PLANS to extend staff facilities for a leading national and international therapy centre for children and young adults at a Pembrokeshire farm site have been given the go-ahead.
In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council planners, Skybound Therapies Ltd sought permission for the temporary siting of an additional staff welfare/workroom at Skybound Care Farm & Therapy Centre, Campbell Farm, Wiston, near Haverfordwest.
A supporting statement through agent Carl Bentley Architectural Services said the therapy centre is based at a family-owned care farm, a working beef and forestry farm, which also “offers a variety of services for both children and young adults,” from “young adult day opportunities to week-long intensive programmes,” who are able to “interact with animals, learn about water safety near their ponds, and immerse themselves in the peaceful beauty of the working farm”.
The statement adds: “After completion of the original centre [in 2012-13] the business began its journey as a leading national and international therapy centre providing behaviour analysis, positive behaviour support, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy for children and young adults with special needs and behavioural issues.
“In August 2022 planning permission was granted to extend the therapy centre to allow the range of services which can be provided at the centre to be increased and facilitate on-site training and accommodation for parents/family members of children/young adults being treated at the centre. Construction work on the therapy centre extension was completed and back up and running for business in February 2024.
“Since the completion of the extension the therapy centre has been operating at full capacity, with increasing demand the business is looking at other opportunities throughout the county to expand/diversify the business to meet the local requirements for individuals/families and Local Authorities.
“The business currently employs 21 staff on a full time and part time basis, some of which are located at the Care Farm & Therapy Centre and other locations across Wales and the UK.”
It seeks a five-year permission for the temporary building as “the business is now in a position where additional staff welfare space is urgently needed,” with a longer-term plan “to provide more ‘settings’ to provide more training, utilising more of the farm setting for example with further interactions with small farm animals and to perhaps house some therapy sessions within other existing farm buildings to provide different types of training settings”.
It concludes: “The current proposal will serve as an intermediate solution to add the much-needed staff welfare space etc. on the site, with minimal disruption to the running of the existing Care Farm & Therapy Centre.”
The application was conditionally approved by county planners.
