Council row erupts as travellers eye-up building mega-pitch on tiny Welsh beauty spot

The plans sparked significant anger among the village's 2,500 population, with more than 300 people signing a petition against the application.

Following the strong local opposition, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park development management committee has now rejected the plans.

According to the application, the site would have included utility and ecological enhancements, but villagers faced overwhelming resistance.

It was lodged by Dai Evans from Pontypool, who was described in planning documents as belonging to "a long-standing Romany Gypsy family".

The application, submitted by Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, stated that generations of Evans's family have lived "a traditional and cultural lifestyle living in caravans all their lives".

The documents argued that Evans and his partner currently live on "an overcrowded traveller site in Pontypool" in "poor" living conditions.

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The proposal sought to establish a new site approximately 100 miles away from their current home in the Welsh beauty spot of Saundersfoot.

Saundersfoot Community Council strongly opposed the plans, with 50 locals attending a meeting where they unanimously voted against the proposal.

The community council said: "The applicant lives in Pontypool and claims no connection to the area.

"There is no rationale as to why the applicant chose a site approximately 100 miles away from their home."

Additional concerns were raised about the potential impact on views from nearby Incline Way, with opponents arguing that allowing the site "would be gross overdevelopment, setting a precedent for development literally anywhere throughout the national park".

Andrew Vaughan-Harries indicated that the plans may be resubmitted in the future.

Recently, Senedd members launched a report examining the conditions traveller communities are living in across Wales.

The report highlighted several concerns about living conditions for these communities, as well as a lack of awareness about how to improve their situations.

Contributors to the report specifically raised worries about the high cost of rent and utilities faced by these communities.