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Narberth traders worry over Sainsbury’s plans

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sainsburys-5795657DESPITE an announcement last week from Sainsbury’s that some new store developments, nationally, will not go ahead, it seems a supermarket still wants a convenience store in Narberth. Sainsbury’s proposition has left many Narberth traders both worried and shocked.They believe it could spell the end of their town as a tourist destination and specialist retail area. The application for development has been made by Abbeymore Estates, and Knox and Wells Limited.

It proposes demolition of the old school which would be replaced by a new two-story development. The plan then proposes the two acre site has non-food retail units, a betting shop, a cafe and takeaway, a day nursery and residential apartments. Narberth Chamber of Trade secretary, Gordon Barry, told The Herald: “It saddens the Chamber that there has been no contact with the developer to explore the thought and design with them, since it was fi rst announced in April of this year.” Our reporter went to Narberth and spoke with some of the traders that would be affected by a Sainsbury’s store moving into the area.

Jenny Thomas, who is the owner of “6 The High Street”, expressed her concerns: “All the shops in Narberth are independent and there are no big names or chain stores here. I’ve seen it grow for the last 30 years, and our customers come to Narberth to shop because it is an area with independent shops. You have to bear in mind the population here is only 2000 people. If it’s a superstore coming, then surely they sell what we all sell, and we struggle in January, February and March as it is. We rely on tourists to come here.

The uniqueness will go with this development and there has been no offer of a discount of rates. Narberth is the same size as a village; to split the trade we already have is a disastrous proposition”. On the subject as to getting information from the County Council with regards to any proposed plans for the local traders she continued, saying: “It’s diffi cult. You are here all the time (as an owner) and can’t get to these meetings. It’s grim as it comes through our Chamber of Trade, and that’s all we learn.” From the store “No 47” Richard Swingler said: “It’s a shame the old school wasn’t used as a community service project. If people had got together perhaps we could have provided a community area (a library or boxing club), then maybe incorporate a retail section with it.

The number of units are far too many for Narberth to sustain, but the biggest complaint has to be the lack of car parking; the car parking is to be reduced! Surely, you need more for more units, it doesn’t make sense and it will no doubt have an adverse effect on the town”. Co – Director of Wisebuys, Anthony Ryan, expressed his grave concerns as to what the effect on Narberth’s traders would be: “It’s a bit of a shock. I always thought Narberth was a ‘jewel in the crown’ for Pembrokeshire. I would have thought it would have been a good idea to preserve Narberth as it is, rather than kill it like they (Pembrokeshire County Council) have with every other town in Pembrokeshire, due to out-of-town developments.

Surely they should learn a lesson by looking at what Carmarthen have done, and join it on to the town. Narberth is a specialised country town and people come here for those specialist shops – we are known all over the country for this. Why spoil it? There aren’t enough customers in Narberth to warrant this and it will reduce the foot fall in Narberth. Look at CK’s, the other chain store development, with a free car park? They pay half the rates and then take our customers! It should be the other way round. We are struggling and just about surviving and any more pressure and we will close.

It’s what I am expecting in Narberth; Spa and Cost- Cutter wont survive – which will reduce footfall again”. Asked what the Council should do at this point, he said: “Stop it. Don’t let them go ahead with it – sell it to someone else – make it a useful building for the community; but they won’t because it will cost them money and they are too tight to spend it on sensible things, they’d rather throw it away on pointless things like cycle lanes etc. The Council spout on about Narberth being fantastic, yet they slit our throats.

Narberth is doing ok, not brilliantly, but our takings have gone down 20% in the last 5 years and I know of hundreds of customers who don’t come here anymore because they can’t park anywhere”. Tom Trenchard, Head of Convenience Acquisitions South at Sainsbury’s, told The Herald: “We are currently fi nalising negotiations to open a store as part of a development at the site of the former school. If we were to open at the development, our store will create between 20-25 new jobs for local people.

We would aim to complement, rather than compete with existing local traders, and contribute to help people keep shopping locally, while bringing additional footfall to the town, benefi tting all”. On the subject of concerns over parking space, a spokesperson for Sainsbury’s sated: “We would be a tenant as part of the wider development, so probably best to address those wider concerns to the developer himself, whose planning application it is. Clearly we can only talk about our proposal”.

Cllr Wyn Evans, spoke with The Herald: “The school has been empty for fi ve and a half years now and is becoming an eyesore, subjected to vandalism. This development is welcome indeed. I am in consultation with the Chamber of Trade, discussing the parking situation and I’m forming a working group at County Hall on January 19, where organisations from the community are invited to sit along with council offi cers.

We are aware of parking issues and we need a strategic plan to go forward that may involve reconfi guration of existing spaces and readjustment of current waiting times. It is important we have consultation with the community and I look forward to continued dialogue. There is also an urgent need for accommodation for people in Narberth, and people may now have opportunities to move to these fl ats freeing up larger properties for larger families.”

 

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Business

Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

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TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

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Welsh Water has increased sewage discharges into waterways ‘by 40%’

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NEW figures released by the Environment Agency have shown that Dwr Cymru discharged sewage into waterways for a staggering 23,354 hours last year, a 40% increase on 2022. 

