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Rath Paddling Pool to be saved

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THE RATH PADDLING POOL in Milford Haven is set to be saved despite plans by Pembrokeshire County Council to stop its funding for the popular facility.

The pool had been identified as a potential saving in an email sent to all councillors prior to a Full Council Meeting on Thursday, March 2.

On hearing that it would close at Thursday’s Council meeting, Cllr Stephen Joseph, who has played an active part in saving the pool before, said he was ‘bleeding furious’.

Cllr Joseph was unable to read that email and said that many people in Milford use the pool during the summer.

Senior Officers in the council have apologised to Cllr Joseph for the way the situation has been dealt with.

Cllr Joseph told the Herald that they now need to secure the pool for the future and that he would be submitting a written request to Milford Haven Town Council, to ask them if they will be able to take over the running of the pool.

Speaking at the meeting on Thursday, Cllr Joseph said: “I am flabbergasted to be honest. I didn’t read that email yesterday so that came as a bit of a bombshell to say the least.

“That was certainly not mentioned at the last seminar I went to but in actual fact, the Head of Leisure pulled me to one side and said we need to talk about the paddling pool down the Rath but I said I’m quite happy to take the guys who work down there and do all the building maintenance that needs doing for the summer, that’s the only conversation I’ve had about the Rath Swimming Pool.

“To find out today that it’s shutting down I’m bleeding furious to be honest with you. Every year I go down there with friends of mine, a couple of the town councillors weed the place and clean it and no one’s got the courtesy to phone me and say that it’s closing.”

Council Leader Jamie Adams said: “We provide a county swimming pool in Milford Haven at the leisure centre; you cannot argue that the Rath is a county facility, therefore, with £170,000 of precept is the Town Council the appropriate body consider the operation of that funding? I would suggest that it’s worth a conversation.”

Cllr Joseph added: “A lot of senior officers and possibly yourself know the commitment that a lot of people in Milford have for putting this pool on every year. I really appreciate what the authority has done in the past.

“To hit it with that for a £1000 saving which on paper, I believe it’s higher than that in reality, and to put this into perspective there is a large element of single parents in Milford, they don’t drive and this paddling pool in the summer, which takes a maximum of 30 people, these people go down there for the summer, they can’t walk to the beach, they can’t afford buses.”

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Sewage spills: Carmarthenshire the most affected area in the UK

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IN a recent analysis of environmental data, Carmarthenshire has been identified as the UK region most plagued by sewage spills, according to research conducted by the Reboot SEO agency, highlighting a concerning escalation in pollution incidents across the nation’s water bodies. The study, leveraging data from the Environment Agency, underscores a disturbing trend with sewage spills into rivers and seas more than doubling in the past year, rocketing from 1.75 million hours in 2022 to a staggering 3.6 million hours in 2023.

Carmarthenshire, a picturesque county in Wales known for its breathtaking landscapes and rich history, now faces an environmental challenge of considerable magnitude. The locality recorded an alarming 11,195 sewage spills over the course of last year, cumulatively amounting to 86,603 hours of spillage. This surpasses figures from other affected regions across the UK, spotlighting a dire need for robust interventions and sustainable wastewater management practices.

This surge in sewage spills paints a grim picture of the state of the UK’s rivers and seas, with potential ramifications for public health, wildlife, and tourism. The data sheds light on the pressing issue of aging infrastructure and the capacity of existing sewage systems to handle storm overflows, particularly in times of heavy rainfall.

The spotlight on Carmarthenshire’s predicament also prompts a broader discussion on the accountability of water companies, with the study revealing significant disparities in the performance of these entities across the country. For instance, Severn Trent Water was found to have the highest number of storm overflows, with United Utilities not far behind in terms of the total spill hours contributed to the environmental crisis.

The revelation of these statistics has ignited calls for action from environmentalists, local communities, and policymakers alike. There’s a growing consensus on the urgent need for infrastructural upgrades, alongside more stringent regulatory oversight to ensure water companies adopt more sustainable practices.

