Lack of Agency Action - Pembrokeshire; where residents have to protest to get things done!

On the Bryn y Derwydd estate in Trefin (Pembrokeshire), residents are facing a deeply concerning issue that demands IMMEDIATE attention. I recently spoke with some of them who are living with a difficult situation involving a neighbor and her 10 border collie-cross dogs.

The dogs are skittish and left outside for most of the day, causing residents to feel unsafe. The neighbour in question also appears to be a hoarder, with the garden now covered in rubbish and unused furniture, which is a clear breach of their tenancy agreement with Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC). This agreement explicitly states that all residents must keep their gardens clear and safe.

Beyond the hoarding and the dogs, the neighbour is recording and filming other residents, of which I’ve seen evidence of. Children can't play in their own gardens due to the dogs barking, messing and her recording, and some neighbours can't even use their gates without fear of confrontation. Her nextdoor neighbour works & has not slept properly in months - plus she can’t even open her lounge windows because of the smell (yes, it’s disgusting).

Residents have tried to get help, raising these issues with County Councillor Neil Prior. However, Mr. Prior had allegedly lied to a local paper, claiming he had spoken to the residents door-to-door, which they say never happened.

Today, 06/08/2025, I have been down and ACTUALLY spoken to SOME residents (hint-hint at the local county councillor). I saw what is an overcrowded, abandoned looking bungalow with animals that are underfed and not looked after. The smell was horrendous and I could not stay near the garden for long - it turned my stomach.

The Dog Warden has allegedly stated that she cannot remove or deal with the poor animals that are clearly suffering until Pembrokeshire County Council Housing Services give her the okay to do so - so, why has this not been referred to the RSPCA (England & Wales)? The resident has been handed numerous notices, which she allegedly does not read and throws away OUTSIDE - why have the housing team not actioned this? It’s been more than 8 weeks since the last notice, with 2 weeks extension added on for convenience?

Trefin is a high-tourist area, with numerous walks around the area. Holidaymakers & tourists will see this and see how slow our Local Authority is at dealing with the issues that are at hand.

Margaret, a local resident stated:

“What we’ve had to go through is beyond. We’ve been targeted, slandered and my wife & I have even had homophobic comments shouted at us - the police do nothing.”

Brenda, another resident residing directly next door to the individual said:

“It really comes to something when I can’t open my lounge window, to enjoy some piece and quiet. The dogs are constantly barking, and the smell is foul. We live by the sea. We don’t want the horrid smell, we want the smell of the fresh sea water. I can’t deal with this anymore - I work and I’ve not slept properly in over 3 months.”

While the resident in question was not home at the time - and we can't be sure of her personal circumstances - the situation highlights a failure on multiple fronts by the various agencies at hand. They're failing the residents who pay rent and have a right to a safe environment for their children and themselves. They're also failing to protect the local environment. Most importantly, they may be failing to support a lady who is clearly struggling or possibly in need of help, especially those animals that are very clearly suffering.

This is a SERIOUS issue, and PCC has failed to acknowledge the severity of the situation. It's time for them to stop ignoring these concerns. Action is needed NOW.

The following teams have been involved and are doing NOTHING to remedy the situation:

👉🏼 Environmental Health (PCC)

👉🏼 Dyfed-Powys Police

👉🏼 Building Maintenance (PCC)

👉🏼 Housing Officers (PCC)

I have now emailed and will be following up with the following people:

👉🏼 Environmental Health (PCC)

👉🏼 Dyfed-Powys Police

👉🏼 Building Maintenance (PCC)

👉🏼 Housing Officers (PCC)

👉🏼 Public Service Ombudsman for Wales

👉🏼 Natural Resources Wales

👉🏼 Welsh Government

I have asked NPPT’s at Dyfed-Powys Police to issue a Letter of Expectation to the resident to hopefully resolve these issues that are on-going. I will also be asking PCC to enforce their Community Protection Notice that they have issued her on numerous occasions.

The residents, now begging for the Local Authority to action their to-do list, sooner rather than later. I will continue to monitor the situation and liaise with residents and relevant services as appropriate.

Since engaging with the residents this evening, Dyfed-Powys Police have asked residents to log any concerns they have via their online portal - this way, they can document as much evidence as possible & use it if necessary. Any resident locally can do so HERE.