£200 donations helping sports clubs, warm spaces, schools and local projects keep Pembrokeshire villages connected and thriving

COMMUNITY groups across north Pembrokeshire are being encouraged to apply for monthly funding as Cwm Arian Renewable Energy continues its programme of small grants aimed at strengthening local life.

The community energy organisation is offering £200 every month to support grassroots projects, with the funding open to clubs, charities, volunteer groups and informal community initiatives. Since the scheme launched in April 2022, the fund has supported a wide range of activities, from youth sport and schools to cultural events and wellbeing projects.

The grants are deliberately flexible, allowing groups to decide what their communities need most rather than fitting strict criteria. Money can be used for hall hire, equipment, refreshments, transport, training costs or materials, helping even the smallest organisations get ideas off the ground.

In Hermon, funding has supported the popular Warm Rooms project, providing hot meals, company and a welcoming space for older residents during the colder months. Organisers say the grant has helped tackle isolation while giving people somewhere safe and social to meet.

In Crymych, football and rugby clubs have used the donations to run training sessions, organise matches and purchase kit, giving young people regular opportunities to stay active, develop skills and build confidence. Elsewhere, cultural groups and local festivals have used the support to stage workshops, performances and events that bring residents together.

A spokesperson for Cwm Arian said the aim is to keep the process simple and accessible.

They said: “These donations are about helping local people do what they already do best. A relatively small amount of money can make a big difference to a village group or volunteer project. We want to support activities that strengthen communities and improve everyday life.”

Best known locally for its renewable energy and sustainability work, Cwm Arian says reinvesting income back into the community is central to its mission.

Groups with an idea that benefits people in Pembrokeshire are invited to apply, with guidance and application details available through the Cwm Arian website.

A PROPOSED road realignment scheme at Newgale has been paused after Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet agreed to halt its plans amid concerns over cost, disruption and environmental impact.

Local Senedd Member Paul Davies welcomed the decision and is urging the authority to give full consideration to an alternative proposal developed by residents.

The Council had been examining options to move the A487 inland to address the long-running problem of coastal erosion and storm damage at the popular seaside village, where the road sits directly behind a narrow shingle bank separating the carriageway from the sea.

Years of storm disruption

Newgale has repeatedly suffered flooding and damage during winter storms.

High tides and heavy seas have previously thrown shingle and debris onto the road, forcing temporary closures and clear-up operations. At times, traffic has been reduced to single-lane working while machinery removes stones and sand.

The stretch is one of the main north–south routes through Pembrokeshire, linking Haverfordwest with St Davids and the north of the county, meaning closures can cause lengthy diversions for residents, businesses and emergency services.

Council officers have warned in recent years that rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather events could make the situation worse, prompting work on longer-term solutions.

Cabinet pauses scheme

The Cabinet had been considering a significant realignment of the road further inland.

However, the proposal has drawn criticism locally over its potential cost and its impact on the landscape.

Following discussion, members agreed to pause the scheme.

Mr Davies, who has been working with residents on an alternative plan, said the decision gives the community a chance to be heard.

He said: “Coastal erosion in Newgale has been a longstanding issue, and it’s crucial that any response is both effective and proportionate.

“The community has developed its own Newgale Beach Access and Shingle Bank Realignment Scheme which offers a less invasive approach that would significantly reduce costs for the Council and local taxpayers.

“Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet is right to stop its own scheme from going ahead and I now urge the Council to consider the community’s proposal, which strikes a far better balance between environmental protection, financial responsibility and the needs of local residents.”

Community voices

Residents have previously raised concerns about both safety and affordability.

One local business owner said road closures during storms can have an immediate impact on trade, adding: “When the road shuts, visitors simply don’t come through. We just want something practical that protects the village without costing the earth.”

Another resident said: “Everyone accepts something needs to be done. The key is finding a solution that works with nature, not against it.”

The Council is expected to review options, including the community-led scheme, before deciding how to proceed.

Details of the pause were included under Item 8 of the Cabinet’s recent meeting papers.

NO FORMAL application for Pembrokeshire council proposals for a £40m-plus road realignment scheme at flood-hit Newgale will be made for at least a year-and-a-half following a decision by senior councillors.

Newgale was hit hard by flooding following storms in early 2014 storms, and later by Storm Dennis in 2020.

In 2014 it even saw a visit by the-then Prime Minister David Cameron following the storms.

A public consultation – through agent AtkinsRéalis – was launched last year ahead of a formal council application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park for Phase 1 of the Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project, which would see the development of a new inland section of road with bridge over Brandy Brook some 2.3km inland, to replace the coastal section of A487 at Newgale that will be closed.

Varied claims have been made about the cost of this scheme, from £20m upwards, some even saying it could cost as much as £60m, with millions spent on consultation fees to date.

An alternative, cheaper, scheme had been proposed by STUN – Stand Up for Newgale, proposing a section of the shingle bank at Newgale be realigned 10-12 metres seaward leaving an over-wash barrier between it and the A487 to capture any pebbles and sea water.

In a report heard at the February 9 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet, presented by Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett, members received an update on the scheme, which included a formal submission, abandoning it, and the favoured option of putting it on hold for a period of between 18 and 24 months.

The option recommended: “Acknowledge that the scheme is required to be delivered, in light of climate change, the work undertaken to date and the results of the WG Roads Review and Pre Application Consultation.

“However, taking into account the current financial climate and the immediate risk to the A487; pause the scheme prior to submitting planning application, and review the position in the next 18- 24 months.”

It also recommended maintain surveys of the scheme “with a view of future progression of the scheme to planning application as the scheme is required in the long term,” along with reviewing  “options available for short term improvements, including passing places and signage, to the division route implemented during road closures as a result of storm/ flooding impacts at Newgale through the Regional Transport Plan Funding,” and to “continue to review external funding options to support the delivery of the construction phase of the project”.

Cllr Michelle Bateman said the proposal “strikes the right balance” on what will be a long-term issue, and was “the best way forward at the current time”.

Leader Cllr Jon Harvey said it was “the right call to make at this particular time,” stressing there may be a change in Welsh Government’s priorities after May’s elections.

Members, by eight votes to one, backed the recommendation; a lone voice was Cllr Jacob Williams, who said he was “pleased the scheme is being parked,” adding the “unaffordable” proposal was unlikely to change in 18 months’ time.