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are now calling for tougher action against sewage dumping in Welsh waterways.

The party has also called for a halt on bonuses for water company bosses whose firms have dumped sewage into waterways.

Conservative MPs have consistently voted against measures which would have helped to tackle the crisis.

The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said: “It is a complete scandal that filthy sewage is being pumped into our nation’s rivers and waterways without consequence.

“It’s beggars’ belief that both the UK Conservative Government and the Welsh Labour government are allowing water firms to get away with this environmental vandalism.

“We as a party are calling for tougher action to stop sewage being dumped in local waterways. We have also called for a halt on bonuses for water company fat cats whose firms have pumped filth into our waterways.”

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New bus services announced by Pembrokeshire County Council

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A NUMBER of changes to local bus services will be introduced in the coming weeks as a result of a shake up to bus funding. 

From April 2024, the funding which has been provided directly to bus operators by the Welsh Government to keep services going in the wake of the Covid pandemic will cease. 

Additional funding will instead be provided to Local Authorities to support their local bus network.

In total, Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Government will provide over £3million in support for bus services in Pembrokeshire during the coming year.

As part of this process, all Pembrokeshire’s local bus services have been re-tendered. 

A public consultation, receiving over 300 responses, helped to inform decisions about which services should be prioritised. 

Councillor Rhys Sinnett, Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services said: “I am delighted to be able to report that we are able to maintain the whole of Pembrokeshire’s current local bus network in the coming year.

“We have also secured key improvements such as reinstating an hourly service on the 349 route between Haverfordwest and Tenby via Pembroke Dock, and the popular Strumble Shuttle and Puffin Shuttle coastal bus services during the summer.”

The changes will also see two key services, the 302 Haverfordwest to Milford Haven and 349 Haverfordwest to Tenby via Pembroke Dock, brought under Council oversight for the first time. 

This will give the Council greater oversight of service operations and fares.  Pembrokeshire residents will also benefit from a new fare structure on all First Cymru services, due to be introduced from 1 April 2024. 

This will use Tap On Tap Off to allow passengers to pay the cheapest fare depending on the number of journeys they make or distance travelled, and will cap the maximum adult fare at £3 single and £5.40 return. 

More information about these fares can be found on the First Cymru website

A number of additional service changes and improvements are being considered for introduction during the course of the coming year in response to feedback received from the public consultation.  

The following bus service changes have been confirmed:

From 23 March 2024:

  • The Celtic Coaster (403) on the St Davids peninsular will restart for the 2024 season on Saturday 23 March and will run until Sunday 29 September. This is an hourly service, increasing to half-hourly during the whitsun half term and school summer holidays. There will be no service departing Caerfai Road at 13.00 and 13.30.
  • The 351 (Tenby to Pendine via Amroth) will return to its summer timetable.

From 1 April 2024

  • An hourly service will return on the 349 (Haverfordwest to Tenby via Pembroke Dock) service (April to September only).
  • The 356 (Milford Haven to Monkton) service will no longer call at Waterston and Hazelbeach due to operational issues caused by the narrow lanes in this area. The Fflecsi service will still be available.
  • A Saturday service, between 07:30 and 18:30, will be reintroduced in the Fflecsi Mid Pembrokeshire zone (formerly known as Bwcabus). This zone covers the area between Letterston, Crymych, Clunderwen and Wiston.  Passengers can also travel from this zone to Fishguard and Haverfordwest. 
  • The 302 (Haverfordwest to Milford Haven) and 349 (Haverfordwest to Tenby via Pembroke Dock) services operated by First Cymru will come under Pembrokeshire County Council control, giving the Council greater oversight of service operations and fares.
  • The 322 (Haverfordwest to Carmarthen) and 381 (Haverfordwest to Tenby via Narberth) services will be run by First Cymru. The 322 timetable will remain the same. The 381 timetable will remain the same from Haverfordwest to Tenby but journeys from Tenby to Haverfordwest will depart slightly earlier (37 past the hour instead of 45).
  • The X22 and X61 services which provided journeys at the start and end of the day between Pembroke Dock and Kilgetty, and Pembroke Dock and Haverfordwest will be withdrawn.
  • The 410 (Fishguard Town) and T11 (Haverfordwest to Fishguard via St Davids) services will be operated on a commercial (T11 part commercial) basis by Richards Bros. An improved connection with the ferry at Fishguard Harbour will be provided at 12.30.

From 19 May 2024

  • The Tenby Coaster service between Tenby and Saundersfoot will return for the summer season.

From 25 May 2024

  • The 400 Puffin Shuttle and 404 Strumble Shuttle services will return to the coast between Marloes and St Davids, and St Davids and Fishguard. These services will operate 7 days a week until 29 September 2024.  The Fflecsi service is also available in this area throughout the year.
  • The 387/388 Coastal Cruiser service around the Angle Peninsula will also return to its summer timetable, operating 7 days a week until 29th September 2024.

Further information about all Pembrokeshire bus services can be found on the Council’s website.

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