PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has rejected claims that the new pedestrian bridge in Haverfordwest has been fabricated 300mm too short.

The bridge, which forms part of a wider town centre regeneration scheme, was delivered to the site in late May and is scheduled for installation on the weekend of August 16–17.

In recent weeks, The Herald has received multiple reports alleging that the structure was slightly too short and that adjustments were being made to the concrete bases to compensate. One trusted source said the bridge was “300mm too short” and claimed: “They aren’t extending it, but they are re-doing the concrete bases to receive it.”

A town councillor, speaking anonymously, also told The Herald they had heard the fabricators used the old bridge as a reference and ended up “around 15 to 20 centimetres out.”

However, the council has issued a firm denial.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: “This is incorrect/false information. There hasn’t been any modification undertaken to the concrete bases as originally designed and constructed. No adjustment was made or required. There are no contractor or design errors.”

According to the council, the crane required for lifting the bridge into place is due to arrive on site on August 11. The booking for the crane was made in February.

The bridge has been promoted as a visual centrepiece for the town, with ambitions to boost footfall and appeal to visitors and social media users. Some residents, however, have voiced frustration over delays and limited visible progress.

The Herald will continue to monitor the situation.

Councillor demands mayor’s resignation after ‘diatribe of hatred’ in chapel. Town Clerk responds as tribunal looms for accuser — mayor silent

NEYLAND TOWN COUNCIL has been plunged into fresh controversy after Councillor David K. Devauden issued a scathing email demanding the resignation of the town’s mayor, Cllr. Peter Hay, following remarks made during a civic chapel service.

The incident occurred on Sunday (July 6) during a service attended by council members, local dignitaries, Reverend Alan Chadwick, and representatives from community groups. According to Cllr. Devauden, the mayor’s address amounted to a “sick diatribe of hatred” which caused “stress and distress” to himself, two former councillors, and others in the community.

The Herald understands that several attendees were so offended by the mayor’s tone that they refused to stay for the refreshments afterwards. One source described the atmosphere as “toxic.”

In his email, sent to the full council and copied to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, Cllr. Devauden called on the mayor to publicly apologise on the council’s website and to resign both his ceremonial and elected roles, claiming he is “not fit to hold your trousers up let alone the office of representing the people of Neyland.”

Cllr. Devauden also accused the mayor of waging a longstanding campaign of personal attacks, citing an example where it was allegedly claimed that the Milford Town Band objected to his presence at a Remembrance Day parade — a claim the band later denied when contacted, he said.

“This email is like that light chilly buff of wind that is a sure sign a storm is on its way,” Cllr. Devauden wrote. “So go before you are blown away.”

In response, Neyland Town Clerk Libby Matthews replied to The Herald, copying Cllr. Hay into the correspondence to allow him the opportunity to comment. She also drew attention to ongoing tribunal proceedings against both Cllr. Devauden and former councillor Brian Rothero, who are listed by the Adjudication Panel for Wales as facing multiple alleged breaches of the Councillor Code of Conduct.

“I do feel this is very relevant to the story I am sure Cllr. Devauden is trying to spin,” she wrote. “I will be happy to clarify any facts on either side of the matter, should you have any particular allegations you would wish to understand the truth of.”

According to the Adjudication Panel’s website, Cllr. Devauden is scheduled to face a tribunal (reference APW/005/2024-025/CT) over alleged breaches of the Code, including failing to show respect and consideration, bringing the office into disrepute, and misusing his position. A date for the hearing has not yet been confirmed.

Former councillor Brian Rothero is also listed for an upcoming tribunal. In a statement to The Herald, Mr Rothero said:

“This entire affair is deeply unpleasant and damaging to the town’s reputation. The comments made by the mayor were shocking, and I stand with Cllr. Devauden in asking for accountability.

“For years now, a small group on the council has operated without transparency or respect for proper conduct. The people of Neyland deserve better.”

Concerns about the mayor’s conduct were also echoed by a member of the public at the most recent council meeting. The Herald understands a letter was either read aloud or formally submitted at the meeting, expressing serious concern about what was said during the civic service.

