Councillors heard warnings about binge drinking, noise and antisocial behaviour came from people who do not live in Saundersfoot

CONCERNS about binge drinking, public urination and antisocial behaviour were raised as part of an application to create a beer garden at a Saundersfoot bar – but councillors heard the objections came from people who do not actually live in the village.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s licensing sub-committee met on Thursday (Apr 23) to consider an application by Rebecca Evans to vary the premises licence for The Bunker, Cambrian Terrace, Saundersfoot, by adding a beer garden to the rear of the property.

A report before members said the proposed outdoor area would have space for 50 people and operate between 2:00pm and 9:00pm. It would be monitored by CCTV and staff.

Objectors claimed the beer garden could create unacceptable noise and disturbance for neighbouring residential and holiday properties. One objection said: “The proposed external drinking area would create unacceptable noise and disturbance to the immediately adjoining residential and consented properties. With happy hours all-day-every-day and prices from £3.80 this is encouraging binge drinking.”

Other concerns included the impact on Saundersfoot’s coastal image, fears that customers would loiter behind neighbouring premises in a drunken state, and worries that people might relieve themselves outside if they did not have access to toilets.

One objector also raised concerns about possible underage drinking in the beer garden, arguing that staff would find it difficult to supervise.

Speaking at the meeting, Rebecca Evans appeared alongside her husband Steve. The couple, who live above the premises with their family, said the application was partly driven by a steep rise in the pub’s rateable value, from £7,200 to £20,000.

Mrs Evans told councillors there was no evidence that reinstating the beer garden would lead to the problems being suggested.

She said: “It’s worth noting some of the objectors have the benefit of what we’re seeking.”

She added that around 17 licensed premises in the area already had similar facilities.

“We live above the premises, as such we probably have a greater concern about crime and disorder than anyone else out there,” she said.

“It’s a time-limited, small-scale drinking and eating area with no material risks to public safety. No patrons are able to access the garden without entering the bar/café first.”

Mrs Evans also told the committee that the objections had come from “one source and its tenants”, none of whom lived in Saundersfoot.

“For us it’s about getting the daytime trade,” she said. “People want to sit out in the sunshine.”

Responding to concerns over drinks promotions, she said the pub’s happy hour offer was in line with similar promotions elsewhere in the village and ran only between 4:00pm and 6:00pm.

“We do not encourage binge drinking,” she said. “It is a restricted time just to encourage people in, in the sunshine, to give us some trade.”

Describing the application as stressful, Mrs Evans said no permanent residents had objected.

“All objections have come from one source and its tenants,” she said. “We just want to extend for our customers to have an area to sit in the sunshine.”

Cover image:

Rebecca Evans speaking at the Pembrokeshire County Council licensing sub-committee. (Image: Pembrokeshire County Council webcast.)

Conservative leader says Wales cannot afford to lose more strategic jobs as she attacks Reform and backs Darren Millar

KEMI BADENOCH said she was “absolutely horrified” by the loss of Britain’s industrial strength as she visited Valero Pembroke Refinery on Wednesday.

Speaking at the site, the Conservative leader said the refinery was of major importance to Wales and the wider UK, warning that too few politicians were prepared to stand up for the industry and the jobs connected to it.

She said: “I am here at Valero because this is the last oil refinery left in Wales. There are no more in Scotland. I am absolutely horrified about the loss of sovereign industrial capacity. This is very, very important not only for the United Kingdom but specifically for Wales as well.”

Badenoch said the Pembrokeshire refinery remained a crucial part of the Welsh economy.

She said: “This refinery alone is about 15% of Wales’ exports. And no one is sticking up for this industry. No one is sticking up for the jobs that are being lost.

“That is one of those things that I wanted people here to know — that we are thinking about the future, not just at election time, but all the time.”

The visit came as the Conservatives try to regain ground in Wales ahead of the Senedd election, with Badenoch using the stop in Pembrokeshire to underline her party’s message on energy security, industry and employment.

