PLANS to expand facilities at a popular beauty spot award-winning Pembrokeshire pub, in part using a former public toilet, have been approved.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Lloyd James C/O Owen & Owen Ltd for Cresselly Estate, through agent Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, sought permission to upgrade an existing food outlet with the conversion and extension of a former public toilet block to a bespoke kitchen, store and staff toilet, new covered seating area and external bar container unit and associated works, at The Cresselly Arms, Cresswell Quay.

The Grade-II-listed Cresselly Arms originated as an 18th-century dwelling and was a public house by at least the mid-19th century.

In more recent years, the pub under landlord Steve Adams won the CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) pub of the year award for the whole of Wales in 2024, having previously been named the best in Pembrokeshire.

A supporting statement said the former toilet block closed some two years ago and is now in the applicant’s ownership, having previously been leased by the county council; the toilet closing after fears of a leaking ‘sealed’ cesspit.

It says nearby listed building the Cresselly Arms “has been purveying a variety of drinks for over 200 years together with a limited range of snacks,” adding: “Whilst the number of customers will have varied over the years, at times when the local Hunt meets at the Cresselly Arms large crowds and their vehicles congregate in the area.”

It went on to say: “Over recent years the Inn has stationed mobile units associated with the preparation and enjoyment of food within its curtilage and this proposal is to improve the quality of the presentation of food and refreshments, including making use of the redundant toilet block to the north.”

It added: “Whilst the proposal would introduce new uses onto the site it is considered that these activities are ancillary to the operation of the long established Cresselly Arms and for the most part take place within the curtilage of the inn.”

The application was supported by local community council Jeffreyston, but it noted concerns regarding parking arrangements and the potential for increased vehicle movements, with one member for the public raising concerns about “fast food outlets in a historical area of natural beauty”.

An officer report recommending approval said: “Revisions to some detailed elements of the scheme have been received during the course of the application. The amended proposal is considered to represent a sympathetic enhancement of an established hospitality business which supports the visitor economy whilst respecting the historic character and appearance of Cresswell Quay.”

It said the pub had historically seen temporary barbecue and catering facilities occupying the quay area, the proposal seeking to “rationalise and formalise these activities within the established ancillary yard associated with the Cresselly Arms,” adding: “In heritage and placemaking terms this is considered a positive outcome.”

It went on to say, on highways issues, the proposal sought to improve facilities rather “than significantly expand its capacity or introduce a new use,” and was not considered it would “generate a level of traffic that would result in a severe impact on the local highway network or existing parking arrangements.”

The application was conditionally approved by park planners.

A CARMARTHEN tattoo artist has said she stopped a tattoo session and asked a customer to leave after he allegedly disclosed his previous conviction for child sex offences.

Ffion Emma, who works from Mythical Ink in Queen Street, Carmarthen, posted online that the man had appeared to be “a normal human being” before opening up about his past during the appointment.

She said he told her he had been in prison and admitted he had been found with indecent images of children.

The tattoo artist said she immediately stopped the session and told him to leave the studio.

Convicted in 2019

The man was named online as Gavin Evans, formerly of Glanamman.

Court reports from 2019 show Evans, then a Tesco worker, was jailed after grooming a vulnerable young girl online and admitting child sex offences.

He appeared at Swansea Crown Court on March 29, 2019, where he was sentenced for offences including making indecent images of children.

The case involved a vulnerable young teenager who had been groomed online.

Studio stance

In her post, Ffion said Evans was “not welcome” at the studio and made clear that anyone convicted of similar offences would not be accepted as a customer.

The post attracted a large reaction online, with many people praising her decision to end the appointment.

Some comments went further, calling for violent or humiliating treatment of sex offenders, but The Herald is not repeating those remarks.

Businesses are generally entitled to refuse service, provided the refusal is not based on a protected characteristic under equality law.

PASSENGERS in Wales and the West of England are seeing fewer train cancellations and slightly better punctuality following action by the rail regulator.

The Office of Rail and Road has formally closed enforcement action against Network Rail after monitoring a long-term performance improvement plan for its Wales and Western region.

The plan followed an investigation in 2024, which found that Network Rail’s infrastructure and working practices were contributing to poor train performance across the region.

Since August 2024, Network Rail says cancellations have fallen by more than a fifth, while the proportion of trains arriving within three minutes of their scheduled time has improved from 77.6% to 79.4%.

The improvements followed work on track, overhead line equipment, axle counters and points in the Thames Valley area, as well as flood resilience work at Chipping Sodbury.

Network Rail has also introduced welfare officers at key Thames Valley stations to help prevent trespass and has made changes to train control, timetable planning, incident learning and the management of stranded trains.

Graham Richards, Director of Planning and Performance at the Office of Rail and Road, said: “Following concerted efforts from Network Rail, and continued engagement by our teams at ORR, I am pleased to see that passengers in Wales and Western are experiencing better, more reliable train services.

“Nevertheless, we know that for many passengers train performance is not what they would expect – so we are continuing to work with train operators and Network Rail across the country on how to further improve performance.”

Mark Killick, Network Rail’s Managing Director for Wales and Western Region, said: “Customers are seeing a more reliable railway, reflecting the extensive improvements we’ve delivered over the last two years.

“We know delays and cancellations still impact journeys, so while this progress is a positive step, we continue to work closely with our industry partners to deliver an ever more reliable railway for our customers.”