Hearing to decide fate of ancient castle

Published

11 years ago

October 28, 2013

A PUBLIC hearing is being held to settle the row over the future of the grounds of the 11th century castle in Haverfordwest.
Campaigners want to keep the castle grounds open to the public by securing village green status.
There has been recent interest in the site from developers who want to set up a hotel, but getting the status would stop any redevelopment.
Haverfordwest Town Council is behind the application but faces opposition from Pembrokeshire County Council who say that the plan is flawed and wants to sell off the land.
"We feel it is in the best interests of our town to retain its heritage by having the castle left open for public use," said Haverfordwest town councillor Peter Lewis.
"It's just one of these places where people feel they should be able to walk at any time.
"Haverfordwest castle is what the town has been built around - it is fundamental, it is our iconic building, it pervades everything.
"If you look at all of our sports clubs, many carry the castle motif. Everyone sees that as the central feature of our town."
Pembrokeshire County Council currently owns the sight and in 2010 they put part of the castle site – an old Victorian prison building – up for sale.
Only a few of the original stone walls remain of the 11th Century castle but for many years the public have enjoyed open access. 
The town museum is housed there and the site is used by people to walk their dogs, eat lunch in fine weather and watch occasional events on the grass.
Last year, an architect and developer showed an interest in turning it into an eight to 16-bedroom boutique hotel and restaurant, but it proved controversial and sometime later the developer walked away.
The town council decided then that the only way to protect the site for good was to apply for village green status.
It has also put in an offer to buy the Victorian prison building for £50,000.
Pembrokeshire council said the castle grounds had been declared a public open space in 2009 and the town council had the chance to challenge it but failed to do so.
It argues the standing as a public open space means public events in the castle grounds can be organised and managed effectively with the granting of the appropriate licences.
Deputy leader Councillor Huw George said village green status would change forever what could be done with the site.
"It will make it very difficult to regulate who uses it and when they use it and that causes us a great concern," he said.
"Our greatest concern is the objection [against development] they've put in, which is by nature flawed.
"The objection I believe should have come in 2009 when it was declared a public open space. We're now in 2013, which seems to me a little bit flawed."
He added: "By turning it into a village green we curtail many options which may harm the development economically and with tourism in the future, and I think Haverfordwest deserves to have all opportunities left open."
Both sides are being represented by a solicitor, and the public hearing will be presided over by the Planning Inspectorate.
The hearing, which starts on Wednesday, has been described by the county council as an "unnecessary application" and said it was costing a "great deal of public money at a time when every penny counts".
But Mr Lewis said the action was necessary.
"It's going to cost us well over £10,000 and it's going to cost the county council more than that to defend it but we feel we've got no choice," he said.

Drop in sessions to help reshape Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service

Published

4 days ago

January 24, 2025

Tom Sinclair

MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) is pleased to announce the launch of a series of community drop-in sessions designed to gather feedback from residents and stakeholders. This initiative aims to identify issues and challenges that may impact the delivery of the Community Risk Management Plan 2040 (CRMP 2040).

The CRMP 2040 outlines the Service’s commitment to addressing risks, threats, and challenges faced by communities. These drop-in sessions provide an opportunity for residents to help shape the future of fire and rescue services in Mid and West Wales, ensuring safety and well-being remain a priority.

Shaping the future together

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Iwan Cray said: “We believe the best way to serve our communities is by involving them in the planning process. These drop-in sessions are an opportunity for us to listen, learn, and collaborate with the people we serve.”

The drop-in sessions, details of which are available on the MAWWFRS website, offer a platform for open dialogue. Residents can share their insights, concerns, and suggestions, contributing to the development of a modern Fire and Rescue Service tailored to their needs.

A data-driven approach

The CRMP 2040 adopts a data-driven approach, focusing on prevention, protection, and response to reduce emergencies’ impact and enhance public safety. By tailoring services to community needs, MAWWFRS is committed to building safer and more resilient communities.

Get involved

Community members are encouraged to attend these sessions and provide their feedback. To thank participants, MAWWFRS is offering a chance to win a £100 Amazon voucher. To enter, simply attend a session and complete the survey.

