News

Bluestone’s plans for Blackpool Mill rejected

Published

9 years ago

November 8, 2017

PLANS to turn Blackpool Mill into a heritage tourism destination were turned down by members of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park at a meeting on Wednesday (Nov 8).

The Park’s Development Management Committee met to discuss the application which would have seen the Mill transformed with new events barn and light narrow gauge steam railway at a cost of £2.5m.

However, the plans were recommended for refusal by Park officers who stated that insufficient information had been submitted with the application.

Bluestone were even taken by surprise that the application had been placed on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting after they had said that an amended application would have been submitted by the end of this month.

The Park’s officers stated that they had a duty to determine the application and the refusal allows Bluestone to come back with a fresh application.

The agent for the application, Mr Robin Williams, made a late plea asking the committee to defer the application but that was not supported.

Mr Williams added: “We have been engaging with officers in relation to ecology and highway issues. Significant progress has been made in this regard. The ecology season has just ended and we have been putting a report together which is anticipated to be completed in the next two weeks.

“We have been in regular contact with officers working towards a mid-November resubmission deadline and this came as a total surprise to find this report being presented today.

“We are confident that the reasons for refusal will be dealt with in our resubmission. Such an important application should be focussed on up to date information.

“Since the application was first considered, the membership of the committee has changed and the new members have yet to visit the site.”

Speaking against the application, Mrs Valerie Bradley said: “I’ve lived by Blackpool Mill for almost half a century and many of us have enjoyed the picturesque, unspoilt oasis full of wildlife and a stunning example of rural Pembrokeshire.

“I completely agree with the objections of Llawhaden Community Council and the concerns expressed by the National Park’s Ecologist.

“This proposal is a theft. Does Blackpool Mill have special qualities? Yes it does. Will there be light pollution? Yes there will. Biodiversity under this proposal will not be protected and it is not a sustainable design.

“It will fall out of favour and never be restored to its original beautiful state. It will not be an amenity; it will be a cheap eye-sore. It will destroy the local environment.

“The potential calendar of events is no more than a ghastly wish list and do we really need another petting zoo? As the proposal is a poor imitation of other similar established local venues I can imagine a brief life span.

“Sadly, Blackpool Mill is an easy target for in-principle development. Nathaniel Phillips, who built the Georgian Mill, would be turning in his grave.

“This proposal for a Victorian fish and chip shop, massively ugly events barn and meaningless railway and to fence it off with chain link fencing would do credit to Donald Trump.

“The Mill may be closed but it is most emphatically not unloved.”

It was mentioned that a previous site visit had been postponed and Mr Ted Sangster proposed that the application be deferred and that a site visit also be taken out but that was only supported by two other members with 11 voting against.

Mr Sangster added he was disappointed that they had not had the opportunity to visit the site and said he was also disappointed that there had been a lack of communication stating that the National Park had ‘jumped the gun’.

Cllr Michael Williams said that the site visit would be the worst possible outcome because there was no guarantee that the reports would come in the short term, adding: “We’ve got to determine it as it is. There are so many outstanding issues and this is an extremely sensitive site.”

It was also proposed that the application be refused and that was supported by 11 votes with three voting against.

Liz Weedon, Head of Projects at Bluestone, said: “Today members were pressed to make a planning decision in the full knowledge that additional information was to be presented to the authority within two weeks. As this meeting was brought forward by six weeks, we had no choice but to formally seek a deferral. Members voted against this and instead took advice to refuse the application, on the understanding that Bluestone would have the opportunity to resubmit within 12 months.

“We had been in regular contact with officers since May, thus it was a total surprise to us when without forewarning the application was scheduled for today’s meeting. We are confident that had the committee date not been brought forward, we would have been able to submit the responses that would have dealt with the draft reasons for refusal by officers.

“Decisions to approve or refuse any planning application should not be made without all of the facts.”

News

150 years of Mothers’ Union marked at St Davids Cathedral

Published

1 hour ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A SPECIAL service has been held at St Davids Cathedral to celebrate 150 years of the Mothers’ Union.

Members and officials gathered for the anniversary celebration on Sunday (Jun 21), where Bishop Dorrien welcomed those attending and spent time speaking with the Provincial Chaplain.

The occasion had particular significance for Bishop Dorrien, who is the third generation of his family to be a member of the Mothers’ Union.

The organisation, founded in 1876, continues to support families, communities and church life across Wales and around the world.

Those attending said the celebration was a fitting tribute to the work of generations of members, with hopes expressed for the next 150 years.

Caption:

Celebration: Members and officials gathered at St Davids Cathedral to mark 150 years of the Mothers’ Union (Pic: Diocese of St Davids).

Entertainment

Harbour Fest to bring music, food and maritime magic to Milford Waterfront

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Free family festival will celebrate Milford Haven’s seafaring history and coastal community

MILFORD WATERFRONT will burst into life on Saturday, June 27, as the first Harbour Fest sails into town for a day of music, food, family fun and maritime celebration.

The free event will run from 10:00am to 6:00pm at Mackerel Quay and across the waterfront, bringing together local traders, live entertainment, coastal organisations and independent businesses for a packed day beside the water.

