A Pembrokeshire community pub, recently hailed as one of the most friendly in Britain, has been given the go-ahead to install solar panels 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 has seen 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.

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

The proposals were supported by St Dogmaels Community Council, which said it “fully supports the application for the installation of photovoltaic panels”.

A statement in support of the scheme added: “[The community council]  acknowledges the importance of sustainable energy solutions and believes that this project aligns with a commitment to environmental responsibility and reducing carbon emissions within the community.

“It believes that the benefits to the local business, the environment, and the wider community, in the retention of this business, far outweigh any potential drawbacks. It urges the planning authority to approve this application, with any necessary conditions to ensure the character of the Conservation Area is respected.”

The application was conditionally approved by planners.

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.

The local area also has a low crime rate, with a median score of 609 out of 1,000.

A total of 39 crimes were reported in 2024.

SIGNAGE advertising a takeaway food kiosk at a former lifeboat store in Tenby’s seaside harbour has been approved, despite the takeaway itself being turned down.

In an application before Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s March development management committee, Ruby Goodrick sought permission from Pembrokeshire Coast National Park planners to turn the old RNLI lifeboat store, Penniless Cove, Tenby Harbour, into a takeaway cold food outlet, open 10am-10pm seven days a week.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said she has a five-year lease from Pembrokeshire County Council to use the site; an accompany flood risk assessment saying the beach-side site is not at risk of tidal flooding is considered low risk.

The application came before committee members rather than an officer decision as Tenby Town Council had objected, proposed to be called Truly@The Harbour, building on the success of the applicant’s mother’s former sandwich shop in the town called Truly Scrumptious.

The scheme had previously come under fire from Tenby Civic Society and Tenby North county councillor Michael Williams.

Cllr Williams wrote to the park authority saying: “To allow this development would do considerable damage to the historical environment of the harbour estate which is a Grade-II-listed building.”

He pointed out that this is the only area of the harbour where commercial fishing activities can be operated, and it is used by a number of commercial fishing vessels to land catches.

“The very nature of this work would be entirely incompatible with this proposal,” Cllr Williams added.

“My other concern is that a precedent might well be created opening up this priceless historical area to unacceptable and unsuitable commercial exploitation.”

At the March meeting, refusal, against officer recommendations, was moved by Cllr Simon Hancock, who said: “It’s a commendable enterprise but I just feel this is the wrong location, it’s almost an alien feature in what is a working harbour,” adding: “With regret I’m going to move we refuse this application.”

He was joined by Tenby councillor Cllr Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, who said she was “all for new businesses in the town, especially for young people,” but worried about a potential precedent being set by approval.

That meeting included a related application for a display board to the front of the property advertising the takeaway, also recommended for approval, which was deferred for a delegated decision to be made.

The sign scheme has seen objections by both Tenby Town Council and Tenby Civic Society.

An officer report said the signage “would not have an adverse impact upon the special qualities of the National Park, amenity, nor public safety,” adding: “As such, it is considered to be in accordance [with policies].”

The signage part of the two applications was conditionally approved by park officers.

OVER 24,000 trees have been planted along the banks of four south Wales rivers to help reduce nutrient pollution, improve water quality and help protect nature.

The Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Four Rivers for LIFE project has been busy this tree planting season on the Teifi, Tywi, Cleddau and Usk Rivers.

In partnership with organisations like the National Trust, West Wales Rivers Trust, County Councils and contractors a total of 24,160 native trees have been planted with the aim of reducing nutrient pollution, improving water quality and helping to protect nature.

The trees will soak up excess nutrients from agricultural land run off, improve downstream water quality and provide habitat for wildlife.

The corridors of trees, averaging 10metres in width, act as buffer strips between farmland and the river and have been planted on land that has been fenced to create riparian strips.

Robert Thomas, Four Rivers for LIFE Land Management Officer said: “As the trees mature they will act as an important filter, reducing the amount of excess nutrients reaching the rivers, helping to improve the overall condition of these special rivers.”

As well as providing benefits to the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) river, in time as the trees mature and grow, they will stabilise riverbanks, reduce erosion and soil loss to the river, provide shelter for livestock and shade the river, keeping the water cool for fish.

Simon Rose, Woodland Project Ranger at National Trust Brecon Beacons said: “We have been delighted to work alongside NRW’s Four Rivers for LIFE team and the Woodland Trust at Ty Mawr Farm. This collaborative effort exemplifies the very objectives we seek to achieve through ongoing engagement with volunteer and corporate groups, students from Black Mountains College, and staff from similar organisations on team-building days.”

“Together, we are planting trees and hedgerows that will provide essential food sources and create connected woodlands, fostering the growth of wildlife and the flourishing of habitats.”

The Teifi, Tywi, Cleddau and Usk Rivers are classed as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), meaning they are of international importance for the wildlife and plants that make them home, such as salmon, lamprey, shad, otters and water crowfoot.

The Four Rivers for LIFE Project is funded by the EU LIFE Programme with support from Welsh Government and Welsh Water.