A CALL to allow a Pembrokeshire farm to keep a storage facility for more than 200 caravans, boats, cars and farm machines as a form of diversification has been submitted to county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Mr & Mrs Davies, through agent A.D Architectural Design Consultants Ltd, seek retrospective permission for a farm diversification scheme to accommodate the storage of caravans, boats, cars and farm machinery in four of eight agricultural sheds and on hard-standing concrete courtyards at Froghall Farm, Spittal.

The works were completed back in 2019.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said: “At present, four of the eight shed structures on the site form part of the caravan and boat storage scheme, with additional touring caravans stored externally on the concrete courtyards.”

It said the storage provision was split as follows: Shed 1 – farm workshop, and 30 caravans, motorhomes, boats & cars; shed 2 – 16 caravans; shed 3 – 28 caravans, motorhomes, boats & cars – 28; shed 8 – cubicle shed, 11 units of farm machines, motorhomes & caravans; courtyard storage of 120 touring caravans, for an overall storage of 205 units.

The statement added: “It would take place in an accessible location, would incorporate sustainable transport and accessibility principles and would not result in a detrimental impact on highway safety or in traffic exceeding the capacity of the highway network; access road is a no-through road with no increase in traffic due to the nature of development.

“There won’t be a constant stream/flow of traffic as the site’s used for storage. Our client offers a towing service to sites in and around Pembrokeshire, which is used by 45 per cent of their customers, who are unable or prefer not to tow themselves. This gives our client control over the flow of traffic.”

The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.

A CALL to rebuild a fire-damaged Pembrokeshire farm building, as a family home to help manage one of the largest sheep flocks in Wales, has been submitted to the national park.

In the application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, D B Davies and Sons through agent Harries Planning Design Management, with a supporting statement by Reading Agricultural Consultants Ltd, seek permission to renovate an existing fire-damaged dwelling, together with the conversion and extension of outbuildings to form an agricultural worker’s dwelling at Mynydd Du, Rosebush.

The supporting statement through Reading Agricultural Consultants Ltd says Mynydd Du is part of a wider holding which includes Eisteddfa Fawr and land around the village of Brynberian, the farms approximately six km apart, with land under control of the applicant amounting to some 1,500 acres, with a further 3,000 acres of Preseli mountain common land also used; the land accommodating a 5,000-ewe flock with 10 suckler cows and followers.

It says DB Davies & Sons Unlimited, has five partners: the two Davies brothers, Berian and Ken; their wives; and Berian’s son, Dyfed.

Berian and Ken are in their late 70s, with most of the heavy work on the farm is undertaken by Dyfed.

Dyfed and his wife Megan are first language Welsh speakers, living some 10 km away in Nevern, while Berian and Ken, and their wives, live at Eisteddfa Fawr, Brynberian.

The dwelling at Mynydd Du, where most sheep are now wintered, is structurally sound and repairable but has been unoccupied since 1990, and was subject to arson circa 2013, the statement says.

It says Dyfed works full-time on the farm, alone with increasing frequency as the older business members are above retirement age, working “long hours out of necessity to undertake all the work associated with one of the largest flocks of sheep in Wales”.

“His working hours are extended further due to the fact that he lives remote (6kms) from the main block of land at Tyllosg, where Mynydd Du is situated in the centre of the farm. Travelling back and forth several times each day during lambing and other times during poor weather, to check on flock welfare is an arduous task and can be dangerous, particularly if driving when tired during inclement conditions.”

The statement adds: “The application seeks permission to repair the fire damaged dwelling at Mynydd Du and bring it back to serve a useful purpose to enable Dyfed to closely monitor the ewes, not only at lambing, but throughout the year when the flock is grazing on the adjacent common land.

“It will also enable Dyfed to be with his partner and young child on a more regular basis than simply at the end of a long day when he is away from their current home, tending the sheep at Mynydd Du.”

The application will be considered by park planners at a later date.

New figures show decline in herd incidents, but disagreement remains over wildlife controls

WALES is making steady progress in tackling bovine tuberculosis (bTB), according to the Welsh Government, but a long-running debate over the role of badgers in spreading the disease continues to divide opinion.

In a written statement issued this week, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, HUW IRRANCA-DAVIES, outlined what he described as “clear progress” in Wales’s eradication programme.

Latest figures show a sustained long-term decrease in new TB herd incidents, which ministers say reflects the success of a science-led, cattle-focused strategy. The approach has prioritised enhanced testing, stricter movement controls, and improved biosecurity on farms.

The Welsh Government says more sensitive testing methods are helping to identify infection earlier, while efforts are also being made to reduce the number of cattle slaughtered unnecessarily.

However, the issue of whether wildlife—particularly badgers—plays a significant role in spreading the disease remains contentious.

Farmers and government under pressure

Bovine TB continues to have a major economic and emotional impact on Welsh farming communities, particularly in rural areas of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.

Farmers’ unions have long argued that wildlife reservoirs, including badgers, contribute to the persistence of the disease, and have called for stronger intervention measures.

In England, controversial badger culling programmes have been rolled out over the past decade, with UK Government figures suggesting significant reductions in TB rates in some areas.

But those claims remain disputed, with critics arguing that the evidence is far from clear-cut.

Badger Trust backs Welsh approach

Responding to the Welsh Government’s latest statement, the Badger Trust welcomed the direction of policy in Wales and urged ministers to maintain a focus on cattle-based controls.

The charity said the latest statistics demonstrated that Wales’s approach was delivering “real results” and represented a clear improvement on policy seen elsewhere.

Chief Executive NIGEL PALMER said: “The latest TB statistics show sustained long-term decreases in new TB herd incidents, demonstrating that Wales’s science-led, cattle-focused approach is delivering real results.”

The Trust also questioned the effectiveness of culling, arguing that reductions in England cannot be attributed solely to killing badgers.

It said: “The analysis behind this figure cannot separate the effects of culling from other measures such as enhanced cattle testing, stricter movement controls, and improved biosecurity.”

The organisation maintains that bovine TB is primarily a cattle disease, with most transmission occurring between cattle rather than from wildlife.

Scientific disagreement remains

The role of badgers in spreading bTB has been the subject of decades of scientific study, with no universal consensus.

Some studies have suggested that badgers can act as a reservoir for the disease, potentially infecting cattle through environmental contamination.

Others, including research cited by animal welfare groups, argue that the impact of badgers on overall transmission rates is limited compared to cattle-to-cattle spread.

The Welsh Government’s own Technical Advisory Group has previously stated that a combination of measures may be needed, including consideration of wildlife alongside cattle controls.

However, Wales has so far resisted introducing widespread badger culling, instead focusing on vaccination trials and tighter cattle measures.

Calls for clarity and consistency

The Badger Trust also raised concerns about international standards, arguing that requirements for Officially TB Free status focus primarily on bovine species rather than wildlife.

It warned that policies targeting badgers risk diverting attention and resources away from more effective cattle-based interventions.

At the same time, farming representatives continue to press for stronger action, arguing that without addressing all potential sources of infection, eradication efforts could stall.

A long road ahead

While the latest figures suggest progress, the Welsh Government has acknowledged that completely eradicating bovine TB remains a long-term challenge.

For now, Wales appears set to continue its cautious, evidence-led approach—balancing animal health, farming livelihoods, and wildlife protection.

But with pressure mounting from both sides of the debate, the question of how far to go in tackling the disease is unlikely to be settled any time soon.