Milford Haven Town Council Confirms Mayor and Deputy Mayor for 2025–2026
Castle Ward county councillor Thomas Tudor was among those in attendance, along with representatives from Haverfordwest Town Council, the Royal Institute of British Architects, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, and community members including Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner and Gitti Coats.
The Heart of Pembrokeshire team at the county council hosted the meeting to provide an update on the scheme, which aims to turn the historic castle, Gaol building and Governor's House into a flagship visitor attraction.
The council says the upgraded site will tell the story of Pembrokeshire past, present and future – with interactive, tech-based exhibits housed in the refurbished Gaol building. The redeveloped Governor's House will become home to a new town museum, while the inner bailey will serve as a space for theatre, live music, fayres and other events.
Access to the site will be improved from Castle Square, with new way-marking throughout the town. Plans also include a new 'signature bridge' over the Western Cleddau, linking the site to Riverside.
The Herald understands that 88 per cent of Haverfordwest residents surveyed in a recent consultation supported the redevelopment of the castle as a visitor attraction and community space. Many locals believe the project will help make Haverfordwest a better place to live, work and visit.
Funding for the scheme is being provided by the UK Government's Levelling Up Fund, with match funding from Pembrokeshire County Council. Further funding is being sought to complete the fit-out and support associated community activities.
Haverfordwest Castle is currently closed while the work takes place. The museum has been temporarily relocated to a site on the Riverside, and the car park at the castle is shut for the duration of the development.
The flagship attraction is expected to open to the public in Spring 2027.
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Times
07-08-2025
- Times
The 26 loveliest places to stay on the Italian Lakes
Como, Maggiore, Garda … the names alone are enough to lull you into soporific bliss. The lure of Italy's northern lakes was forged in Roman times and reinforced over centuries. Celebrities, cardinals and queens have had homes here. Artists from Turner to (Mary) Shelley have taken inspiration from their depths, and today we still make for the lakes in the hope that our stress levels will be stilled as calmly as those glacial waters. Each lake has a different vibe and fanbase. Como, of course, is the daddy of all luxury retreats: a jagged lake directly north of Milan, shaped like a beehived woman mid-sprint. Here, the Alps squeeze the water as tightly as the hotels do your wallet. To the east, Lombardy melts into Veneto on buzzy Lake Garda. The only lake with a Mediterranean climate, it's beloved by adventure types (there's a running and cycling path along the northwest waterfront) and families who come for the water activities and Gardaland, a rite-of-passage theme park for Italian children. Maggiore is somewhere between the two — not as high-luxe as Como yet not as popular as Garda. This is a place where aristocratic families still own swathes of land and the ribbon-like road winds around at water level rather than rollercoastering, as it does around Como. Then there are the smaller lakes — less famous, which means less spoilt. Iseo is my favourite for its Como-ish glassy waters and panettone-like island in the middle, Monte Isola. The Milanese, meanwhile, prefer Orta: a mini Maggiore with Como-level hospitality, only minus the crowds. Lake Caldaro is my wild card: a pool-like blob 90 minutes north of Garda, in the foothills of the Dolomites, in German-speaking South Tyrol. Surrounded by vineyards and restaurants, it's a lake for grown-ups with nothing to prove — less drama but lots of dolce vita. Whichever you pick, some of Italy's best hotels are waiting for you. Here are 26 of the best. This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue The grandest of dames on Lake Como — quite an achievement — this sumptuous old-school hotel started off as a cardinal's mansion and later played home to Caroline of Brunswick, our short-lived 19th-century queen. It's still fit for royalty with high-ceilinged, antique-filled rooms, corridors hung with paintings, and a sweeping staircase that means you can't help but make an entrance, even on your way to breakfast. Summer's peak season — the lakeside pool and sprawling gardens are the draw — but it's also magical in winter, with a city's worth of Christmas lights illuminating