Community

Homelessness bill passes first Senedd hurdle

Published

6 months ago

November 6, 2025

SWEEPING plans to abolish the “exclusionary” priority need and intentionality tests for homelessness support in Wales have cleared the first hurdle in the Senedd.

Senedd Members agreed the principles of the homelessness bill without objection, doing away with the need for a vote following Tuesday’s (November 4) “stage-one” debate.

Housing secretary Jayne Bryant explained the bill would better protect the workforce as well as abolish the priority need and intentionality tests for homelessness support.

She told the Senedd: “Our focus is how to help people – not whether to help people,” outlining a trauma-informed approach focused on prevention and early intervention.

She said phased implementation is expected to cost £247m over ten years, outweighed by estimated benefits of £481m – “meaning every £1 invested will generate £2”.

Ms Bryant added that every £1 will generate £4 if wider societal benefits are included.

Her Labour colleague John Griffiths, who chairs the Senedd’s housing committee, said: “Nobody should have to experience the trauma of homelessness and, as such, we welcome action that aims to take us further towards the goal of ending homelessness in Wales.”

But Mr Griffiths stressed legislation alone will not be enough to achieve the ambition, saying delivering more social housing and sufficient resources must be prioritised.

He raised councils’ concerns about increased demands on an under-pressure system.

He added: “We have highlighted our significant concerns about providing local authorities with a power to determine categories of people eligible for social housing allocation.

“Such a power will move us away from the universal idea that anyone can apply for social housing and we are skeptical as to its inclusion in the bill. We didn’t hear evidence in support… and we do not feel the Welsh Government has sufficiently made its case.”

Finance committee chair Peredur Owen Griffiths expressed concerns about the robustness of evidence used as a basis for cost estimates. He said: “While we accept that the best available evidence has been used, we believe further modelling is needed.”

South Wales East's Plaid Cymru MS Peredur Owen Griffiths — South Wales East’s Plaid Cymru MS Peredur Owen Griffiths

Conservative Joel James backed the bill but warned it will not be a “silver bullet” due to the scale of the homelessness crisis and the “lowest-ever” rate of housebuilding in Wales.

Mr James told the Senedd: “If this bill is to succeed, it must be accompanied by substantial support,” pointing to recurring concerns about short-term funding cycles.

He called for an exemption for veterans from the local connection test for social housing.

“While we support the bill’s general principles, we must be clear about its limitations,” said Mr James. “Ending homelessness in Wales will require far more.”

Siân Gwenllian, Plaid Cymru’s shadow housing secretary, supported moving to more of a proactive, preventive approach to homelessness.

But she emphasised the need to strengthen the bill, with more than 10,000 people, including 3,000 children, living in temporary accommodation – often without basics such as a kitchen.

She said: “Although the Welsh Government has claimed it is prioritising homelessness, the figures show a different reality: it is forecast homelessness could increase by 24% by 2041.

“It is a crisis, isn’t it? There is no doubt the bill does include positive steps and I welcome the ask-and-act approach but I do feel there is an opportunity to go further.”

Labour’s Julie Morgan called for greater support for care leavers – who are too often discharged into the homelessness system, “which is totally unacceptable”.

The bill now moves to second and third stages – detailed consideration of amendments by the housing committee then the whole Senedd before a final stage-four vote.

Community

Teifi river revival project secures £1.4m lottery funding

Published

2 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

COMMUNITIES along the River Teifi are set to play a central role in a major new project aimed at improving the health of one of west Wales’ most important rivers.

The Teifi Fyw — Living Teifi: People and Nature Together project has been given the green light after securing more than £1.4m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The conservation project aims to respond to climate change, biodiversity loss and declining river health, while also recognising the Teifi’s deep cultural and historic importance to the communities which live and work along its catchment.

The first stage will be a two-year development phase, bringing together scientific evidence, local history, lived experience and creative work to help shape future restoration plans.

