If the Labour Government in Westminster has its way, you would never know that the Hermit Crab Coffee, in Machynlleth, wants to apply for a licence to sell alcohol from 8am through to midnight seven days a week.

And the cafe has also applied to Powys County Council to stage live music, show movies and stage other entertainment activities at 29 Heol Maengwyn in the town during its weekly operating hours.

Labour believes that to spur economic activity, bars and night clubs should be able to do as they please without providing details to local residents through public notices.

While Cambrian News is not suggesting that there is anything wrong with the application from the Hermit Crab Cafe for alcohol sales or providing entertainment, the public should have a right to know. Now, thanks to the information provided by current public notices rules, the application is pretty clear and local residents have a chance to have their say on the plans.

Under the new regime proposed by Labour, you would never know and would never have an opportunity to have your say or voice your opinion in support or opposing the plans.

Last week, Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament Liz Saville-Roberts told Cambrian News that the Labour plans were misguided. She said that if Labour was serious about helping those in business, it would be better advised to lower crippling business taxes or do something to lower the high cost of energy.

Last week the Cambrian News highlighted too a public notice that sought permission from the Welsh Government to develop a small wind farm near Lampeter.

Ann Williams from Cellan, near Lampeter wrote to us to thank us for drawing attention to an issue that is a massive problem for communities in large areas of Wales.

“The wind farm you mention, Waun Maen Llwyd is only the beginning of the surge in the area north an south of Lampeter, an is small (six turbines) in comparison with the other larger ones that Bute Energy and Galileo plan to build around it,” she wrote.

“Details of almost a hundred others (230metres tall) are known and more in the pipeline,” she said.

All of the projects require public notices to be published in local publications, letting you know exactly what’s being planned. Without those, you might find yourself living next to a giant wind farm.

Make sure you visit publicnoticesportal.uk to see what’s planned for your neighbourhood.