“I have never been more ashamed of a council in my life,” the letter reportedly stated. “What was meant to be a respectful civic occasion was turned into something divisive and distressing. I urge councillors to reflect seriously on what kind of leadership this town deserves.”

Despite being given the opportunity to respond, Cllr. Peter Hay did not reply to The Herald’s request for comment.

The Herald understands that internal divisions have dogged Neyland Town Council for some time, with previous rows also referred to the Ombudsman and widely discussed in the community.

MANY childcare providers across Wales will be forced to close due to the unsustainable funding model imposed by the Welsh Government, the sector warned.

Lisa Owen, who has run the Chuckles nursery in Newport for more than 25 years, called for fair funding for providers and parents as she penned a 2,000-name Senedd petition.

Under the Welsh Government’s offer, working parents or those in eligible education or training can receive help towards the cost of childcare for three- and four-year-olds.

But providers receive a £6.40-an-hour rate which Ms Owen warned does not cover the true cost of delivering childcare, with many businesses being forced to run at a loss.

“Childcare providers should not have to fight to survive,” she wrote. “Families should not have to struggle to find care for their children – if we don’t act now, the future of childcare and early years education in Wales is at serious risk.”

In response to the petition, Dawn Bowden, minister for children and social care, said the Welsh Government will invest more than £150m in childcare in 2025/26.

Pledging to review the amount providers receive each year, Ms Bowden pointed to April’s £1.40 uplift in the rate which had been frozen at £5 for three years as inflation spiralled.

She also raised a 20% uplift in allowable food costs and 100% small business rates relief.

But Ms Owen was extremely disappointed by the minister’s response, saying she has to subsidise the childcare offer at the risk of losing her business.

She asked: “Why are childcare providers having to fund the difference between the rate the Welsh Government has decided and the rate the setting needs to charge to be sustainable?”

The petitioner said: “We are not asking for an increased rate but for the Welsh Government to give us back our businesses by allowing us to charge shortfalls if required, so we can protect the longevity of the business and the future jobs of our teams.”

Ms Owen warned the flat rate and inability to charge for the shortfall meant she lost income of about £75,000, including £50,000 earmarked for a disabled toilet extension.

She said: “It is getting increasingly annoying that the minister keeps writing that the rate was increased by 28% but missing out that in April 2022 the rate was frozen for three years.”

The business owner pointed out that wages increased by 37% in the same period and the UK Government raised employer national insurance contributions (NICs) from April.

She told the Senedd’s petitions committee her award-winning nursery paused investment and will no longer be able to take on apprentices nor pay the real living wage.

In a follow-up letter, the campaigner said: “These all stopped because the Welsh Government will not allow me to charge what I need to be sustainable.”

Ms Owen wrote: “Everyone I have spoken to outside the Welsh Government completely understands our position and how simply this can be rectified. I hope you can see how unreasonable it is to expect a business to support your scheme then be destroyed by it.”

Her nursery was one of a handful in Wales to score “excellent” in all six areas of a joint Care Inspectorate Wales and Estyn inspection in 2023.

“I am not rich,” she said. “Nurseries are no longer ‘honey pots’ due to the huge amount of regulations we have to adhere to and the training we have to fund.

“Everyone is quick enough to say we are expensive but they are expensive to operate: you can’t cut staff, turn the heating down, buy cheaper materials.

“It’s a passion and we do what we do to survive.”

The National Day Nurseries Association Cymru welcomed the £1.40 increase but warned the £6.40 rate was still expected to leave most private nurseries with a shortfall.

The effective rate for childcare providers ranged from £7 to £10 an hour, according to an Early Years Wales report which warned of pressures from wage growth, inflation and NICs.

One provider told the umbrella organisation: “Rhetoric alone won’t change outcomes for children. Investment, collaboration and a long-term commitment to early years support will.

“Ministers must now translate their words into tangible actions that ensure every child in Wales has the strongest possible start in life.”

At its meeting on July 14, the Senedd’s petitions committee decided to write to the minister, seeking a response to Ms Owen’s concerns while keeping the petition open in the interim.