The project will be coordinated by Natural Resources Wales, working with the West Wales Rivers Trust, the Mining Remediation Authority, Strata Florida Trust, Mentera, Ceredigion County Council, UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales.

It will also build on existing work carried out by the Teifi Nutrient Management Board and local stakeholder projects including Llais yr Afon and P.R.A.M.

Cllr Clive Davies welcomed the announcement, saying he looked forward to seeing the project outcomes realised.

The River Teifi is one of Wales’ best-known waterways, flowing through Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire before reaching the sea at Cardigan.

Project leaders say the aim is to ensure that restoration work is not only based on environmental evidence, but also reflects the values and priorities of the people who know the river best.

Community

Henry Tudor Centre designs to go on display in Pembroke

Published

6 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Public invited to help shape new heritage centre exhibition

MEMBERS of the public are being invited to view the emerging exhibition designs for the new Henry Tudor Centre in Pembroke.

The centre, due to open in spring 2027, will be based at South Quay and will tell the story of Henry Tudor, the son of Pembroke who went on to become Henry VII and founder of the Tudor dynasty.

The exhibition designs will be on display at Pembroke Town Hall from Friday, May 22, to Friday, May 29.

The Henry Tudor Trust, which will operate the new heritage centre, is asking residents and visitors to give their views on how Henry Tudor’s story should be told.

The designs have been developed by exhibition specialists Image Makers, with feedback forms available for members of the public to submit comments. These responses will help refine the exhibition as the project develops.

The new logo for the centre, created by Haverfordwest-based marketing company Media2Motion, will also be on display.

Work is currently underway to refurbish the Grade II-listed building at South Quay, which will house the new exhibition. The centre will also include a new public library, replacing the current library on The Commons, as well as a café.

The capital project is being funded by the Welsh Government, UK Government and Pembrokeshire County Council.

Additional support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will fund a programme of events and activities at the new centre, alongside volunteering opportunities and educational resources for schools.

The exhibition plans can be viewed at Pembroke Town Hall from Monday to Thursday, 9:00am to 3:00pm, and Friday, 9:00am to 1:00pm. The town hall is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Community

Pembroke Town Council Monkton vacancy following town councillor’s Senedd win

Published

8 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PEMBROKE’S Monkton ward will soon have a new town councillor after its previous representative secured a seat in the Senedd as one of six new members for the Ceredigion Penfro seat.

A notice of casual vacancy for the Monkton ward of Pembroke Town Council was publicised yesterday, May 11.

If no written request is made to the county council’s returning officer, the town council may fill the vacant seat by co-option.

The seat was made vacant following now-former town councillor Reform’s Susan Claire Archibald becoming a Senedd member for the new Ceredigion Penfro Senedd ward, one of two Reform candidates to do so.

At the Senedd count on May 8, the former councillor spoke on behalf of herself, fellow Reform winner Paul Marr, and the party’s supporters, saying the supporters would need “new shoes,” given Ceredigion Penfro’s “ginormous constituency”.

She added: “Paul and I are obviously very excited to get to work to representing our constituency of Ceredigion and Penfro.”

The six Senedd members for the new Ceredigion Penfro ward, which saw three Plaid seats, two Reform and one Welsh Conservatives gained, are: Elin Jones, Kerry Ferguson, and Anna Nicholl Plaid Cymru; Susan Claire Archibald and Paul Marr Reform; Welsh Conservatives Paul Windsor Davies.

A formal request for an election to fill the vacant Monkton seat may be made to: Returning Officer, Pembrokeshire County Council, Electoral Services, County Hall, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 1TP.

The town council itself saw, last weekend, the inauguration of Councillor Jonathan Grimes, also joint county councillor for Pembroke Monkton and St Mary South, as the 647th Mayor of Pembroke.

Accompanied by his wife, Councillor Deborah Willcocks, a civic lunch was held at the town hall, Main Street, successfully raising £350 in support of his chosen charity, Sandy Bear.

The weekend also saw a service at St Mary’s Church, where the Bishop of St Davids offered a blessing for the newly installed bells.