She was also asked by The Herald why right-wing voters should not abandon the Conservatives in favour of Reform UK, which has been gaining traction by arguing that the Tories failed on immigration and the economy.

In a sharply-worded reply, Badenoch said voters should think carefully before backing Nigel Farage’s party.

She said: “Voters on the right need to remember that Reform’s last leader in Wales is now in prison for taking bribes from Russia. Those are the sorts of people who are in Reform. They are not serious about delivering.

“If you look at what they have done in England in the councils, they have made a mess. Conservatives acknowledge that we have made mistakes.

“What we are doing now is having a new offer. A new party with a new leader. Not just in Westminster but also here in Wales. This is the first time Darren Millar is putting himself forward to be First Minister.

“I believe that he is the most hard-working person. He is the one that can actually deliver a proper plan for Wales.”

Her comments set up a clear dividing line with Reform as the battle on the right intensifies, while also putting Welsh industry and energy resilience at the centre of the Conservative pitch in Wales.

With concern growing over the future of heavy industry, energy costs and strategic infrastructure, Badenoch’s message in Pembrokeshire was that refineries such as Valero are too important to be taken for granted.

Also at Valero were the Welsh Conservatives’ number one and number two candidates for Ceredigion Penfro, Paul Davies and Samuel Kurtz, who both told The Herald they were determined to stand up for businesses and industry in Wales. They said protecting major employers, backing skilled jobs and supporting firms facing growing pressure had to remain a priority, warning that the Welsh economy could not afford to lose more industrial strength.

Wildlife trust says more than 52,000 puffins were counted this spring, with Pembrokeshire island continuing to defy wider declines seen elsewhere in the UK

SKOMER Island has recorded its highest-ever puffin count for the second year in a row, with conservationists hailing the result as an encouraging boost for one of Pembrokeshire’s best-known wildlife sites.

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales said 52,019 puffins were counted on the island this year — around 8,000 more than the previous record set in 2025.

Wardens said the figure came as a genuine surprise, particularly at a time when puffin numbers are falling at many other breeding sites around the UK.

Skomer, which lies just off the Pembrokeshire coast, is internationally recognised for its seabird population. Its distance from the mainland helps shield nesting birds from many predators and from excessive disturbance by people.

As well as its growing puffin colony, the island is home to hundreds of thousands of breeding Manx shearwaters, along with large numbers of guillemots, razorbills and other seabirds.

Each spring, the trust carries out a detailed count to monitor the birds returning to breed. Staff split the island into seven sections and work through the count carefully, recording puffins seen on the sea, in flight and on land.

Timing is crucial. If the count is done too early, many birds may not yet have returned. Too late, and large numbers will already be tucked away in burrows incubating eggs.

The same basic counting system has been used since the 1980s, allowing wardens and researchers to compare current figures with more than four decades of data.

Leighton Newman, the trust’s warden on Skomer, said the latest total was especially welcome after reports earlier this year of large numbers of seabirds washing up dead on beaches in parts of southern Europe.

He said it was heartening to see Skomer’s puffins doing so well when many seabird species are facing growing pressure both at sea and on land.

Long-term monitoring is seen as vital by conservationists because it helps reveal whether populations are holding up or beginning to slide. It can also provide early warning signs when wider environmental pressures begin to affect breeding success.

Seabirds face a range of threats, including pollution, invasive predators, avian disease and changes linked to offshore development and marine conditions.

Despite those pressures, Skomer continues to stand out as a stronghold for puffins.

The trust says the island’s importance goes well beyond one species. Boat-based surveys are also used to monitor birds breeding on the cliffs, while other work on the island tracks Manx shearwaters, reptiles, marine mammals and the unique Skomer vole.

Skomer lies around a mile from the Pembrokeshire mainland and is reached by boat during the visitor season. Trips usually run from spring through the summer months, with passengers landing for day visits or, in limited numbers, overnight stays in the island hostel.

There are no shops on the island, and visitors must bring their own supplies.

For wardens and wildlife supporters alike, the latest puffin count is another sign that Skomer remains one of the most important and successful seabird refuges in Britain.