A £2.6M scheme to redevelop a derelict ‘eyesore’ motel close to the Pembrokeshire seaside village of Newgale with the promise of creating 18 jobs has been submitted to national park planners.

Nick Neumann of Newgale Holidays wants to redevelop the former Roch Gate Motel to a mixed commercial and community use hub called ‘The Gate,’ including a village shop/post office, bistro/restaurant, conference facilities and business units together ancillary works, and a separate tourism development of up to 25 holiday lodges.

The vacant derelict former motel – dubbed an “eyesore” in previous applications – closed back in 2008 and has a history of later approved planning schemes, including as a bespoke hotel and an affordable housing scheme, but none have come to fruition.

The new proposed development was the subject of a pre-application consultation last autumn, and has now been revised following “feedback received from the Park Authority on planning issues and from relevant consultees and third party representations,” a supporting statement says, adding: “the applicant has now had time to review and revise the proposal to address any concerns raised and is now supported by further technical documents.”

Since that consultation changes to the submitted scheme include external appearances on the main building, the removal of a drive-thru element, and an additional two business units.

At the time of last year’s consultation, agent Andrew Vaughan-Harries of Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd said: “The former motel site has laid vacant for several years and is now derelict and largely abandoned. Despite an application being granted for its redevelopment as a bespoke hotel and a more recent application for an affordable housing scheme being recommended for approval by the authority (subject to the completion of a legal agreement) neither of these schemes have materialised.

“These schemes were submitted by the previous owner of the site and clearly failed to deliver.

“The application proposal comprises different business, commercial, community and tourism elements. Since purchasing the site more recently, the applicant seeks to present a different and exciting mixed-use redevelopment on the site which would be of significant benefit to the local community.

“The authority has previously accepted that the site is unlikely to return to its previous use as a motel/hotel. Roch has sadly recently lost its only village shop/post office and fish and chip shop. The shop/post office closed in the last 12 months and the fish and chip shop several years ago.

“The proposed business/community hub would include the provision of a replacement village shop/post office, a bistro, rooms that would be available for conferences and local community uses, together with three small business units.”

The statement added: “In addition to the business/community hub, it is also proposed to create a modest tourism development comprising up to 25 holiday lodges on part of the adjacent field to the southwest. This tourism development forms part of the overall business plan for the site and to provide an income stream in support of the main redevelopment site.”

Speaking after the amended application was submitted, Mr Neumann has said: “The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive. However, PCNPA raised some policy concerns, which we have been addressing over the past six to nine months.

“In response, we have made a few adjustments to the scheme. These include minor changes to the external appearance of the main building to ensure it more closely aligns with the traditional architecture of Pembrokeshire. Additionally, we have removed the drive-through element to reduce littering and cut down on vehicle emissions, ensuring a cleaner environment and promoting sustainability to the benefit of everyone within our community. In its place we have added two more business units to further support local business enterprises and start-ups.

“We have listened to the feedback, taken action, and fulfilled all the statutory requirements. Now, we are hopeful that the proposal, along with our formal planning application, will be viewed favourably by both PCNPA planners and the wider community.”

He finished: “If you share our vision to transform the current derelict site into a vibrant community hub with a £2.6m investment, bringing 18 full-time jobs and much-needed local amenities then we urge you to voice your support. Now is the time to let the planners know how much the development means to our community. Together we can make this vision a reality.”

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

AN online survey is being launched to gather views on improvements to Narberth’s Active Travel Network.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Transport Strategy Team is consulting on improvements within the town to help people travel on foot, bikes and other wheels with the creation of shared use paths.

This includes a diversion for heavy goods vehicles to bypass the town centre unless making local deliveries, to ease congestion.

A Shared Use Path for pedestrians and cyclists is being proposed along a section of Kiln Park Road as well as a 6.5mile Multi-User Route for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders from Narberth to Haverfordwest.

Officers also want feedback on the works that have been carried out to Jesse Road to provide improved pedestrian/cyclist accessibility to and from the primary school.

The aim of the proposals include providing a high quality direct access between Narberth and Haverfordwest, encouraging inclusive active travel and creating a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

Public engagement sessions will take place at Bloomfield House Community Centre, Narberth, on 26^th September from 10am to 12pm, 1pm to 4pm and 6.30pm to 8pm. The online survey will go live on the same day.

Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett said: “Supporting the health, well-being and safety of Pembrokeshire residents is important to the Local Authority and Active Travel can play a vital role in that. We would encourage Narberth residents and visitors to get involved in this latest survey and help shape improvements in the area.”

