News
Covid-19: Pressure grows on local authorities to end the school term early
PRESSURE is increasing on local authorities to end the school term early.
The Herald understands that both Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire County Councils are considering ending the school term on Monday.
If those counties close their schools, it is almost inevitable that Pembrokeshire will follow suit.
The Cabinet Member for Education, Guy Woodham, has remained adamant that Pembrokeshire will hold the line to December 18. However, faced with neighbouring councils shutting schools, logistical and staffing pressures could compel Pembrokeshire to follow suit.
Both the National Education Union and the National Association of Head Teachers have intervened in the issue. The unions have express concerns about their members’ safety and wellbeing, and that of their families.
After a positive test, a teacher in contact with a student must self-isolate pending the outcome of their own test’s result.
A teacher required to self-isolate at any point after December 11 previously faced being in precautionary measures until Christmas Day or beyond.
As things stand, some school heads face the theoretical prospect of running a Test Trace Protect procedure on Christmas Day.
In what might prove a significant move, on Tuesday (December 8) the Welsh Government reduced the period of self-isolation from fourteen to ten days.
The rising number of cases in schools and a new Welsh Government assessment has given the unions’ concerns greater impetus.
On Tuesday (December 8), David Evans, Wales Secretary of the NEU said: “Whole year groups are being told to isolate. The virus is spreading in schools, and our priority must be keeping both learners and staff as safe as possible.”
The following day, the Welsh Government’s Technical Advisory Group on Covid (TAG) published new guidance.
The TAG report said: “The best way to protect older family members is not to expose them to potential infection, no matter how well-intended the reason for contact.
“Pre-isolation may be a helpful consideration for families with children before visiting older relatives.”
The National Association of Head Teachers responded by writing to Wales’ Education Minister, Kirsty Williams.
The letter picked up on the TAG advice regarding pre-isolation.
It said: “[T]he advice on pre-isolating of families with children, in our view cuts across the government’s current position on keeping schools open. It once again risks mixed messages causing utter confusion.
“If this report is advising families to pre-isolate to protect any extended family members that they are planning to see over Christmas, surely the opportunity to do so must be supported by the government.
“Parents will undoubtedly vote with their feet, and children will be kept at home. That choice will not be afforded to school staff if school leaders are not supported in closing school sites.”
The letter continued: “NAHT Cymru urges you to review your position in light of the new advice and look, at a national level.”
It proposes a transition to blended/distance learning for the final week of term (December 14-18) in line with the TAG report advice.
NAHT says: “This week would see the closure of school sites and should be used for isolation and reducing social contacts, with a clear ‘stay at home’ message for all age groups
“This move would allow children, staff and families the opportunity to adhere to the pre-isolation advice.”
We approached Cllr Guy Woodham with our information about early closure plans in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.
He responded: “The position remains under constant review and further meetings are happening today (Thursday, December 10) which may, hopefully, provide an agreed way forward.
“While I remain of the view that 18 December is an appropriate last day of term, this is not an entrenched position, and I will continue to listen to others while remaining focused on delivering what is in the best interests of Pembrokeshire learners during these unprecedented and extremely challenging times.”
Business
Largest Welsh port appoints communications and marketing director
THE Port of Milford Haven has announced that Anna Malloy has been appointed as its first Communications and Marketing Director.
Anna is appointed to the Senior Management Team and this new role will be pivotal to the delivery of the Port’s long-term growth and diversification agenda and in ensuring that its obligations to coastal communities, future generations and to nature are honoured.
Tom Sawyer, CEO of the Port of Milford Haven, congratulated Anna and said: “Anna has a key role to play in our future and it’s doubly lovely to see ‘port-grown-talent’ flourish and for colleagues to progress up through our organisation.”
Anna will lead across the public affairs, marketing, sustainability, media relations, and community relations activities. She will therefore play a central role in the development of new and existing partnerships, including the Celtic Freeport, the Milford Haven Energy Cluster and the Celtic Collection; sitting alongside the delivery of major projects like Milford Waterfront and the Pembroke Dock Renewables Terminal.
“This is such an exciting opportunity. I am proud to be joining the Senior Management Team and look forward to delivering our ambitious strategy,” commented Anna Malloy, Communications and Marketing Director.
She added: “The Port of Milford Haven is playing a key role in the transition of South-West Wales’ economy to a decarbonised future. A beautiful place, with great people, that I am privileged to call my home.”
Community
First deadlines met following enforcement action at landfill site
THE first set of deadlines for the completion of actions to tackle the ongoing odour issues at Withyhedge Landfill in Pembrokeshire have been met, one week on following the issuing of further enforcement action by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
NRW issued site operator Resources Management UK Ltd (RML) with a further Regulation 36 Enforcement Notice on Thursday 18 April.
