been jailed for three years.

Charlotte Devonald, 44, of Cromwell Road, Milford Haven, abused her position of trust at Animal Doctors veterinary surgery in Clydach, Swansea Valley, by diverting cash takings into her personal bank account and misusing a company fuel card.

Swansea Crown Court heard that Devonald carried out the thefts over a two-year period between November 2020 and November 2022 while earning an annual salary of £35,000. Despite being entrusted with financial responsibilities, including payroll, banking cash takings, and managing supplier payments, she systematically stole from the surgery.

The theft was uncovered after discrepancies in financial records were flagged by the surgery’s accountants. Further investigation revealed that Devonald had made multiple cash deposits into her personal account, ranging from £100 to £1,000, and had fraudulently spent over £5,000 on the company’s fuel card, including buying fuel for friends.

In a police interview, Devonald denied wrongdoing and claimed others had access to the office safe. However, she later pleaded guilty to theft and fraud by abuse of position on the day her trial was due to begin, after one of the business owners returned from Australia to give evidence.

During sentencing, Judge Paul Thomas KC described Devonald’s actions as a “brazen and cynical breach of trust” and criticised her for not telling her daughter about the prosecution and the likelihood of imprisonment, calling it “another example of your cruel selfishness.”

An impact statement from the surgery’s owners detailed how the thefts left the business in debt to suppliers and HMRC, forced valued staff to leave, and caused severe emotional and financial strain.

Defending, Jon Tarrant said Devonald was a “fragile and isolated” woman who struggled to confront the reality of her actions. He added that she expressed remorse and asked for her love to be conveyed to her daughter.

Devonald was sentenced to three years in prison and will serve half her sentence in custody before being released on licence.

PICTURED Bringing justice: Charlotte Devonald was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court for theft and fraud (Pic: Facebook).

PEMBROKESHIRE households are facing ongoing disruption to waste collections as the county council struggles with persistent ‘resource challenges’ following the festive period.

Residents across the county have reported overflowing bins and missed collections, with the council admitting approximately five per cent of collection rounds were disrupted last week due to staff shortages, vehicle breakdowns, and an increase in waste volumes.

A council spokesperson said: “The operational issues are resulting in many households not having their waste collected on their scheduled day. We are working to rectify this as soon as possible, but resource challenges remain.”

Residents are being urged to store waste and recycling materials where possible until their next scheduled collection. The council has also promised to keep its waste and recycling disruption webpage updated with the latest information.

Despite scheduling additional resources to cope with the expected increase in waste over Christmas, the council has been unable to meet demand. Councillor Rhys Sinnett, cabinet member for residents’ services, issued an apology to those affected.

“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused to residents,” he said. “Staff have been working throughout the festive period to manage collections, but vehicle breakdowns and staff availability have significantly hampered our efforts.”

In a bid to ease the backlog, residents are permitted to place one additional black bag of waste out for collection on their first residual waste collection day after Christmas. Recycling centres remain open, but pre-booking is required.

Latest Disruption Updates:

Saturday, 4th January 2025:

• Milford Haven Area: Multiple streets, including Murray Road, Milton Crescent, Pill Lane, Warwick Road, Robert Street, and Dale Road, faced incomplete recycling collections due to resource issues. Some streets had food waste collected, while others saw partial or no recycling collections.
• St Ishmaels, Sandy Haven, Marloes, Dale, Talbenny, Hasguard, Walwyns Castle: Collections were either incomplete or missed entirely.

The council has advised affected residents to store recycling until the next scheduled collection day or take it to local recycling centres.

Friday, 3rd January 2025:

• Haverfordwest and Surrounding Areas: Key streets and neighbourhoods, including Cherry Grove, Queensway, Prendergast, Merlins Bridge, and St Thomas Green, experienced widespread disruption to recycling collections.
• Rudbaxton, Poyston Cross, and parts of Crundale: Missed recycling collections were reported, with limited recovery achieved.

The council has stated that recollection efforts will continue into the following week.

Thursday, 2nd January 2025:

• Stackpole, Manorbier, Freshwater East, Lamphey, and Monkton: Residents reported missed recycling collections, with some streets receiving food waste collection only.

Moving Forward:

The council assures residents that efforts to clear the backlog are ongoing. However, persistent resource challenges mean delays may continue.

Residents are encouraged to:

1. Store recycling where possible until the next scheduled collection.
2. Pre-book slots at local recycling centres.
3. Regularly check the council’s disruption webpage for updates.

For real-time updates on waste collections, residents are encouraged to visit the Pembrokeshire County Council website. The situation remains fluid, and further updates are expected as the council works to stabilise services.