Porthcawl pensioner, 89, was discovered after GP raised concerns and asked police to carry out welfare check

A MAN has been charged after the body of his 89-year-old mother was found in a chest freezer at her home in Porthcawl.

South Wales Police discovered the remains of Sylvia Phillips at a property in Poplar Crescent on Monday, February 17, after her GP asked officers to carry out a welfare check.

An inquest at Pontypridd Coroner’s Court heard that the cause of her death is still awaiting further investigation.

Her son, Christopher Phillips, 60, of Porthcawl, has been charged with preventing a lawful and decent burial. He also faces a charge of fraud by false representation.

Phillips has been remanded in custody and was due to appear at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Apr 16).

The hearing was told that a post-mortem examination was carried out on March 2 by Dr Stephen Leadbetter at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

Senior Coroner for South Wales Central, Graeme Hughes, adjourned the inquest while further enquiries are carried out.

The court also heard that Sylvia Phillips’ family had requested a cremation certificate, which was granted by the coroner.

Port says dock is being actively marketed as company unveils vast shed plan that could transform town skyline and create up to 3,000 jobs

A HUGE plan to turn Milford Haven’s dry dock into the heart of a £480 million superyacht construction and refit yard has been unveiled, in what could become one of the most dramatic development proposals ever put forward for the town.

Renderings released alongside the announcement show a colossal enclosed build hall covering the existing dry dock and dominating the waterfront skyline. Based on the images, the proposed structure appears likely to be nearly as long as some of the German submarine pens built on the French Atlantic coast during the war.

The scheme has been put forward by Superyacht Sales UK, which says it is in early-stage discussions with Milford Haven Port Authority over the possible use of the Port’s 180-metre dry dock as part of a long-term vision for a major new marine engineering hub in Pembrokeshire.

The company says the wider project could eventually support up to 3,000 skilled jobs and generate around £150 million a year in social value, while helping establish Milford Haven as a centre for superyacht refit, construction and green marine technology.

Port’s response cautious

Despite the eye-catching scale of the proposal, the Port has given only a limited response.

In a statement to The Herald, a spokesperson for Milford Haven Port Authority said: “The dry dock is commercially available for rent and is being actively marketed. We have responded to various organisations that have shown an interest. We are unable to comment further due to commercial sensitivities.”

That response makes clear the dry dock is being marketed commercially and that Superyacht Sales UK is not the only organisation to have shown interest.

The release issued by Superyacht Sales UK says the company is also exploring the possible development of a custom new-build shipyard on the site of the former Royal Naval Armaments Depot on the edge of Milford Haven. However, it acknowledges that no contact has yet been made with the current landowners and that the entire proposal remains at concept and feasibility stage.

Kerry Ballard, founder of Superyacht Sales UK, described the plans as a long-term ambition and said discussions with the Port were exploratory.

She said: “This is a long-term vision, and we are at a very early stage. Our discussions with Milford Haven Port Authority are exploratory, focused on understanding what may be possible in respect of the existing dry dock facilities.

“Milford Haven presents a compelling opportunity. The combination of deep-water access, industrial heritage, and alignment with the Celtic Freeport strategy, particularly around hydrogen and green energy, creates a highly attractive proposition for a next-generation shipyard.”

She added that any development of this scale would need to be shaped in partnership with the local community, stakeholders and education providers.

Questions over scale

There is no doubt the vision is bold. If built in anything like the form shown in the released images, the structure would completely alter the appearance of the docks and create a huge new industrial landmark visible across much of the town.

Rather than sitting beside the dry dock, the proposed shed appears designed to swallow it almost whole, enclosing the dock within a giant shell intended for superyacht construction and refit work under cover.

The sheer scale of the concept is likely to prompt both excitement and scepticism locally.

Supporters will point to Milford Haven’s deep-water access, industrial heritage, marine infrastructure and long association with heavy engineering and energy industries. In theory, those strengths could make it a credible location for specialist shipyard activity if sufficient private investment and commercial demand existed.

The company says the international market for superyachts over 30 metres is growing, with existing European yards facing capacity constraints. Its pitch is that West Wales could capture part of that market while also linking the development to future propulsion systems, including hybrid, battery-electric and hydrogen-powered vessels.

The proposal also includes talk of partnerships with colleges and universities to create training pathways in advanced composites, precision engineering and sustainable marine technologies.

Speculative at this stage

For Milford Haven, the attraction is obvious. A project on this scale would not just mean another industrial tenant taking over an existing dock facility. It would represent a major shift in ambition for the waterfront and could, if realised, bring a new type of high-value engineering work into Pembrokeshire.

But serious questions remain.

No planning application has been submitted. No formal development agreement has been announced. The Port has not indicated support for any specific proposal. At this stage, there is no public evidence of secured funding for a project on anything like the scale being discussed.

There are also likely to be wider questions about land control, infrastructure demands, environmental considerations, traffic, visual impact and whether local people would genuinely benefit from the promised jobs and training.

For now, the proposal remains an ambitious vision rather than a confirmed development.

If the idea progresses, it could mark the start the biggest waterfront development discussions the town has seen in years.

AN APPEAL against a refusal of a call to convert an ‘unviable’ former village pub to a house has been dismissed.

In a partly retrospective application refused by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in July 2025, Ms G Key, through agent Evans Banks Planning Limited, sought permission for the conversion of the former Taberna Inn and associated flat, Herbrandston Village, Milford Haven, to one residential dwelling.

A supporting statement through the agent said the property was only operated as a pub for a short time after purchase before closing.

It said the loss of the pub to the village will not be felt as strongly as elsewhere as Herbrandston has an alternative venue, Herbrandston Hub, which opened in February 2020.

Local community council Hebrandston objected to the proposal on the grounds the village has already lost amenities in recent years, with the community hub only open part-time.

The application was refused on grounds including it would “result in the unacceptable loss of an existing community facility,” and “the applicant has failed to demonstrate the potential for continued use of the facility as unviable”.

Since that refusal an appeal was lodged with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) by the applicant.

The inspector, in dismissing the appeal, said planning policy recognising “that public houses can play a vital economic and social role and their loss can be damaging to a local community,” adding the Taberna “constitutes a community facility”.

The inspector’s report said the purchase of the Taberna Inn in March 2020 in a “closed and condemned condition” just before the global pandemic “meant that the property was never operated as a public house, and although the appellant could have reopened the pub following the pandemic, she has chosen not to”.

It added: “As a result, the appellant has been unable to provide any financial information in the form of audited accounts which show the historic trading to help gauge the past performance of the premises or to demonstrate that the public house is not commercially viable.”

It went on to say the appellant’s view the pub is not a valued community asset, was contrasted by residents and the community council opposing the change of use; the Herbrandston Hub opening on a limited time basis, saying “the ability of the Hub to be classed as a viable and direct replacement to the Taberna Inn is questionable”.

It concluded: “Overall, the evidence before me is insufficiently thorough and wide ranging to constitute a solid case for the proposed development in the balance of harm to the community. As a result of this, I am not persuaded that it has been clearly demonstrated that the pub cannot become a viable business in the future.

“I also consider that it has not been demonstrated that there has been a commitment by the appellant, since purchasing the property in March 2020, to ensuring the long-term viability of the Taberna Inn as a going concern over an appropriate period.”