This outlined a series of actions to be completed by specified deadlines to address the ongoing odour and landfill gas emission issues at the site.
During the latest site inspection which took place yesterday (Thursday 25 April), NRW was able to confirm that three actions have been completed – two ahead of the imposed deadlines.
The operator has installed 24 pin wells, which have been driven into the waste in the lower section of the cell identified as causing the odour issues (Cell 8). These have also been connected to the landfill gas extraction system.
Capping material has been placed over the same area of the cell and welded to the basal liner to encapsulate gas in this area, allowing for extraction by the pin wells and four horizontal gas wells, which were previously installed.
While progress is being made, NRW officers detected strong landfill gas odours during an offsite assessment on Wednesday (24 April) in Poyston Cross and Crundale. Weather conditions this week appear to have led to a wider spread of landfill gas to surrounding areas, not solely linked to wind direction.
NRW odour assessments follow a set route around the landfill, with designated survey spots, identified to enable consistency of assessment and reporting. This is essential to ensure the regulatory and enforcement responses where there is offsite odour attributed to the landfill is robust.
The remaining Regulation 36 Notice actions will require significant effort by RML to ensure they are completed on time and NRW continues to closely monitor progress.
Clare Pillman, Chief Executive of NRW, met with representatives from NRW’s South West Industry Regulation Team and Pembrokeshire County Council during a visit to Pembrokeshire on Thursday 25 April.
Clare Pillman, Chief Executive, Natural Resources Wales, said: “While visiting the area surrounding Withyhedge Landfill with our regulatory team and partners from Pembrokeshire County Council this week, I was able to see and hear for myself just what people living and working in these communities have had to endure as a result of the odour issues from the site.
“What they have been experiencing is unacceptable and our officers have been working tirelessly alongside colleagues at Pembrokeshire County Council to ensure the operator gets this under control as quickly as possible. While it was clear that a lot of work has been done on site, there is still more to do to ensure they address all the actions set out in the enforcement notice.
“We want to make sure that happens, and are exploring every option together with Pembrokeshire County Council to ensure the operator works quickly to resolve the issues which are clearly affecting the quality of life of people in these communities.”
Huwel Manley, Head of South West Operations, said: “While we are reassured that action is being carried out by the operators at Withyhedge Landfill with a sense of urgency, we are continuing our regulatory presence on site to ensure the operator’s focus remains on tackling the issues that will address the continuing odour issues being experienced by surrounding communities.
“We will be closely monitoring progress over the coming days and weeks to ensure the operator complies with all the actions set out in Notice by 14 May. If they are not met, we will pursue additional enforcement action where appropriate.”
NRW requests that instances of odour from the landfill continue to be reported via this dedicated form: https://bit.ly/reportasmellwithyhedge or by calling 0300 065 3000.
Please report odours at the time of them being experienced, rather than historically. Reporting odours in a timely manner will help guide the work of partners more effectively, particularly in the further development of air quality monitoring.
Community
Milford Haven’s war memorial is 100 years old today
THE Milford Haven War Memorial, a significant landmark commemorating the fallen heroes of World Wars and subsequent conflicts, marks its 100th anniversary today.
The memorial, which was inaugurated on April 26, 1924 by the Venerable the Archdeacon of St Davids, remains a poignant symbol of sacrifice and hope for peace.
Constructed from 1923 to 1924, the memorial consists of a striking assembly of pink granite and white marble statues that were sculpted in Italy.
Representing the Army, Navy, and Air Force, these life-size statues stand on an unpolished three-step plinth below a main pedestal. A soldier faces west and a sailor east, with an airman atop the central column, surveying the skies.
The names and inscriptions of the fallen are carved into the polished granite shaft, meticulously supervised by surveyor J.P. Morgan with contractor E. Jones of Llanybydder.
Located on Hamolton Terrace with views over the Milford Haven waterway, the memorial is a freestanding structure in an external, roadside setting. It features a serviceman/woman sculpture in marble and Portland stone, set on a concrete base surrounded by railings. Inscribed plaques honour those who served in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and the conflict in Iraq from 2003 to 2009.
The memorial lists the names of 239 men who perished in the First World War on its polished grey granite faces. The Second World War claimed 157 lives from this community, whose names are recorded on bronze plaques around the base. Notably, the memorial also honours one serviceman who fell during the Korean War and another who was killed in Iraq in 2007.
The Milford Haven War Memorial stands not only as a historical monument but also as an enduring reminder of the costs of war and the community’s ongoing commitment to peace.
As the town reflects on a century of remembrance, the hope remains that future generations will continue to cherish and learn from the lessons of the past.
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