every surface, boat rides with hot chocolate on hand and heated gazebos so you can still enjoy the lake B&B doubles from £676 ( Fly to Milan • Villa d'Este hotel review: a Lake Como retreat loved by the A-list This is Como but not as you know it. On the millpond-calm waterfront of Vassena — 15 minutes south of Bellagio, on the quiet side of the lake's quietest leg — this peaceful restaurant with rooms is a retreat from the general Como madness. Plump for a lake view and you'll get a small but beautifully renovated room with putty-coloured walls, exposed beams and glass doors leading out to your balcony hoisted over the water (where your private breakfast is served). There's a free shuttle to Bellagio and the owners have a fleet of rental boats to hit the water. Guests get priority at the restaurant, where everything from the bread to pasta is B&B doubles from £155 ( Fly to Milan So you want that priceless Como experience but without overtly luxury trimmings. You'll need this family-owned 18-roomer just outside the quiet village of Pognana Lario. On the rollercoaster road to Bellagio, this is the less chic side of Como's posher leg, meaning fewer fancy restaurants but tonnes more atmosphere. The focus is on nature not flounce, so the minimalist, white-walled rooms are angled towards the water. As is the small garden — sit under the centuries-old cedars, on the platform embedded into the lakeside wall, or in a deckchair on a bobbing pontoon. Go for a room in the palazzo, suspended between the cedar branches and the water. Details B&B doubles from £562 ( Fly to Milan The northern half of Lake Como is less sceney, more real. There are campsites, simple hotels and the odd boutique standout such as this converted vicarage 25 minutes' drive north of Tremezzo. Where other hotels go all out to glam up, this is suitably sober: there's a monastic feel to the rough-plastered, open-beamed rooms and the cellar breakfast area. Rooms overlook the lake or the garden, while the pool is within earshot of Cremia's bell tower. Details B&B doubles from £228 ( Fly to Milan At the turn of the (last) century, Menaggio, on the western shoreline of Lake Como, was the place to be. Today it's as elegant as ever but nowhere near as crowded as the towns further south. That means you can enjoy all the luxurious trappings of its history at this grande dame, built in 1890 but overhauled and reopened in 2021. Today the columns and chandeliers of the ground floor contrast with the modern simplicity of the rooms upstairs — all neutral colours with feature wallpaper revving things up. The 1,200 sq m spa has everything from saunas to a salt room. Last year a beach club opened on the nearby B&B doubles from £574 ( Fly to Milan Cutesy Varenna is one of the top draws on the lake, and this is the loveliest place to stay. Once a stately home of various gentry, Villa Cipressi is now a hotel owned by the town council and managed by locals. Rooms are spread across three buildings dating from the 14th century; despite the history they're modern in feel, with simple whitewashed walls and parquet floors, putting the focus on the lake outside. The grounds house a botanical garden that is open to the public, including a gateway onto the lake that's (sadly) big on Instagram. Out of business hours, though, it's all B&B doubles from £258 ( Fly to Milan This really is a vibe: a storied 80-room grande dame on Como's sunny western shore, down the road from the gardens of Villa Carlotta at Tremezzo. A hotel since 1910, it has been brought up to date by the De Santis family — who have owned it for the past half-century — mixing the old (carved, gilded headboards) with the new (mint green and buff walls) in the bedrooms, plus outdoor dining and the signature pool floating leisurely on the lake itself. Details B&B doubles from £781 ( Fly to Milan There's no need to bankrupt yourself for a lakeside stay — not when there are four-star digs like this, between Como city and Cernobbio's famous waterfront. For roughly the same price as a night at Villa d'Este you can get a week at the Villa Flori, originally a 19th-century mansion, which has conserved the frou-frou stucco and terrazzo floors of its previous life. Upgrade to a classic room from a standard for that all-important lake view. But bring earplugs: the only downside is that it's on the busy main Seven nights' B&B from £1,891, including flights with checked luggage and transfers with easyJet Holidays ( So you want to visit Como but you don't want the full-on overtourism experience. How about this: 20 minutes from Como's quieter eastern leg, sitting pretty on a lake of its own. Think of Lake Annone as two