ONGOING support for people who attend the Anchorage, Bro Preseli and Lee Davies Day Centres and their families remains the highest priority during required changes to Day Opportunities provision in Pembrokeshire, Council Cabinet Members have heard.

Meeting on Monday, Cabinet Members backed a proposal that ensured additional time has been built-in to ensure a smooth transition for service users to continue to access Day Opportunities as close to their homes as possible.

There was a strong emphasis that nobody who attends Anchorage, Bro Preseli or Lee Davies would be left without provision following the changes and there will be continued work with service users and their families going forward.

Consultation in 2019 with service users, stakeholders and partners had looked to develop a new model for Day Opportunities in Pembrokeshire and since Covid there has been a substantial fall in the number of people attending Day Centres.

A more sustainable means of supporting day opportunities for older people and people with disabilities were set out in the Council’s 24/25 budget setting process.

The Council has proposed to exit service level agreements with the Bro Preseli Day Centre in Crymych and the Lee Davies Day Centre in Narberth in favour of a social enterprise model.

These social enterprise models have followed a lengthy period of working with partners and will allow flexibility of service provision and further strengthen links between PCC and the Third Sector.

The reconfiguration of Day Opportunities will, however, result in the closure of the Anchorage Day Centre, Pembroke Dock.

All people attending the Anchorage and their families have been involved in discussions relating to future Day Opportunities and chosen future options.

Meadow Park Day Centre has capacity to support all of the current service users from the Anchorage and direct transport will be provided to Meadow Park for those who wish to take up the opportunity,

Officers have also identified community based opportunities in Pembroke Dock.

Members backed the recommendation to close the Anchorage Day Centre with effect from 1^st November 2024 and establish social enterprise models in Bro Preseli and Lee Davies Day Centres from 1^st April 2025.

Cllr Tessa Hodgson, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding, said: “In Pembrokeshire, we want older people and people with disabilities to have a range of meaningful things to do, in their local communities that provides purpose, connection and where appropriate, progression.

“We have at every step tried to balance the needs of the service users and their families with the requirement for change and we will continue to support all service users as we go through this process.

“We have worked hard to identify alternative and suitable provision for all service users and put the direct bus in place from the Anchorage to Meadow Park after listening to feedback.

“I wish to emphasise that no service users will be left without provision following the decision here today and we will continue to work closely with everyone to ensure a positive outcome for all day opportunities users.”

A FORMAL consultation on changes to Pembrokeshire’s local development plan is expected to be backed at a special meeting later this week.

At an extraordinary council meeting taking place on September 13, councillors are asked to approve the Replacement Pembrokeshire County Council Local Development Plan (2017-2033) – LDP 2, Deposit Plan 2 – as a basis for a public consultation in autumn 2024.

The consultation would be held for a minimum of six weeks.

The Local Development Plan (LDP) sets out the local policy framework for determining planning applications and directing growth in the part of Pembrokeshire for which the county council has planning jurisdiction.

A report for members states: “Pembrokeshire County Council’s current LDP was adopted in 2013 and has an end date of 2021, although it remains in force as the adoption of the plan pre-dated the formal introduction of statutory end dates for LDPs in Wales.

“Nonetheless the current LDP is now more than 11 years old and the need to prepare and adopt a replacement LDP is paramount, in order to make provision for the new growth needed to support communities and businesses up until 2033 and to protect and enhance Pembrokeshire’s environment.”

The new LDP2 includes a 60/40 per cent split between new dwellings proposed in the urban and rural areas, policy making provision for 6,425 dwellings, in order to deliver a target of 5,840 dwellings, with a target of 2,000 of them affordable.

There are three strategic residential allocations made by LDP 2:  Slade Lane, Haverfordwest; Maesgwynne, Fishguard; and South of Conway Drive, Steynton, intended to provide 622 new dwellings between them.

In town centres it proposes: “Some changes are proposed to the Town Centre Strategy, the purpose of which is to maintain and enhance the vibrancy of town centres.  Town Centre boundaries have been reviewed and, where necessary, revised.  Protected retail frontages are retained, but their extent has generally been reduced.

“No residential use will be accepted at ground floor level in the primary frontages, but in the context that the extent of the primary frontages is reduced.  Residential at ground floor level in secondary frontages may be accepted, where justified, and will be accepted in all other town centre locations except for primary frontages.  Residential use above ground floor level is being supported.  Sustainable transport to and from town centres is also supported.”

Two solar array allocations are included in the plan, at Llanstadwell and Wolfscastle, and a coastal change policy, which limits development in areas vulnerable to flooding due to sea-level rise.

A new policy on water quality, including protection of water resources, is also included, responding to the river water quality issues in the Cleddau and Teifi catchments.

Residents of Milford Haven were startled this evening by the presence of a low-flying helicopter and a significant police presence in the area.

Around 21:00 on this evening the helicopter was spotted hovering over multiple locations, including Mount Woods, Elm Lane, and Milton Crescent, causing concern and curiosity among locals.

Witnesses reported the helicopter circling for several minutes and using a searchlight.

Prior to the activity in Milford Haven, a similar police operation was seen earlier in the evening in Haverfordwest. Residents there reported a strong police presence, with officers utilising drones to aid in their search. Drones were observed being deployed around the North Court area, as the police conducted their operations.

Several eyewitnesses in Milford Haven also reported seeing police vans and cars entering the Mount Woods area, with some suggesting that the helicopter was assisting officers in a search.

The heightened police presence has led to widespread speculation, but no official details have yet been confirmed regarding the exact nature of the operation.
We have contacted Dyfed-Powys Police for further information and are awaiting an update. (Image: File)

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