The proposed plans are available to view on our website https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/transport-strategy hard copies are also located at Bloomfield House Community Centre and County Hall.

Please contact the team at [email protected] or telephone 01437 764551 if you have any questions.

Please feel free to complete the whole of the survey or just the sections that are relevant to you.

This online survey will close on 7^th November 2024 at midnight.

A SEVERE lack of data on missing children in Wales is holding back policy responses and hindering efforts to help young people, a committee warned.

Buffy Williams, who chairs the Senedd’s education committee, raised concerns about the lack of an accurate source of Welsh data that records all episodes of missing children.

“In turn, this means we don’t have the right policy responses,” said Ms Williams, explaining that data is collected for those who go missing from care but not other children.

The Labour MS said: “The majority of evidence we’ve heard is there’s a severe lack of data … hampering efforts to ensure the correct procedures are in place to support children.”

Dawn Bowden, Wales’ social care and children minister, said the Welsh Government is delivering a huge transformation programme for children’s services.

She acknowledged far too many children are taken into care in Wales as she pledged to focus on prevention and keep families together wherever possible.

Ms Bowden said: “One of the things we do know is that many children who are reported as missing are often children who are trying to get home.”

She told the committee data is collected by the Welsh Government, councils, Care Inspectorate Wales, police and the Home Office.

She accepted that children go missing for “all sorts of reasons, in all sorts of circumstances” but pointed out that care-experienced children are far more likely to go missing.

Taryn Stephens, deputy director for social services improvement, added that wider data – beyond looked-after children – will be available in the next children’s census.

Ms Williams also raised alarm about the accuracy of data on children missing from care.

She said data shows 16 children in Cardiff went missing in 2022/23 despite more than 1,000 being in care, while Conwy had 273 going missing despite only having 215 in care.

Ms Bowden suggested the disparity may be down to different information being recorded – for example, on the number of children or incidents.

She said data collection and guidance is reviewed and quality assured every year.

Ms Williams put concerns to the minister that children missing from care are not high enough on the Welsh Government’s policy agenda

She raised the example of calls to make return interviews a legal requirement, as in England, which have gone unanswered for years.

Ms Bowden reiterated that the policy response is focused on prevention.

The minister insisted that the Welsh Government acknowledged the calls for mandatory return-to-home interviews, commissioning two pieces of research.

She said: “It was interesting that the research itself didn’t come to a consensus around whether return-to-home interviews should be mandatory and who should conduct them.”

Ms Bowden added: “The statutory provision in England is actually only an offer of an interview, it’s not that the interview itself is mandatory.”

Warning Wales’ 22 councils take different approaches, Labour’s Lesley Griffiths pointed out that national standards have not been published despite being due in 2023.

Ms Bowden said the delay was because of consultation responses, which suggested more work was needed, and a draft framework should now be published by the end of 2024.

Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru’s shadow education secretary, asked about the changing nature of criminal exploitation of children in Wales.

Giving evidence to the committee’s inquiry on children and young people on the margins, Jane Hutt was alarmed by the frequency of child criminal exploitation in Wales.

Referring to data for April to June, the social justice secretary told the committee Wales’ four police forces all received modern slavery referrals. “That is of great concern,” she said.

Ms Hutt explained the highest number of referrals for all forms of exploitation was in South Wales (75), followed by Gwent (39), North Wales (27) and Dyfed-Powys (11).

“During that quarter, 59%, that’s 90, of modern slavery referrals were for children,” she said. “And almost half, 49%, that’s 74, of Welsh modern slavery referrals for criminal exploitation.”

Raising variation on criminal exploitation across Wales, Mr Campbell said Wrexham reported seven children per 1,000 compared with one per 1,000 in Blaenau Gwent in 2022.

Ms Hutt agreed about the importance of all-Wales guidance but added that she would expect some variation due to different demographics and levels of need.

Tom Giffard, the Conservatives’ shadow education secretary, focused on prevention, urging ministers to address the root causes of exploitation.

He said the committee heard from many young boys that their motivation for joining gangs was to gain a sense of belonging rather than financial reasons.

Mr Giffard also raised concerns about a significant increase in child sexual exploitation victims in Wales from about 900 in 2020 and nearly 1,500 by 2022.

Ms Hutt raised the role of the Welsh Government’s youth justice blueprint as she pledged to take a child-first, rights-based approach.

She said Welsh ministers recognise shortcomings with the national referral mechanism for identifying victims, including significant waiting times.

Ms Hutt told the meeting on September 19 that the Welsh Government remains committed to seeking the devolution of youth justice.