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New bill will improve access to housing in Wales

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new billTHE HOUSING (Wales) Bill, published by the Welsh Government, has been welcomed by the WLGA as a real opportunity to improve people’s access to good quality housing in Wales. Commenting on the new bill, Cllr Dyfed Edwards, WLGA Spokesperson for Housing said:

“The WLGA supports the ambition set out within this new legislation, which is wide in scope and focuses on a number of fundamental issues affecting people’s lives in Wales.

“Local government is now committed to working with Welsh Government and other partners to deliver the changes outlined in the new legislation, many of which will reinforce and support the work which is on-going within local councils across Wales. Councils specifically welcome the increased emphasis on preventing homelessness which is at the heart of this new bill, as well as the reform of the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy System which offers councils a clear opportunity to increase the financial resources that they have available to improve housing stock and potentially build new homes.

“While some of the changes proposed by the new legislation can clearly be introduced without requiring additional resources, some aspects of the legislation will undoubtedly be challenging for local authorities to deliver within the current financial climate. The WLGA will now test ‘deliverability’ of the new legislation with local authorities, and continue to work closely with Welsh Government to increase access to good quality housing in Wales.”

Cllr Aaron Shotton, WLGA Spokesperson for Finance added:

“Many households are already struggling as a result of the poor economic climate, and there is a real fear that welfare reforms such as the ‘bedroom tax’ will add to this misery, and increase the number of families facing homelessness in Wales. Against this backdrop, it is vital that Welsh Government, local authorities and their wider partners do more to prevent homelessness, and to take early action to limit the hugely negative impacts that being made homeless can have, particularly on children.

“The additional funding that has been identified in the Welsh Government’s budget for 2015-16 will enable an increased focus on preventative services and must be welcomed, and we look forward to continued discussions with the Minister to ensure that local councils have the resources required to deliver the ambition of this new bill.”

Cllr Lynda Thorne, WLGA Deputy Spokesperson for Housing said:

“Building more affordable homes is very important, but we also need to make the best use of existing housing, including housing within the private rented sector. This legislation will help us to work more closely with landlords to improve the private rented sector, which is becoming an increasingly important part of the housing market. We welcome the proposal to introduce a registration and accreditation scheme for all landlords and letting and management agents in Wales as one means of improving standards. Cardiff Council has been running a voluntary registration scheme for landlords for a number of years and we believe it has proven effective in developing better relationships with landlords, and helped to improve housing conditions in the city.”

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Rugby Weekly – Tenby’s promotion push continues

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It’s crunch time for all rugby clubs around the county, whether promotion is their aim or fighting relegation or even just trying to improve their league position, it’s now or never. 

Last weekend saw an important win for Fishguard in division two west which should put any relegation fears to bed completely. James Griffiths added an impressive 18 points for the Seagulls as they defeated Nantgaredig 33-19. 

Elsewhere in the second division, Milford were beaten 32-8 by a good Lampeter outfit. The Mariners are still a little too close for comfort with the drop zone but should have enough quality to see them safe. 

At the other end of the table Tenby sit in second place and have played fewer games than leaders St Clears and third place Lampeter. They won impressively again last weekend, beating Pontyberem 64-19 at Haywood Lane. Fletcher Broadhurst impressed with two tries as did Hywel Baker who also grabbed himself a brace. Another excellent performance in an outstanding season so far in which promotion would be the absolute icing on the cake. 

In Division Three West, Pembroke were well beaten by Laugharne 74-15 in which the outstanding Liam Price and Nico Setaro both crossed the whitewash 4 teams a piece. The latter also added 7 successful conversions. 

There was a local derby at Pill Parks where Llangwm hosted Pembroke Dock Quins and it was an exciting clash. The visitors won narrowly 28-23, Craig Barnett and Gethin Bradney both scored two tries for the Quins. The Wasps battled hard and will be proud of their performance, Gethin Thomas impressed for the hosts with two tries of his own but it wasn’t enough to secure the points. 

St David’s hosted the high flying Cardigan outfit and were unable to score in reply to the visitors 20 points, with it ending 20-0. The Saints however won’t be losing too much sleep over it as they have had a great season so far. 

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Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

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PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

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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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