Local authorities in Carmarthenshire, in concert with environmental agencies and water service providers, are now faced with the critical task of devising and implementing comprehensive strategies to mitigate the impact of sewage spills. This includes investing in modern wastewater treatment solutions, enhancing the resilience of sewer systems against extreme weather conditions, and fostering greater transparency and accountability in the environmental stewardship of water companies.

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Surrogacy: Carmarthenshire solicitor calls for legal reform

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ON the anniversary of the Law Commission’s call for surrogacy law to be overhauled, JCP Solicitors’ Angela Killa, Director in the Family team, is calling on prospective surrogates and parents to better understand the legal rules around this complicated path to parenthood.

Proposing a new regulatory route for surrogacy arrangements in the UK, the Law Commission’s recommendations for the Government puts forward a change to the law so that intended parents would become parents of the child from birth in certain circumstances. Currently, intended parents must wait months to obtain a parental order ¾ which causes stress and anxiety, not to mention administrative difficulties when registering the child.

A Surrogacy Register would also be created under the new proposals, allowing surrogate children to trace their birth origins later in life. Overall, the recommendations laid out in the report would improve regulation of domestic surrogacy to dissuade UK residents from going abroad, as international surrogacy agreements can bring greater risk of exploitation of women and children in some countries.

A year on from the reform suggestions, surrogacy rates continue to rise in the UK – surging by 350% over the past 12 years. Now, legal experts say it is more relevant than ever to understand the full implications of entering a surrogacy agreement.

Angela Killa, Director in the Family team at JCP Solicitors, explains: “In the UK, a surrogate (and her husband or male civil partner, if relevant) are considered the mother (and father) of a child at birth. Intended parents must apply for a Parental Order, which is heard before the Court ¾ making it highly advisable for those involved in surrogacy cases to appoint a Solicitor.

“We often see immense stresses from both the parents and the surrogate, as the current law means that the parental order can take months to obtain which can be incredibly anxiety-inducing.

“For example, intended parents may worry that the surrogate will change her mind or will not give her consent freely, whereas surrogates may also worry that the intended parents may change their mind(s) or make unreasonable demands during pregnancy.

“This feels particularly difficult given the fact that many intended parents are likely to have dealt with a lot of trauma before considering surrogacy: many have faced fertility struggles and may even have dealt with the devastation of failed pregnancies or baby loss. For LGBTQ+ couples, there may have been additional challenges faced due to discrimination or prejudice. Therefore, empathy and consideration is of paramount importance when discussing this issue.”

The government published an interim response to the report in November 2023, with Maria Caulfield MP stating: “While we appreciate the importance of this work, parliamentary time does not allow for these changes to be taken forward at the moment.” Despite this response, legal experts working in surrogacy encourage the Government to take action and fully consider the proposed amendments. 

Angela explains: “The reforms laid out in the Surrogacy Reform Act by the Law Commission may help to ease the stress and pressure for all involved. The Government are encouraged to provide a full response as soon as possible so progress can be made in this important area of law”.

Angela Killa is a member of Resolution, a family law organisation advocating for a constructive approach to family issues.

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Mayor of Bergen visits Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre

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IT was a Mayoral gathering when the Burgermeisterin of Bergen, in Germany, paid a visit to Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre in the company of Councillor Aden Brinn, the Mayor of Bergen’s twin town, Pembroke.

There to meet Burgermeisterin Claudia Dettmar-Muller and her colleague Silvia Bothe were two former Mayors of Pembroke Dock, Councillors Pam George and Maureen Colgan, and trustees and volunteers who run the Centre. Joining them was Pembroke’s Deputy Mayor, Councillor Ann Mortenson.

Trustee Peter Mitchell and colleagues gave a guided town of the Centre which has extensive displays on Pembroke Dock’s rich maritime and military history spanning just over two centuries, and its connections with RAF flying boats.

Pic By Martin Cavaney.

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