teardrops flicked off Como's bottom-right foot. This is slow tourism: a sleek, modern ten-room mansion, which opened earlier this year, bang on the waterfront. Entry-level rooms are immersed in garden greenery; for a lake view, upgrade to a junior suite, complete with a mini hammam in the bathroom. Details B&B doubles from £338 ( Fly to Milan • What I learnt attempting to do luxury Lake Como for less This deliciously old-school hotel is a glimpse of real life: a family-owned villa (yes, that statue is of Gina, the owners' bulldog), once the property of the Feltrinelli family. Follow the breathe-in lane carved into the cliffs 400m above pretty Gargnano and you'll emerge at this 19th-century mansion, which was overhauled this year. The views are, of course, jaw-droppers; rooms in the main home (our pick) are relatively simple, with pretty pastels, parquet floors and flouncing headboards, leaving the focus on the views outside (other rooms, including the hammam-equipped spa suites, which opened this year, are in a modern annexe — more privacy but less history). Outside there are nearly 100 acres of grounds to explore, including the pool which, naturally, comes with a side of lake view. Details B&B doubles from £275 ( Fly to Verona Cape of Senses opened with a bang in 2023 above Torri del Benaco, on Garda's east coast where the bulbous south gives way to a more alpine, mountain-hugged lake. Designed especially to catch Garda's most spectacular sunsets, it's a thoroughly modern affair with local stone, wood and tiles amping up the sustainability. The contemporary, neutrals-filled rooms all overlook the water through floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies. There are two pools, but the spa is the main draw, with a sauna overlooking an olive grove and an excellent range of treatments using herb-powered products. Details B&B doubles from £416 ( Fly to Verona A slender peninsula tickling the southern part of the lake, Sirmione is one of Garda's most visited villages. The Romans used to come to enjoy the thermal waters here, and today you can follow in their footsteps with various hotels doubling as spas. Terme is arguably the best value, with 102 simple but elegant rooms with views over the town and the lake (lake-view rooms have balconies suspended over the water). There's a good selection of single and family rooms. The spa area is a mix of thermal pools, plus extras from a sauna and hammam to salt room and argillarium, where you can douse yourself with mineral-infused clay. Details B&B doubles from £112 ( Fly to Verona You're right on the lakefront here, but you wouldn't necessarily know it, thanks to the 17-acre park that swathes the hotel in green: sprawling lawns, century-old trees and palms reminding you of the Mediterranean climate. It's a big beast of 254 rooms, including bungalows dotted about the grounds. The room categories have wildly different feels; our pick are the Sequoia rooms, hugged by trees with views of the lake squeezed in by high, primeval cliffs, or the park-bound bungalows for a glamping feel. Family-run, it's also family-friendly with a kids' club, a pizzeria as well as a new Italian restaurant, and three pools. For the adults, there's outdoor yoga and a spa offering everything from ayurvedic treatments to Botox-effect facial B&B doubles from £370 ( Fly to Verona This world-class resort is hoisted high in the cliffs above Gargnano's lemon groves and blends traditional Chinese medicine and western techniques. The sprawling 4,300 sq m spa offers traditional Chinese medicine-based treatment plans including a salt-infused floating pool and tuina (traditional Chinese) massages. You don't have to be a spa fiend to stay, though — this is perhaps Garda's most spectacular setting, with 27 acres of flower and herb-filled parkland enjoying sweeping views over the lake below, a clifftop pool, plus two wonderful restaurants overlooking the water. The rooms — all soothing neutrals — look onto the park and the lake beyond, with private balconies and grassy terraces. Heaven. Details B&B doubles from £324 ( Fly to Verona Sporty types rejoice: this hotel on the northeastern shore was built for those of you who want to cycle, run and windsurf around the lake. This self-styled 'triathlon hotel' attracts a self-selecting bunch of guests, and they really love it. Activities include guided biking and hiking, yoga lessons and triathlon camps, and there's a shuttle service to biking trails, a CCTV-equipped bike room, helmet lockers, and pools and a sauna for end-of-day recovery (they have thought of everything). And the rooms? You'll probably be too knackered to notice, but they're fun