News
Herald refreshes look after lockdown
THIS WEEK, to mark our seventh anniversary, we’ve made some big changes to The Pembrokeshire Herald. Apart from it being an eighty-page bumper edition, that is.
We’d begun thinking about how we wanted The Herald to look before lockdown began and in the months since then, our design team kept plugging away at one key question:
After much head-scratching and soul-searching, our design team came up with a concept which we think will make The Pembrokeshire Herald more attractive to our readers.
We’ve changed our layout and masthead to reflect a new and dynamic style on the pages inside. The changes make the paper easier to read and allow us more scope to adapt our paper instead of relying on templates and inflexible layouts into which stories are placed willy-nilly ‘to fill the gap’.
We’ll still keep producing the biggest and best cross-section of Pembrokeshire news around and keep our commitment to providing Pembrokeshire’s readers with a local perspective on the news which affects our County.
Not all news which matters to Pembrokeshire happens in Pembrokeshire, so this week you’ll find analysis of the Chancellor’s summer statement with analysis of how it affects Wales and Pembrokeshire. You’ll also find out how a Pembrokeshire couple’s court battle with their landlord has changed the law in Wales about tenancies and evictions. And you can laugh at the story about how an online parody duped its unwary readers.
It’s the sort of news in the sort of depth you won’t find anywhere else.
We’ve kept our favourite columnists and are adding a few more into our mix to give you the widest choice of unique, challenging, and satirical commentary on what’s happening locally and in the wider world.
Our sections are now colour-coded to help you find the content which interests you most. Whether it’’s Politics, Farming, Entertainment, or Newyddion Cymraeg which tickle your fancy, each section has its own fresh look. In our Politics section this week, we have what one prominent Brexit supporter thinks about the UK’s negotiations with EU. In Entertainment, we have part one of a two-part piece about the future of our local arts sector.
Whatever you’re interested in, just look at the colour key and our page guide will lead you to what interests you most. As we begin to crawl collectively out of the lockdown, it’s time for a new start. A new look. And a new Herald. We hope you enjoy it. Once you’ve read it, let us know what you think by contacting [email protected]
News
Council’s Planning Enforcement Team demolish ‘illegal development’
PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has taken direct action to remove a lean-to that was built against a neighbour’s listed building without consent.
Paul Mason built the lean to without planning permission or listed building consent from the Council contrary to section 43 of Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
As a result, the Council issued a Listed Buildings Enforcement Notice on June 17th 2021.
The notice related to ‘the construction of a rendered blockwork outbuilding within the curtilage of 1, Newport Road, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, and the attachment of this building to the neighbouring property at 1, Glyn-y-Mel Road, Lower Town, Fishguard.’
The notice required demolition of the outbuilding and removal of all the resultant materials from the site and reinstatement of the gable end wall of 1, Glyn-y-Mel Road, to its former condition within three months.
Mr Mason appealed against but a Planning Inspector from Planning Decisions Environment Wales subsequently dismissed the appeal and upheld the Council’s enforcement notice on December 22nd 2022.
The Inspector considered that the outbuilding had a detrimental effect on the special character and setting of the listed buildings and that its removal was necessary to restore the architectural character of the listed building to its former condition.
After the appeal, the Council brought a prosecution for non-compliance with the requirements of the Notice.
Mr Mason pleaded guilty on the day of the trial on December 7th 2023 and was required to pay a fine, costs and victim surcharge.
Following prosecution, the owner failed to carry out the demolition of the outbuilding and so the Council’s Planning Enforcement Team stepped in and undertook direct action by way of contractors to remove the illegal outbuilding.
The outbuilding was removed on March 6, 2023 and the architectural character of the listed building has been restored.
The cost of the demolition will be recovered from Mr Mason.
Following the action, Cllr Jon Harvey, Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery, said: “It is sad that this situation had to get to this point and this is the first time in more than 10 years that the Council has been forced to take direct action.
“However, it was clear that the defendant was not willing to comply with the terms of the enforcement notice requiring removal so we have taken the necessary action.
“I thank our teams involved, including the Planning Enforcement and Legal officers and hope this action demonstrates our commitment to enforcing breaches of planning control and upholding the integrity of the decision making process.”
News
Man remanded in custody following alleged assault in town centre
A PEMBROKE man has been remanded in custody following an alleged assault against a woman in Pembroke town centre last Thursday.
Morgan Ralph, 38, is accused of assaulting a female, occasioning her actual bodily harm during the alleged altercation on March 14.
Ralph, who appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates on Tuesday morning via a video link from Swansea Prison, pleaded not guilty to the offence.
His solicitor Tom Lloyd, informed magistrates that Ralph was acting in self defence during the alleged incident.
The matter was adjourned to May 23 when Ralph, of St Oswalds, Main Street, Pembroke, will be tried before Haverfordwest magistrates.
He was remanded in custody.
News
Retaining wall collapse in Haverfordwest crushes van
A RETAINING wall at Spring Gardens Lane, behind the site of the former Pembroke House Hotel in Haverfordwest, has collapsed following a period of heavy rainfall, causing damage to vehicles parked in the vicinity.
The incident has left two vans damaged, one severely.
The collapse of the wall sent debris sprawling across the car park, illustrating the force of the collapse and the substantial volume of water contributing to the structural failure.
Witnesses described hearing a loud rumbling noise before discovering the aftermath of the collapse.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
The collapse serves as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by heavy rainfall and the importance of maintaining and monitoring ageing infrastructure.
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