Plans to turn old school building into motorcycle showroom with café

THE BUILDING WAS PREVIOUSLY USED AS A COOKERY AND TEACHING PROVISION FOR THE FORMER INDEPENDENT CASTLE SCHOOL ROBERT HARRIES Senior Reporter and BRUCE SINCLAIR, LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTER

11:02, 20 May 2025 Proposals to transform a disused school building into a motorcycle showroom have received approval from Pembrokeshire Council. Noel Davies of Merlin Autos Wales Ltd had

submitted an application to repurpose the former Castle School Building, located on Snowdrop Lane in Haverfordwest, as a showroom accompanied by an on-site café. The location is currently

vacant, having been utilized for culinary classes and teaching purposes by the former independent Castle School until last year. Prior to that, the site was occupied by RAOB Lodge/Snowdrop

Bar. In a supporting statement, Ian Bartlett Planning and Architectural Services stated: "The submitted scheme is required to relocate to sustain the viability of the existing business

operation Merlin Motorcycles currently located in the Prendergast area of Haverfordwest. "Merlin Motorcycles, a subsidiary of Merlin Auto Services, was established in March 2016 to

cater to the local motorcycle community in Pembrokeshire. Merlin Motorcycles operates from a former car showroom in Prendergast, Haverfordwest, with a floor area of only 122 square

metres." "This relocation aims to ensure the continued sustainability of the Merlin Motorcycles business. Since its inception, the company has experienced steady growth and has

outgrown its current premises. "Recently, the installation of double yellow lines on the highway outside the Prendergast site has posed challenges in terms of parking and customer

accessibility. The lack of space in the current location, limits the amount of stock that can be displayed and stored on site." _For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing

the nation,__ sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here_. The statement continued: "Merlin Motorcycles has diligently searched for suitable premises within Haverfordwest but to date

has been unsuccessful. "Given the nature of motorcycle sales, the enterprise requires a level vehicular double-door access that is not readily available to any existing vacant retail

premises in Haverfordwest. "It is expected that the relocation of the business to a larger premises would facilitate the requirement for an increase in staff members to meet the demands

of the business and to provide high levels of customer service. "The site also provides the opportunity to offer an ancillary on-site café serving hot and cold beverages, cakes and

light lunches. "It is not proposed to offer hot food, and the café would not operate independently from the retail sales aspect of the enterprise, providing a service primarily to

customers visiting for motorcycle sales. "As motorcycle lifestyle brands increasingly leverage their physical retail spaces to incorporate in-store cafes, this move aligns with the

evolving trends in the industry and offers opportunities for community engagement." The application received conditional approval from county planners. Article continues below