Community

End of the line for deregulation as Senedd backs bus shake-up

Published

2 months ago

December 10, 2025

THE WELSH Parliament has given the green light for a bus services overhaul, putting ministers in the driving seat to decide routes, timetables and fares.

Senedd Members voted 34-10, with two abstentions, in favour of a bill to replace the current system in which private operators decide most routes on a commercial basis.

A franchising model, similar to London’s, will be rolled out as Wales ditches deregulation introduced by the Thatcher government in the 1980s, with a 56% fall in journeys since.

Under the bus bill, which lifts limits on councils running services, the Welsh Government will take control of the network, with Transport for Wales responsible for implementation.

The draft law was introduced because private operators often cut “socially necessary” but unprofitable routes, leaving people stranded and forcing ministers to step in with subsidies.

The new system, which has been about a decade in the making, will be introduced in phases over about five years in four regions, beginning in south-west Wales in 2027.

An impact assessment put the total costs of the reforms over 30 years at £623m which was outweighed by estimated benefits of £3.6bn, a return of approximately £5 for every £1 spent.

Transport and North Wales secretary Ken Skates

Ken Skates, Wales’ transport secretary, said passing the “landmark” bill will put people first in the design and delivery of bus services.

He told the Senedd: “It will restore growth to the industry and it will also help to create one network, one timetable, one ticket across public transport.

“Vote for this bill and we will, finally, have the tools to transform public transport for the better in Wales.”

But Sam Rowlands, the Conservatives’ shadow transport secretary, depicted the “rushed” plans as fundamentally flawed and overly focused on urban areas.

Warning rural Wales has been neglected, Mr Rowlands said: “One-third of the population of Wales live in rural areas yet there is no clear vision for rural bus networks.”

He told Senedd Members the franchising model will not work in Wales and risk creating a “one-size-fits-all” system that is “too rigid to respond to local needs”.

Mr Rowlands warned smaller bus operators could be pushed out and he bemoaned a “once-in-a-generation” missed opportunity to create an accessible bus network.

Plaid Cymru’s Delyth Jewell backed the bill and welcomed amendments to include school transport when planning bus services, with a duty to consider access to education.

South Wales East's Plaid Cymru MS Delyth Jewell — South Wales East’s Plaid Cymru MS Delyth Jewell

Jenny Rathbone, a Labour backbencher, described the bus bill as an “essential measure” to make better use of taxpayers’ money through a more rational system.

She said: “Currently, we have to lay on special school buses to transport secondary school pupils… because there’s no public bus to get them there. Instead, rival groups of public and private bus providers compete for the most profitable routes.”

Ms Rathbone told Senedd Members it cost Cardiff almost as much to transport children with additional learning needs (£11.1m) as it did to educate them (£11.3m) last year.

Carolyn Thomas, a fellow Labour politician, said the bill will address the issue of operators having to be heavily subsidised to take on less lucrative contracts in rural areas.

With no legal challenge expected following the final “stage-four” vote on December 9, the bill – which was delayed by the pandemic – should receive royal assent in the coming weeks.

Community

Specialist team searches River Teifi in ongoing hunt for missing man

Published

1 hour ago

January 29, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A SPECIALIST search team has carried out a renewed and highly technical search of the River Teifi in Cardigan as efforts continue to find a man who was last seen entering the water earlier this month.

The operation was undertaken on Wednesday (Jan 28) by Specialist Group International (SGI), following a request from the family of Kurtis Brook.

Kurtis was witnessed entering the River Teifi on Saturday (Jan 4). Despite extensive searches involving multiple agencies and voluntary rescue organisations since then, he has not been located.

SGI confirmed that a seven-person specialist team conducted a coordinated search along the river, working downstream to the mouth of the Teifi estuary. The operation involved the deployment of high-frequency side-scan sonar, equipment capable of detecting objects beneath the water’s surface even in low-visibility conditions.

However, the team said conditions on the river remain exceptionally challenging. Recent storms, prolonged high river levels, floodwater and tidal influence have significantly altered the river environment since the initial incident.

In a statement, SGI said the search area contained “significant debris, obstructions and strainers,” describing flood and tidal river searches as among the most complex and hazardous situations faced by rescue specialists.

The Herald understands that the River Teifi has experienced repeated high-flow events in recent weeks, complicating earlier search efforts and increasing risks for those operating on the water.

SGI added that while no breakthrough was made during the latest operation, their thoughts remain firmly with Kurtis’s family and loved ones, and they acknowledged the continued dedication shown by his friends and relatives throughout the search.

Emergency services and specialist teams have been involved in repeated searches since the incident, with the operation scaling back and resuming at various points as conditions allowed.

Anyone with information relevant to the disappearance is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police.

Business

Councillor condemns closure of Haverfordwest Santander branch

Published

4 hours ago

January 29, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A PEMBROKESHIRE councillor has spoken out after learning that the Santander branch in Haverfordwest is set to close later this year, warning the decision will have a serious impact on local residents, families and businesses.

The bank’s Bridge Street branch is due to close on Monday (May 5) as part of a wider UK restructuring programme.

Councillor Thomas Baden Tudor said he was “lost for words” and urged the bank to reconsider, describing the closure as devastating for customers who rely on face-to-face services.

Santander says the decision is driven by declining footfall, with more customers banking online, and that services will remain available via digital platforms and Post Office counters.

However, the announcement follows a steady erosion of high-street banking in Pembrokeshire. The Herald recently reported that Haverfordwest’s former Halifax branch is set to reopen as a nail salon.

In what appears to be a serious failure of planning, there is now not a single bank branch left anywhere in south Pembrokeshire. Towns including Tenby, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock are all without face-to-face banking facilities.

North Pembrokeshire has also been affected, with Fishguard and St Davids now lacking bank branches.

Pembrokeshire is understood to be left with just four bank branches in total — Nationwide in Milford Haven, and HSBC, NatWest and Lloyds Bank in Haverfordwest.

Community

Campaign to ‘save’ River Cleddau hits over 2,200 signatures

Published

7 hours ago

January 29, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A PETITION call for a public commitment to save Pembrokeshire’s River Cleddau which has attracted more than 2,200 signatures, and is due to be heard by full council, ends in a few days.

The e-petition on Pembrokeshire County Council’s own website, started by James Harrison-Allen, says: “We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to create and enact a Clean Rivers Policy to restore the Cleddau to good health after decades of neglect and degradation.

“The Cleddau flows through the heart of Pembrokeshire, including our county town, and is the foundation for Pembrokeshire’s prosperity. The river is failing, and we need to act now to save it from irreversible decline.

“What’s the problem? The Cleddau rivers and estuary are the worst (and worsening) polluted SAC (Special Area of Conservation) designated rivers in Wales; worse even than the Wye and the Usk (NRW Water Assessment Report 2024), and considerably worse than the neighbouring Towy and Teifi.

“Damaging impacts on Pembrokeshire’s economy, public health and the natural environment. Ineffective regulation; monitoring, responding, policing, enforcement and prosecutions. What should PCC be doing to address this? Make a formal, public commitment to cleaning up the Cleddau. Make the health of the Cleddau central.”

Earlier this year, Henry Tufnell, MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, called for “urgent” action to tackle the poor state of the River Cleddau when he chaired a discussion bringing together key stakeholders, environmental experts, and community voices to address the issues surrounding water quality and pollution.

The panel event, organised by local river action group The Cleddau Project, covered topics including pollution sources, enforcement failures, and potential solutions to improve the river’s health.

The e-petition runs up to February 1, and had attracted 2,207 signatures by January 27.

If a petition gets 500 signatures, the creator will have an opportunity to debate it at a future full council meeting.