COUNCIL plans for ‘alien’ and ‘industrial’ metal gates to prevent vehicle entry on to Tenby’s iconic harbour have been refused by the national park.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Pembrokeshire County Council sought permission to install a swing gate that prevents unauthorised vehicle entry, but allowing pedestrians, at Tenby Harbour Yacht Station & Harbour Office, Pier Hill, Tenby, in the town’s conservation area.

The proposed gates would be sited approximately mid-way along the harbour office.

The scheme included a related listed building consent application covering the harbour ‘pier’.

The scheme was supported by Tenby Town Council but Tenby Civic Society objected due to design, operation, justification and impact on the harbour setting.

A national park officer report recommending refusal said: “Whilst consultees are generally supportive of the proposal, it is not regarded as acceptable in terms of its impact upon the special qualities of the National Park including both character and appearance of Tenby Conservation Area and the setting of listed buildings.”

It detailed the scheme: “This application is for the installation of a metal gate on Tenby Pire alongside the Harbour Office to restrict unauthorised access to the end of the pier.  The pier itself is Grade-II-listed and the site lies within Tenby Conservation Area central to the iconic harbour view.

“Due to the industrial design of the gates in what is a highly sensitive and extremely popular area, the proposal is not considered to preserve the setting of the listed pier or the character or appearance of Tenby Conservation Area.

“It therefore follows that there will be an impact on the special qualities of the National Park, that the proposal will cause visual intrusion and that it pays little regard to the sense of place and local distinctiveness.

“Whilst it is recognised that restricting access to the working pier would sustain harbour activities and may contribute to a certain extent to supporting community cohesion and health, the proposal is not considered to conserve or enhance the existing character of the harbour.”

It added: “The design and scale of the gates neither preserve or enhance the character of the area. In terms of character, the pier currently is available for users and visitors to enjoy daily except when during occasional events and operations when temporary fencing is erected. The proposed meshed metal gates are seen as intrusive in this context, quite alien to the public enjoyment of the area.

“Officers have considered the weight to be given to the desirability of restricting access to the working pier and reducing conflicts such as tombstoning activities and conflicts with boats.  Temporary fencing has currently been used to achieve this which does not require permission.”

The application was refused on the grounds it “would introduce an unacceptable visual intrusion due to the overly industrial design of the proposed gates which would not conserve or enhance the existing character of the harbour,” and would “also cause harm to the setting of a listed building”.

A CALL to expand the licensed area of a Pembrokeshire community pub, recently hailed as one of the most friendly in Britain, has been given the go-ahead by county planners.

The White Hart Inn in St Dogmaels was ranked second friendliest pub in the UK in a study by security experts Get Licensed, which looked at Tripadvisor reviews and median crime scores around each pub to find the friendliest in the UK.

The 250-year-old White Hart, on Finch Street, reopened as a community pub in 2021 following a campaign after it closed in May 2019, when the last landlords decided to refocus to other activities.

The White Hart Community Inn Ltd was formed as a Community Benefit Society and a community share offer launched with the guidance of the Wales Co-operative Centre.

Two years of fund-raising and campaigning saw enough money raised through individual community shares purchases together with financial support from the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government via the Social Business Growth Fund administered by Social Investment Cymru at WCVA, alongside a grant from Pembrokeshire County Council.

White Hart Community Inn (St Dogmaels) Ltd had asked Pembrokeshire County Council for permission the expand the licensed premises through a change of use of the former manager’s accommodation, vacant since early 2022.

The application was conditionally approved by planning officers.

This is the second application for works at the White Hart recently.

An application by White Hart Community Inn (St Dogmaels) Ltd to install solar panels at the historic pub was recently granted by Pembrokeshire County Council.

That proposal was backed by St Dogmaels Community Council, which said it “fully supports the application for the installation of photovoltaic panels”.

Receiving the recent Get Licensed award, the White Hart Inn received a top score of five on Tripadvisor, and 66.67 per cent of its reviews highlighted the pub’s ‘friendly’ and ‘welcoming’ atmosphere.

A YOUNG MAN receiving treatment at a local mental health unit has found hope and inspiration through a piano donated in memory of Matt Baker – just days after the instrument arrived at the hospital.

Matt, affectionately known as “Mr Good Times” of Haverfordwest, passed away in March aged 49. In tribute, his family used donations from his funeral to gift a Yamaha electric piano to Bro Cerwyn Hospital, where Matt had spent the final months of his life.

Now, in a moving story shared by Matt’s mother, Phyllis Oostermeijer, one of the patients on Matt’s former ward has already been uplifted by the gift – reconnecting with music and even expressing an interest in attending local art charity The VC Gallery, which also received a donation in Matt’s name.

Phyllis said: “I am writing this with tears of joy and emotion running down my cheeks. A mother got in touch with me. Her son, who is on the same ward Matt was, had discovered the piano. He was playing from the music book that came with it and told his mum, ‘It’s beautiful – it makes me want to make music again.’”

The patient initially thought his own keyboard had been brought in from home. When he learned it was a gift donated in memory of Matt, whom he remembered playing and singing on the ward, he was moved.

“He told his mum how wonderful it was to listen to Matt sing and play,” said Phyllis. “Now that he knows Matt gave the piano and supported The VC Gallery, he says he wants to go there – somewhere he never previously wanted to visit.”

For Phyllis, the encounter has reaffirmed the family’s decision to donate the instrument: “Did we do right to decide on a piano? I think this confirms we did. Mental health wards are desperate for this kind of help – activities to help unwell people find themselves again.”

She added: “So Matt is helping from the grave – or from the sky. We have to keep helping where we can.”

The story has touched hundreds online and highlights the power of small acts of kindness and the enduring legacy of a man whose love for music and people continues to ripple through the community.