For more information about the plan or the upcoming drop-in sessions, visit the MAWWFRS website or contact the team at [email protected].

About MAWWFRS

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is dedicated to protecting and serving the communities of Mid and West Wales. Through prevention, protection, and response, the Service works tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents and visitors.

Community

Landfill odour sparks calls for inquiry and legal action

Published

5 days ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS near Withyhedge landfill in Haverfordwest are demanding a public inquiry and considering legal action after foul odours returned just weeks after the site reopened on 6 January.

The landfill, closed last May to address odour issues, was declared fit to reopen by operator RML, which claimed its improvements would protect nearby communities. However, Colin Barnett, of campaign group Stop the Stink, said: “People in Crundale, Haverfordwest, and Spittal are being subjected to horrendous smells again.”

Describing the site as a “stink bomb on steroids,” Barnett supported Conservative MS Paul Davies’ calls for a public inquiry. “We’ve been flanneled by NRW, public health, and Pembrokeshire council. It’s disgraceful,” he said, adding that delays in resolving the issue had left litigation as the only option.

RML, part of Dauson Environmental Group, is owned by businessman David Neal, who has previous convictions for environmental crimes in 2013 and 2017. Last year, another of Neal’s companies pleaded guilty to environmental offences.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) reported receiving 34 complaints since 6 January, with a rise in recent days coinciding with the end of a slurry-spreading ban. However, NRW stated no odours attributable to the landfill were detected and plans to inspect the site with Pembrokeshire council on 29 January.

First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “I’ll keep a very close eye on this, and if concerns persist, we’ll discuss further steps with NRW.”

RML and the Welsh Government declined to comment.

Community

Public transport users urged to ‘check before travelling’ due to storm

Published

5 days ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

TRANSPORT FOR WALES and Network Rail are urging all customers to check before they travel on Friday morning and into the weekend with weather warnings in place across the country.

With Storm Eowyn set to hit Wales and winds reaching 90mph on Friday morning, customers should expect disruptions and are strongly urged to check before they travel.

There will be alterations to rail services, replacement road transport on certain routes and blanket speed restrictions at some locations, meaning journeys could take longer than usual.

Stand by buses are being planned at key locations around the network in preparation for travel disruption.

Across Wales and the Borders, Network Rail have positioned response teams to address any storm related problems to keep disruption to a minimum.

TfW Operations Director Sarah Higgins said: “It’s so important for our customers to plan ahead when looking to travel this Friday.

“While we’ve made a number of changes to our services based on detailed forecasts, storms can still be unpredictable.

“We’ve seen the impact storms can have, with damage to trains and infrastructure sometimes taking weeks or months to repair, so our cross-industry approach will hopefully limit that and keep our colleagues and customers safe. We apologise to customers for any disruption to their journeys as a result.”

Network Rail Wales & Borders Operations Director Rachel Heath added: “Our priority is always keeping safe everyone who travels and works on the railway.

“Unfortunately, there will be some delays and cancellations on Friday, as trains will not run on some lines and there will speed restrictions on other parts of the route.

“We are working closely with our train operator colleagues to ensure we can safely reopen affected lines as quickly as possible and urge passengers to check before they travel.”

Rail service changes:

No services to run on the Conwy Valley Line all day, with replacement road transport in place.
No services to run on the Heart of Wales line all day, with replacement road transport in place.
Speed restrictions at various locations around the network, meaning some journeys will take longer than usual. These include:

  50mph speed restrictions imposed from 0200 to 1500 Friday on the North Wales Coast – Bodorgan to Llandudno Junction.
  50mph restrictions from 0200 to 1200 between Carmarthen to Kidwelly.
  50mph restrictions from 0200 to 1200 between Neath and Swansea.
  50mph restrictions from 0100 – 0800 between Newport and Llanwern.

Customers who have connecting tickets for the following operators who have suspended services due to the adverse weather conditions, we’ll honour tickets dated 24 January on either Thursday 23 January or up to and including Tuesday 28 January.