affairs, with brightly coloured walls, jazzy art and smatterings of pink lighting. Details B&B doubles from £136 ( Fly to Verona Benito Mussolini could have chosen anywhere to live when he set up his Garda-based puppet-state Republic of Salo in 1943. This was his choice: a ravishing lakeside mansion, built in 1892 for the Feltrinelli publishing scions. Little has changed over the past 133 years: it's still a waltz back in time with stuccoed walls, painted ceilings and stained glass around the grand staircase. This is one of Italy's genuine bucket-list hotels. To do it right, get a wondrously flouncy room in the main villa (not the outside buildings). Out of budget? Know the feeling, but the two-Michelin-starred restaurant is open to B&B doubles from £1,553 ( Fly to Verona • Read our full guide to Italy Just five minutes from Garda's southern coast but well away from the crowds, this self-contained resort is a peaceful oasis just off the motorway (though you wouldn't know). Set on its own dinky lake, the Laghetto del Frassino, it has 97 modern rooms scattered around barnlike buildings, two pools, an organic vineyard, a restaurant overlooking the water, and a brood of chubby cats padding around the public areas. It's all rather slick — rooms have features like exposed-brick walls and floor-to-ceiling windows — but beneath that is a real commitment to sustainability, with green roofs, bat houses, a spelt field for biodiversity and more than 400 trees to help the property B&B doubles from £130 ( Fly to Verona Think of this as an upmarket agriturismo or B&B a farm producing wine, olive oil and unforgettable stays thanks to the 44 acres of lawn, olive groves and gardens unspooling towards the distant blue. There are eight rustic rooms (lemon walls, exposed beams and rolltop baths), plus a lovely garden pool and homemade limoncello to enjoy in the loungers beside it. Bardolino itself is an easy seven-minute B&B doubles from £240 ( Fly to Verona Another recent opening for Torri del Benaco, Borgo Tre threw open its rustic doors (it's an 18th-century farmhouse) in 2024. It's a hybrid between a holiday home and an agriturismo; there are only four suites (two more are planned this year), the farmhouse is hemmed in by pine forest, olive groves and lemon trees, and each suite is self-sufficient with kitchen and dining areas (though there's also a communal honesty box, and you get a breakfast box delivered each morning). It's a nice bet off-season, because each suite has a fireplace as well as views of Torri del Benaco and the lake beyond. Details B&B doubles from £518 ( Fly to Verona • Lake Como v Lake Garda: which one should you visit? It looks a bit like a Loire Valley château crossed with a National Trust property, but Castello del Pozzo is one of a kind. In the hills west of Lake Maggiore, this is a fun, neo-gothic castle, though the site's history dates back about 1,000 years, when Milan's Visconti family stamped their mark on this territory. Today it's still family-owned by the Dal Pozzo d'Annone family, who have had it for six generations. The rooms — split between the castle, villa and stables — are contemporary classic with pastel walls, heavy curtains and antique furniture reupholstered in fancy patterns. Don't spook easily? Book the Queen Superior Barbara room in the old tower, with a resident B&B doubles from £195 ( Fly to Milan • 10 of the most beautiful places in Italy When is an Italian lake hotel not in Italy? When it's at the northern end of Lake Maggiore, a quick skip across the Swiss border. That explains the prices here in Ascona. Reopened in April after a seven-month renovation the rooms now, er, rock with colour, whether that's bright yellow walls, striped curtains or funky patterned wallpaper. The views range from garden to mountain to a sweeping panorama all the way down the lake. Outside, past the three swimming pools, lies 500m of private shoreline and a water sports school offering everything from stand-up paddleboard sessions to waterskiing. Details B&B doubles from £489 ( Fly to Milan Gorgeous Iseo, midway between Como and Garda, and about half the size of its bigger siblings, is a light-under-a-bushel kind of place. It's less chi-chi than Como and less family-focused than Garda, which means better prices. Better still, it's in the sprawling wine country of Franciacorta. L'Albereta is Iseo's grande dame, a vineyard-hugged, ivy-swathed villa with a world-renowned spa attached. The 38 rooms are all rustic-luxe, with biscuit-coloured walls and patterned furniture; restaurants run the gamut from a fun pizzeria to L'Aurum, run by the superchef Enrico Bartolini. And then there's the