News

Pembroke traffic chaos sparks public outrage

Published

1 week ago

July 1, 2025

MAJOR traffic disruption in Pembroke caused by temporary traffic lights installed for road works at Bush Hill (A4139) has sparked widespread public outrage, with residents and local businesses expressing frustration and anger at severe delays.

Traffic lights installed by Wales & West Utilities at the junction have reportedly allowed only minimal vehicles through at a time, leading to significant tailbacks and lengthy delays throughout Monday.

Wales & West Utilities Programme Controller for Pembroke, Adam Smith, said: “We are working in the Well Hill area of Pembroke, to upgrade the gas network. This work is essential to keep the gas flowing safely to heat and power local homes and businesses and to make sure the gas network is ready to transport greener gas.

“In agreement with Pembrokeshire County Council and in order to keep the local community, road users and our colleagues safe while we work, four-way traffic lights are in place along Well Hill at its junction with Holyland Road, Main Street and Station Road.

“These lights are manned during peak traffic hours; however, we are now increasing the number of traffic officers to try and improve the flow of traffic. While this should help us minimise disruption, we would still encourage people to leave more time for travel and to take alternative routes if at all possible.

“Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we expect to complete our work on Well Hill and remove these lights by 21 July.

“Before our work started, we wrote to homes and businesses in the area letting them know what to expect and held a community drop-in session where people could learn more about the plans. We would like to thank the local community for their patience during these works. We appreciate that working on roads like this is not ideal, and we’re sorry for the disruption our work is causing, but it really is essential to keep the gas flowing and to make sure the network is fit for the future.”

Jonathan Grimes, County Councillor for Pembroke St Mary South & Monkton, expressed deep concern about the disruption, stating he had spoken directly to Wales & West Utilities and was liaising with Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC).

Residents voiced their frustration online, highlighting journeys normally taking ten minutes were lasting up to an hour and a half. Local business owner Peter Chesmore described the situation as a “damn disgrace,” saying it took him 45 minutes to make a short journey to work. Chesmore further demanded night-time works to reduce disruption or financial compensation for affected businesses through rate relief.

School runs were particularly affected, with Anne Braithwaite noting she was 40 minutes late picking up her grandson from nursery. Commuters like Amanda Jane Mcknight and Margaret Powell shared similar stories of extensive delays, suggesting traffic management should mirror arrangements made during Pembroke Fair, using alternative routes or two-way systems to ease congestion.

Concerns were also raised about emergency service accessibility, with locals noting a potential risk if ambulances or fire engines needed rapid passage through the area.

Residents including Virginia Billing described feeling “imprisoned” in Monkton due to continuous traffic disruptions in recent months, further exacerbating frustration and calls for urgent action.

Councillor Grimes acknowledged a failure in initial traffic management, revealing traffic signals had not been adequately manned initially by Wales & West Utilities. He confirmed that PCC had intervened to address the issues.

Community

Milford Haven paddling pool open daily at 10:00am — safety reminder issued

Published

4 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Town council urges parents to supervise children at all times

MILFORD HAVEN TOWN COUNCIL has reminded visitors to the children’s paddling pool on The Rath that the facility opens daily at 10:00am, and that children must be supervised by a responsible adult.

In a bilingual safety poster shared online, the council set out simple but essential rules to help ensure the pool remains a safe and fun space throughout the summer holidays. While the pool is popular with families, the council warns that it is not officially supervised, and users do so at their own risk.

The key rules include:

Children must be accompanied by an adult.
No running or diving in or around the pool.
No food, drink, or glass bottles in the water area.
No dogs are allowed within the paddling pool zone.
Littering is strictly prohibited.

A council spokesperson said: “Hi everyone, a polite request: we ask that all children be supervised by a responsible adult while using the pool. Thank you.”

There is no formal age limit for the pool, but younger children will be given priority, especially during busy times.

Local families have praised the pool since it reopened, with one visitor, Linda Phillips, commenting: “We’ve just spent two hours there. Great effort everyone! The youngsters are really enjoying it.”

Milford Haven Town Council thanked her for the feedback, calling it “lovely to hear.”

Opening times or access arrangements may change due to weather or maintenance — updates will be posted on the council’s official Facebook page.

Caption:

Splash safely: Milford Haven Town Council’s new bilingual poster reminds families to supervise children and follow the rules while enjoying the paddling pool on The Rath this summer (Pic: Herald).

News

Stricken boat rescued off Ramsey Island after gearbox failure

Published

9 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Off-duty RNLI crew member steps in to assist with tow to safety

ST DAVIDS RNLI all-weather lifeboat launched at 6:20pm on Wednesday (July 9) to assist a 28-foot motorboat that had suffered drive shaft failure near Ramsey Island.

The vessel, which had departed from Porthclais harbour with two people on board, was left without propulsion due to gearbox issues and was drifting dangerously close to cliffs.

The call for assistance was received at 6:09pm, and the lifeboat was launched just over 10 minutes later. Calm sea conditions allowed the volunteer crew to reach the scene swiftly. A local recreational boat from Voyages of Discovery had been standing by the stricken vessel until the lifeboat arrived.

Given the boat’s proximity to the cliffs and inability to manoeuvre, the coxswain made the decision to tow it back to Porthclais. However, the harbour is inaccessible to the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat.

Fortunately, off-duty crew member Robin was nearby on his own vessel and was able to take over the tow and bring the motorboat safely into the harbour.

The lifeboat and crew returned to station by 7:40pm.

Crime

Motorist sentenced over crash that left biker with life-changing injuries

Published

10 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE man who caused life-changing injuries to a motorcyclist in a serious crash at Merlin’s Bridge has been sentenced at Swansea Crown Court.

JAMES IAN PUTTOCK appeared before the court on Wednesday (July 2), where he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving, contrary to section 2C of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

The collision occurred on December 20, 2022, at Merlin’s Bridge, near Haverfordwest, and involved a red Suzuki Splash driven by Puttock and a motorcyclist.

The rider suffered what police described at the time as “life-changing injuries” and was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. The road was closed for several hours while crash investigators examined the scene.

Puttock had originally been due to stand trial, as previously reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald in January 2024. However, he entered a guilty plea ahead of trial.

At sentencing, the court imposed the following:

20 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months
10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days
12-month driving disqualification

The Herald understands the crash had a profound impact on the injured rider and their family, who are still dealing with the long-term consequences of the incident.