STAFF, volunteers and visiting pupils at Lower Treginnis Farm were delighted to welcome a very special guest on Wednesday (April 2), as Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited the site in support of the charity Farms for City Children.

The Princess Royal, who has served as Patron of the charity since 1991, spent the afternoon touring the farm, which lies just outside St Davids and is the most westerly farm in Wales. It was her fourth visit to the site since first attending in 2010.

Farms for City Children was founded by author and former Children’s Laureate Sir Michael Morpurgo and Lady Clare Morpurgo. The charity provides immersive week-long farming experiences for urban children, helping them connect with nature, food production and rural life.

During the visit, The Princess Royal met children from Pembroke Dock Community School as they took part in hands-on farm activities including grooming donkeys, feeding rare-breed piglets, and planting vegetables in the market garden.

She also joined the children for a coastal workshop led by Câr y Môr, Wales’ first regenerative seaweed and shellfish farm, which operates just off the nearby shoreline.

Her Royal Highness was accompanied on her tour by Gethin Jones, Farm School Manager, and later met members of The Friends of Treginnis—a local fundraising group that has supported the charity since 1991. Over the past three years, the group has raised more than £30,000 to help schools from across Pembrokeshire, including Pembroke Dock Community School, take part in the farm’s week-long programmes.

Before departing, The Princess Royal was introduced to members of the charity’s staff and to Aled Davies, the farm’s local partner farmer. She was then presented with a gift of fresh farm produce by two pupils, Erin Hubbard and Jack Kinnard.

Tim Rose, Head of Operations for Farms for City Children, said: “We were delighted to welcome The Princess Royal to Lower Treginnis and to share the experience of being ‘farmers for a week’ with her. Her visit was greatly enjoyed by everyone at the farm and it was our pleasure to be able to show her how the work of the charity interacts with so many different aspects of the Pembrokeshire community.

“We are hugely appreciative of Her Royal Highness’s continued support and enthusiasm for the work that we do.”

Welsh Conservatives blame Labour for continued shortfall in new homes

THE LATEST housing figures from the Welsh Government have revealed a sharp drop in house building across Wales, deepening concerns over what opposition politicians are calling a “self-made housing crisis”.

Data covering the period from October to December 2024 shows that only 1,116 new dwellings were started in Wales — a 27% decrease compared to the same period the previous year. Completions also dropped, with just 1,336 new homes completed, a 12% fall from the previous year.

The figures have sparked renewed criticism from the Welsh Conservatives, who accuse the Labour-led Welsh Government of failing to prioritise housing policy effectively.

Laura Anne Jones MS, the Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Housing & Local Government, said the latest numbers highlighted a deepening problem.

“These latest figures highlight Labour’s self-made housing crisis in Wales,” she said.

“Labour simply aren’t building enough suitable homes and hardworking people are struggling to get on the housing ladder. Their obsession with second homes and their toxic tourism tax are the wrong priorities for Wales. The Welsh Conservatives would ensure more homes are built and empty homes are brought back into use.”

Drop across all sectors

The Welsh Government’s statistical bulletin confirms a decrease in house building across all tenures — private sector, social housing, and local authority-led construction.

The biggest fall was seen in the private sector, which accounted for 62% of all new dwelling completions but saw a 15% year-on-year decrease in total numbers. Social housing completions fell by 6%, and the small number of homes built by local authorities (only 62 units) represented a 13% fall on the same period the year before.

The slowdown comes amid wider concerns about housing affordability, population growth, and the availability of construction labour and materials.

Tourism tax and second homes policy under fire

The Welsh Conservatives have linked the slowdown to what they describe as Labour’s “misguided” focus on issues like second homes and tourism levies. The proposed visitor levy — sometimes referred to as a “tourism tax” — would allow local authorities to charge overnight visitors in a bid to generate revenue for communities affected by high levels of tourism.

Critics say the move could damage the rural economy and does nothing to address the underlying issue of housing supply.

In contrast, Labour ministers argue the measures are designed to help address the affordability crisis in areas where second home ownership has driven up house prices and left local people priced out.

Julie James MS, Minister for Climate Change with responsibility for housing, has previously defended the Welsh Government’s approach, saying efforts are underway to bring empty properties back into use and expand affordable housing through innovative schemes.

Rural communities hit hardest

The figures are particularly concerning for rural areas such as Pembrokeshire, Gwynedd, and Ceredigion, where housing demand remains high but new developments are often held back by planning delays and community opposition.

With fewer than 4,800 homes started across Wales in the whole of 2024, housing charities have also raised concerns that the government is unlikely to meet its target of delivering 20,000 new low-carbon homes for rent during this Senedd term.

Shelter Cymru and other housing organisations have repeatedly warned of a worsening crisis in homelessness and temporary accommodation, as local councils struggle to keep pace with rising demand.

Political pressure mounting

With the next Senedd elections still two years away, housing is likely to remain a key political battleground.

The Welsh Conservatives are calling for:

• A national strategy to bring empty homes back into use
• A review of planning laws to streamline development approvals
• Greater investment in infrastructure to support new housing schemes

Meanwhile, Labour will continue to argue that their policies are geared toward long-term sustainability and fairness — especially in communities where local people have been priced out by the second home market.

But with house building in decline and demand on the rise, pressure is growing on ministers in Cardiff Bay to act swiftly before the housing gap becomes unbridgeable.

A WOMAN who tricked families into paying for non-existent caravan holidays in Tenby has avoided jail despite defrauding dozens of victims.

Rebecca Newcombe, aged 28, from Ebbw Vale, admitted to 35 counts of fraud after a three-year scam that ran between 2017 and 2020.

Newcombe used fake names on social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram to advertise cut-price getaways. She also ran a page called Cheap Bargains Galore, offering counterfeit designer clothes and accessories.

Newport Crown Court heard how the fraudster took out fake listings for holidays at sites including Tenby, Trecco Bay Holiday Park in Porthcawl, and Devon Cliffs in Exmouth.

Victims, many of whom were looking forward to family holidays, were left out of pocket—some losing hundreds of pounds—after Newcombe failed to deliver on her promises. When they arrived at the holiday parks, she would message them saying she was “on the way with the keys”, but never showed up.

Prosecutor Tabitha Walker told the court: “Excuses were made for the non-delivery of goods and services, and victims were promised refunds that never materialised. None of the items paid for were ever delivered.”

In total, Newcombe pocketed just under £8,000.

Statements from victims described the impact of the fraud, with one saying: “I feel utterly humiliated this has happened to me.” Others said they felt heartbroken, angry, and embarrassed by the ordeal.

Newcombe, of Canterbury Road, Beaufort, was previously jailed in 2017 for a similar offence.

Her barrister, Julia Cox, asked the court to consider the significant delay in bringing the matter to justice.

Judge Daniel Williams sentenced her to 18 months in prison, suspended for 24 months, citing a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”.

She was also ordered to pay £1,000 in prosecution costs and a £140 victim surcharge.