Organisers say the festival will celebrate everything that makes Milford Haven special, from its seafaring history and working harbour to its growing reputation as a destination for food, shopping, culture and family days out.

Visitors will be able to browse stalls from local makers and producers, enjoy street food and live performances, and explore a Marine Zone featuring organisations involved in sea safety, marine conservation and coastal life.

The Marine Zone will include Seagrass Network Cymru / Project Seagrass, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Dyfed-Powys Police, NCI Wooltack Point, Rudders Marine Training, RNLI Milford Haven and RNLI Angle Lifeboat.

RNLI Angle Lifeboat is expected to be based on the Mackerel Stage, while the Sea Cadets will be giving rope-tying displays at Milford Haven Museum, where craft activities will also be taking place.

Live entertainment will run throughout the day, with performances from Tom & Abz, Will Scott, Ryan Bristow, Milford Haven Town Band, Kyle Kirkhouse and ShantyJacs Sea Shanties.

Businesses across the waterfront are also joining in. All Pets Vet Care will hold a family-friendly open day with a bouncy castle, treasure hunts, quizzes, craft activities and behind-the-scenes tours. Aurora Artisan Crafts will host vocal performances, Biffy’s Bar & Restaurant will feature solo acoustic music from Laurence Lewis, and Martha’s Vineyard will offer seafood street food with live music from Ryan Bristow and Steve Bartram.

At Tŷ Milford Waterfront’s outdoor plaza there will be face painting, children’s activities, pop-up artists and an afternoon DJ set, while Phoenix Bowl and Pirate Pete’s Adventure Play will have inflatables and glitter tattoos outside.

The Waterfront Gallery will host introduction to felt-making workshops with textile artist Carole Fletcher, giving participants the chance to create a woollen felt flower pin brooch or phone/glasses case. The workshops start at 10:30am, 1:00pm and 3:30pm and cost £5 per person.

A wide range of traders will also be attending, including 5th Flock Spirits Co, Cinnamon Grove Distillery, Cwm Deri Wines & Liqueurs, Ferncraft, Get Loaded, J.J. Pottery, Major Nuts, Orange Garden Design, Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm, Pembrokeshire Gold, Pembrokeshire Lottery, Plumstone Welshcakes and SlateArtSJ.

With music drifting across the marina, food stalls lining the waterfront and lifeboats, sea safety teams and coastal groups adding a strong maritime flavour, Harbour Fest is expected to bring a lively summer atmosphere to one of Pembrokeshire’s best-known waterside destinations.

Organisers say the event is suitable for families, friends and visitors of all ages, with plenty to see and do throughout the day.

Photo caption: Harbour Fest will take place at Milford Waterfront on Saturday, June 27 (Pic: Milford Waterfront).

Community

Artist explores memory, community and changing rural life in new Cardigan exhibition

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW exhibition exploring memory, belonging and the changing face of rural life is opening in Cardigan.

West Wales artist Sue Dewhurst will present From the Outside Looking In at Oriel Cardi Bach, with the exhibition running from June 27 to July 30.

The collection brings together several new series of work reflecting on the people, places and traditions that shaped Dewhurst’s childhood in the 1970s.

At the heart of the exhibition are the Chapel Girls, a group of paintings focusing on women who might once have filled the chapels that dominated Welsh village life. In Dewhurst’s work, they are now seen finding new forms of belonging through shopping trips, bingo halls, dating apps, bottomless brunches and everyday rituals, while redundant chapels stand silent around them.

The exhibition also includes A Bit of a Do, a series inspired by weddings, family parties and village hall celebrations.

Among the familiar characters are the mysterious woman in her best hat who appears at every gathering, the accountant calculating buffet logistics, the retired nurse dancing barefoot long after everyone else has gone home, and Harry, a grumpy gent with a mysteriously missing fingertip that nobody dares ask about.

Dewhurst’s Ghost Town series will also feature, exploring the changing landscapes of northern mill towns and communities transformed beyond recognition. These works sit alongside expressive coastal paintings inspired by New Quay and the Ceredigion coast.

A further installation of miniature “party paintings” will be presented like treasured relics rescued from a forgotten village hall or working men’s club. Wrapped with handwritten stories and nostalgic memorabilia, the pieces invite visitors to remember people and moments that might otherwise disappear.

Sue said music also plays an important role in the exhibition.

She said: “Music is so evocative for me and can instantly transport me back to a certain point in time.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the lives we don’t usually celebrate – the women who held communities together, the odd characters who turned up at every family occasion, the places that shaped us and the memories that linger long after buildings and traditions have changed.

“This exhibition is really about looking back with affection and humour, while recognising that we are all, in one way or another, trying to find where we belong.”

Originally from Lancashire and now based near Llandysul, Dewhurst has spent more than thirty years working in the arts. She previously ran Oriel Haywire in Llandysul before its closure around eighteen months ago.

From the Outside Looking In opens at Oriel Cardi Bach, Cardigan, on June 27 and runs until July 30.

Visitors are invited to rediscover familiar faces, forgotten stories and the beauty found in ordinary lives.