spa, or Chenot Espace, Italy's only spa for the Chenot Method, which specialises in detox (hence another Chenot-specific restaurant for those easily tempted). You're a 15-minute drive from the southern shore at B&B doubles from £311 ( Fly to Bergamo OK, this isn't on the lakefront — it's a 20-minute drive to Sarnico, at the base of Lake Iseo. But it really is worth the drive to a 16th-century monastery perched on a conical hill that's often magically shrouded in morning mist, thanks to the foggy Po Valley. The owner, Rosalba Tonelli, has lovingly converted the cells into 14 unique rooms; maybe you'll have colourful walls, an iron bedstead or antique furniture. Winding up the hill you'll find tiered gardens and the pool, while at road level is the new spa. The cloister is dominated by the restaurant serving the hotel's own veg and wine, plus local products, from lakefish to B&B doubles from £164 ( Fly to Bergamo Nudging to the left of Maggiore, Orta is the lake of choice for Milanese weekenders, which means it's calm midweek and has fantastic restaurants and swish hotels. This historic farming estate has been turned into a seriously chic aparthotel perched above the town of Orta San Giulio on the eastern shoreline. The owners, the local architects and brothers Gian Carlo and Matteo Primatesta, not only designed and renovated this as an ode to their lake, they have also planted a vineyard and vegetable garden to supply their restaurant. The rooms all have lake views and terraces (perfect for your breakfast box), from the one-beds with kitchenette to the self-declared luxury category; the style is Kit Kemp-esque with striped walls and patterned headboards. The two-bedroom family suites are good for groups of adults. Details B&B doubles from £259 ( Fly to Milan Whatever Como can do, Orta can do just as well, if not better. This is its answer to all those Michelin-starred restaurants hogging its bigger sibling's shoreline: a three-star restaurant and Relais & Châteaux hotel owned by Antonio Cannavacciuolo, one of Italy's foremost chefs. The location: a wildly flamboyant Moorish-style castle built in whimsical 19th-century style. The food: the best of Italy, as seen through the lens of this Campanian maestro. The rooms: 14 of them, including in the tower, with flamboyant tiles, Moorish arches in the bathrooms and even carved and gilded B&B doubles from £338 ( Fly to Milan The Kalterer See, otherwise known as Lago di Caldaro, is the lake you didn't know you needed; relatively small, shaped like a portly seated cat, surrounded by superb wineries and restaurants, but nowhere near as prohibitively expensive as its more famous cousins. As the German name suggests, you're in South Tyrol, an hour south of Bolzano, yet instead of toothy Dolomites this is all rolling hills and wine estates. On the east shore, 80m inland, this 12-room pensione was transformed during the pandemic into a funky hotel with simple but stylish rooms, a meadow out the back and, down the road, a lakefront lido with pedalos and rowing boats for Half-board doubles from £131 ( Fly to Verona Have we missed your favourite? Your secret will be safe with us (and your fellow readers) in the comments
The Sun
03-08-2025
- The Sun
Fresh blow for 1,000s of caravan drivers over new £10 charge sparking fierce backlash
MOTORHOMES and campervans are at risk of having nowhere to park, after a popular tourist spot introduces £10 charge. In what will be a huge blow to larger vehicle owners, a local authority appears set to significantly reduce motorhome parking, GB News reports. Pembrokeshire County Council will consider a single overnight parking facility at Goodwick Moor car park next week. This comes after the collapse of the broader initiative which would have established designated motorhome stops at four locations across the county. This new scaled-back proposal marks a considerable reversal from previous plans launched by the council in February last year. The measures aimed to create year-round facilities for larger vehicles by charging £10 per night at sites in Tenby, Narberth and Pembroke Dock alongside Goodwick. The scheme attracted national attention but was rejected after fierce resistance from local tourism businesses. The backlash stemmed from fears that the original proposals would damage their operations, with Visit Pembrokeshire being among those to express serious reservations. This negativity resulted in the council choosing to scale back its plans and abandon the wider parking measures in September last year. The authority has since opted to pursue a single overnight stopover facility at Goodwick Moor. This stopover point is conveniently