WHILST fully appreciating the view that it is ‘farming country’, on Pencaer peninsular, you have to accept it is also tourist country, especially inside the National Park.

It must be a close run thing to determine whether the local economy benefits mostly from farming or tourism.

As for the point that most of the objectors are ‘retired incomers ‘ to the area, I for one am not. I was born and brought up in Goodwick, I moved to St Nicholas 30 years ago. As a child, I rode my pony to the smithy in the village in the early 1960s, I have always felt an affinity with the area and consider myself privileged to live in view of such landmarks as Garn Fawr and Ffyst Samson cromlech, both part of our spiritual and cultural heritage.

The introduction of an industrial farming factory to the area is just totally out of proportion, 540, with a further 320 dairy cattle kept mainly in huge sheds.

The single lane roads cannot cope with the traffic. Articulated lorries that would be considered huge if seen on the motorway, let alone in our locality, thunder then weave and manoevre their way around bends, dislodging ancient hedgerows on the way. All this, before the new proposal is put in place.

I fear it is a case of too many cows in the wrong place!

There are other environmental issues at risk, namely the SSSI at Llechdafad, only 460 m from the proposed slurry lagoon (home to chough, perigrine falcon and small blue butterfly) and several others within the 10 mile area of possible contamination from the emissions of the lagoon.

If this application was not in an area inside the National Park, whose ethos it is to ‘conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage’ then , unfortunately, it may be tolerated. As it is, it must be contested to preserve the unspoilt and unique landscape of north Pembrokeshire.

MARILYN WATSON