Former joint founder of Princes Gate Spring Water outlines ambitious plans for tourism in Pembrokeshire

AMBITIOUS plans for tourism in Pembrokeshire have been outlined by a former joint founder of Princes Gate Spring Water.

Princes Gate Spring Water Ltd was founded in 1991 by brothers, David and Glyn Jones, at Princes Gate.

In 2018, Nestlé Waters, a division of world’s largest food and beverage company, has acquired a majority stake.

David Jones, of Kiln Park Farm, Kiln Park Road, Narberth outlined ambitious future plans in a supporting statement for an application being considered next week.

Mr Jones, in an application recommended for approval, is seeking a partly retrospective change of use of agricultural buildings for uses including a gymnasium and play barn, along with external alterations, partly in retrospect.

The application will be considered by county planners at their May 23 meeting.

It includes formalising one barn as a non-commercial gymnasium including a boxing gym, a cross fit gym and weight gym, along with the alterations which have taken place.

The application includes a second barn being used for storage, shower facilities and renewable energy aspects of the site, the third for an indoor play space and a racket sport ‘padel’ court, and the fourth for a bike store and kennels for users of the site’s dogs.

In a supporting statement, David Jones sets out ambitious plans for the site, and wider area, saying the changes in the application meant the building “could be put to better use for the local community and others”.

He said that supported the ethos of the charity Dare to Dream, formerly known as Princes Gate Trust.

The boxing gym started around January 2019, with the Crossfit gym use having started during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, said Mr Jones.

“The gyms do not generate any full or part time jobs, but it’s our intention to turn the sheds into fitness-type leisure offerings for the use of guests at the various holiday lets that we own in the area, and not to be used by the general public, with the boxing gym continuing to be run by the boxing club.”

He added: “In the green shed we want to provide an indoor Astroturf area/children’s play barn for guests to play in on wet days and potentially a Padel court (the fastest growing sport in the UK), again for our guests.

“We aim to attract the rich and famous – premiership footballers, world famous opera singers, the Hairy Bikers have all been to our unique destinations, driving business 52 weeks a year to our amazing attractions.”

Referring to future plans, he said: “It is our aim, subject to the necessary future consents, to have a rehab [expected to be at a different but nearby site] clinic with spa, treatment rooms, small pool, ice baths, hyperbaric chambers and cryotherapy to attract health tourism to Pembrokeshire, which must have the most Ironmen per capita of any county in the UK.

“We have big, ambitions plans and are very confident that we can be one of the biggest accommodation providers in the county, with every site becoming 100 per cent sustainable and carbon positive, running potentially off-grid.”

A report for planners for the application being considered on May 23 states: “The application site comprises part of a working farm, the buildings were formerly used for agricultural purposes, however, are no longer required for this purpose. This application seeks permission for the change of use of the buildings, along with external alterations.

“The boxing gym is used for a youth charity boxing club, run by Tenby and Narberth Boxing Club.

“The gyms do not currently generate any full or part time jobs, however it is the applicant’s intention to use the facilities at the site, including the gymnasium and indoor play facilities to offer fitness-type leisure offerings for the residents of existing holiday accommodation owned by the applicant.

“The facilities would not be open to the public, however, the boxing gym would continue to be run by the boxing club.”

The report says concerns have been raised by a local residents group, raising issues of noise pollution, inadequate publicity of the application, parking provision and potential future use of the site.