located near the Fishguard ferry terminal. Council officers have recommended a conditional approval for a two-year trail period, noting that the proposal requires no physical alterations to the existing park. Molly-Mae Hague slammed for 'always complaining' as she reveals 'struggles' on £86k motorhome holiday with Tommy Fury Official council documents read: "A Management Plan has been provided in support of the application, and it states that the proposal would allow for one night stopover for Motorhomes / Campervans within certain areas of the car park for a trial period. "The car park currently operates as a public car park, which has seen a significant growth in Motorhomes using the facility. "However, the primary use of the site would continue as a car park, while regulating the overnight stays." Officers hope that the scheme will "regulate existing activities" in an acknowledgement that overnight stays often already occur at the site. However, Fishguard and Goodwick Town Council has formally objected to the application, raising multiple concerns about the scheme's impact on residents and local businesses. Councillors worry that the proposal will have a negative impact on local businesses and residents, and also cause a loss of evening parking for those who use the facility. Also, the council's own Pollution Control Team raised concerns, initially recommending refusal. It cited "a history of complaints associated with this particular location where it has been utilised for overnight parking of Heavy Goods Vehicles." However, the site's designation as employment land under the Local Development Plan presents a policy conflict, as the area is allocated for business and storage uses rather than tourism facilities. Council officers acknowledged this breach but argued that the temporary nature of the proposal wouldn't prevent future employment development, particularly given that no detailed employment schemes have emerged since the plan's adoption in 2013. The council document added: "The development would predominantly remain a car park but would enable users of certain vehicles the option to stay overnight. "The proposal includes the installation of bins and updates to signage to facilitate the development, which are minor and could be installed under the permitted development rights afforded to the applicant." The Sun has reached out to Pembrokeshire County Council for further comment. 1
Western Telegraph
31-07-2025
- Western Telegraph
Retrospective plan for luxury holiday lodges approved
In an application recommended for approval at the July 29 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council's planning committee, Mr and Mrs Lewis seek permission for a change of use from serviced holiday lodges to allow hybrid self-catering and serviced holiday lodges at Canaston Oaks, Canaston Bridge, near Narberth and the Bluestone holiday resort. The site has won multiple Visit Wales Gold Awards and wishes to upgrade its existing holiday accommodation to provide both self-catering and serviced catering for customers. A supporting statement through agent Harries Planning Design Management said: 'Canaston Oaks currently offers Gold Award winning five-star luxury accommodation to its customers and is seeking to develop its facilities in line with customer demand, to broaden its overall offer on site. It is strategically located in mid Pembrokeshire off the A40 at Canaston Bridge, forming part of a cluster of tourism attractions and accommodation in the area. 'However, the applicant seeks to offer its customers self-catering in lodges Unit 1 and Unit 2, by incorporating a basic kitchenette. This retrospective proposal is largely due to the geography of local amenities. The closest local supermarkets, restaurants and other amenities are over three miles away. 'Often families and couples staying at their lodges arrive at varying times of the day and night and as such the applicant wishes for their customers to be able to offer self-catering, comparable to their neighbouring Bluestone resort. Further to this, there are no changes proposed externally to allow these units to function as self-catering.' An officer report recommending approval to the committee members said: 'The application seeks planning permission in retrospect for a hybrid use of two previously approved serviced holiday lodges to be able to be used for serviced or self-catering accommodation. The lodges have been erected and are set around a lake within the established complex known as Canaston Oaks.' The recommendation of approval, moved by Cllr Brian Hall and seconded by Cllr Simon Hancock, was unanimously backed by committee members.
