A GRANT fund application of £20,000 for an upcycling project has been refused.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s sustainable development fund committee considered an application from Pembrokeshire Remakery at its meeting on May 20 with the decision taken behind closed doors.

Before a presentation from Nicky Middleton-Jones of Pembrokeshire Remakery the committee voted to go into private session, following the initial broadcast of the virtual meeting via Lifesize.

A spokesman for the National Park said: “The application was refused. It is hoped that, working with officers, a revised application will be submitted in future.”

The project started as a volunteer run scheme to reduce waste and has saved 15 tonnes of household items from the rubbish tip over the last two years following European Union LEADER Local Development Fund support of £71,000.

A report to Wednesday’s committee states that following a trial which included ‘Repair Cafes’ in Haverfordwest and Fishguard, there was a plan to roll-out the scheme across Pembrokeshire.

A “sustainable enterprise business model” is to be developed with the two founding directors managing the project county wide.

This application is the first for 2020/21 with £100,000 available for projects over the financial year.

There are currently eight projects running that have received SDF money, four long-standing and four awarded funds in 2019 when PLANED was administering the grants over a 15 month period.

These include Pembrokeshire Outdoor Schools, iSea Surfware mobile shop and beach cleaning hub, Springboard family explorers, KlickKlack Print Coppice College Woodland Workshop and St Davids Old Farmhouse Brewery.

The National Park took back day-to-day administration on April 1 2020 the report states.