PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL’S Deputy Leader has launched a major bid to halt controversial plans to close Stepaside School.

Cllr Paul Miller, who took over responsibility for education on May 15, has submitted a motion asking councillors to rescind two previous decisions which authorised officers to begin statutory consultation on closing Saundersfoot and Stepaside schools and replacing them with a single 3-11 primary school on the Saundersfoot site.

The proposal, backed by council in December 2025 and reaffirmed in March 2026, would have seen consultation begin in September.

But in a significant change of direction, Cllr Miller has now told members he no longer believes the proposal to discontinue Stepaside School is “the right one”.

In an email sent to all county councillors, he said he had reviewed the council’s school modernisation and reorganisation plans since taking on the education portfolio.

He said the authority’s work to date had focused mainly on surplus places, which he described as an “interesting estates and facilities metric” but one which “tells us very little about the educational experience of the children inside those buildings”.

Cllr Miller said he accepted that very small schools could become unviable, not only financially but educationally, because of pressures on leadership, staff capacity, mixed-age classes, peer groups and pupil wellbeing.

However, he said Stepaside was in a “materially different position” from schools with exceptionally low pupil numbers.

With around 100 pupils on roll, he said the school was “substantially larger than schools previously deemed unviable”.

He added that decisions affecting larger schools required a broader assessment of educational sustainability, leadership capacity, workforce resilience and pupil experience before closure could be justified.

Cllr Miller also raised the possibility of alternatives, including shared leadership arrangements or formal federation, which he said could strengthen the sustainability of both schools.

He further noted that the planned temporary full decant of Tenby VC School may use a significant proportion of existing surplus places at Saundersfoot School, potentially weakening the case for closing Stepaside as a response to surplus capacity in the Tenby cluster.

His motion asks council to rescind its decisions of December 12, 2025 and March 5, 2026 and to discontinue the proposed statutory consultation process relating to the closure of Saundersfoot and Stepaside schools.

He has asked for the motion to be dealt with at July’s full council meeting, describing it as the final ordinary meeting before the planned September consultation.

The move is likely to be welcomed by campaigners and parents who have opposed the closure of Stepaside School, but it also raises fresh questions about the future of the wider Saundersfoot proposal and the council’s school modernisation programme.

The Herald has previously reported strong local concern over the plans, with parents and residents arguing that Stepaside remains a viable village school and plays an important role in the community.

Pembrokeshire County Council has consistently said school reorganisation must take account of pupil numbers, surplus places, Welsh Government guidance, building condition, long-term sustainability and the need to provide high-quality education.

If accepted onto the agenda, Cllr Miller’s motion could force councillors to revisit one of the most sensitive education decisions currently facing the authority.

South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell welcomed the development, describing it as “absolutely fantastic news” and “a massive victory for our community”.

He said the council had listened following serious concerns raised by local parents, residents and community representatives.

Mr Tufnell added: “When a community stands together, raises its voice, and refuses to be ignored, this is exactly what can be achieved.”

He also thanked those who attended meetings, backed the campaign and spoke up for the future of local children.

A major exhibition featuring work inspired by the Pembrokeshire coast will open in St Davids this summer, bringing internationally recognised contemporary art to the heart of the National Park.

A MAJOR exhibition of work by Helen Chadwick is to open at Oriel y Parc, National Park Discovery Centre, in St Davids this month.

Helen Chadwick: Body and Landscape will run from Saturday, July 11, 2026, until Sunday, January 10, 2027. Admission is free.

The exhibition will include work from Chadwick’s Viral Landscapes series, which was inspired by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. It will be the first time the works have been shown in the landscape that helped shape them.

The exhibition has been developed through Oriel y Parc’s partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru and is organised as part of ARTIST ROOMS, the touring programme run by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland.

Chadwick, who died suddenly in 1996 at the age of 42, is regarded as one of the most radical and inventive British artists of her generation. Her work crossed sculpture, photography and installation, often using unusual materials to explore ideas about the body, identity, gender and the natural world.

The Pembrokeshire connection is central to the new exhibition. Chadwick created Viral Landscapes between 1988 and 1989 after receiving an Artists in National Parks commission from the Victoria and Albert Museum.

As part of that work, she walked the coast path between Fishguard and Castlemartin, photographing the point where land and sea meet. The resulting series reflected both the physical landscape and its powerful effect on the artist’s senses and sense of self.

Bryony White, Senior Curator at Amgueddfa Cymru, said: “Helen Chadwick was a true original. Through her radical and singular approach to art and ideas, she produced a body of work which retains its relevance and power, even today.

“We’re delighted to partner with Oriel y Parc to present this exhibition in Pembrokeshire where, for the first time, visitors will be able to experience and enjoy some of Chadwick’s Viral Landscapes in the landscape which inspired them.”

The exhibition will also include Chadwick’s well-known installation Piss Flowers from 1991-92, along with photographic works from Tate’s collection. These works were recently shown as part of ARTIST ROOMS displays at Tate Modern in London and the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh.

James Parkin, Director of Nature and Tourism at Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, said: “Helen Chadwick’s work has a powerful connection with Pembrokeshire, and it is very special to be able to bring pieces from her Viral Landscapes series back to the landscape that helped shape them.

“This exhibition reflects the strength of Oriel y Parc as a nationally significant gallery space and the importance of our partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru, Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland.

“It gives visitors a rare opportunity to experience major contemporary art in one of the most remarkable protected landscapes in the UK.”

ARTIST ROOMS presents the work of international artists in solo exhibitions drawn from a national touring collection jointly owned by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland. Since 2009, around 220 exhibitions have been shown at nearly 100 museums and galleries across the UK.

Helen Chadwick: Body and Landscape will be on display at Oriel y Parc, St Davids, from July 11, 2026, to January 10, 2027. Admission is free.

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a single-vehicle collision on the A44 near Capel Bangor, Aberystwyth, led to an attempted murder investigation.

Dyfed-Powys Police said the incident happened at around 8:50pm on Tuesday, June 30.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, domestic abuse and dangerous driving. He remains in police custody.

The investigation is being led by CID and the force’s major crime team, with officers expected to remain in the area over the coming days while enquiries continue.

Police are now appealing for anyone with information, footage or dashcam video to come forward.

Officers would like to hear from anyone who witnessed a disturbance in or around Capel Bangor at the time of the incident, anyone who was travelling on the A44 near Capel Bangor on Tuesday evening, or anyone who may have mobile phone, video or dashcam footage showing the people involved.

They are also asking anyone who can identify others who were present at the location around the time of the incident to contact them.

Information can be submitted through the dedicated investigation page at: https://mipp.police.uk/operation/6325A32-PO1

Alternatively, police can be contacted by emailing [email protected], sending a direct message on social media, or calling 101.

Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or through the charity’s website.

Anyone contacting police should quote reference: DP-20260630-390.