Whistle-blower raised safety and funding questions as council insists no formal offer was made

SWANSEA COUNCIL l has denied claims that it turned down a £50m investment proposal for Swansea Airport, insisting it has not been formally approached by anyone other than the Swansea Airport Stakeholders Alliance (SASA) with a detailed offer.

The clarification comes after concerns were raised with the Herald by a whistleblower, who alleged biased treatment in favour of SASA, questioned operational standards at the airport, and suggested taxpayers may be indirectly funding its operation.

In a statement, a Swansea Council spokesperson said Cabinet had agreed to grant a long-term lease to SASA following a report outlining options for the site after a period of interim arrangements.

The spokesperson said the decision built on progress made since July last year, when SASA took temporary control of the airport after the previous operator surrendered its lease, allowing the site to remain open.

Council outlines reasons for lease decision

According to the council, since taking over, SASA has reinstated the airport’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) aerodrome licence following a successful audit, improved operational standards and compliance, introduced new amenities including a café, and attracted interest from businesses looking to relocate to the site.

SASA will be offered a lease on commercial terms, subject to independent valuation, with the council stating this will ensure best consideration as landlord.

“The airport had faced an uncertain future before we began working with SASA to put in place a management plan,” the spokesperson said.

Cabinet was told that pursuing alternative options would have required taking the site to market and reapplying for a CAA licence, which could have led to disruption and uncertainty.

Investment and taxpayer funding claims denied

Addressing claims that a £50m investment offer had been ignored, the council said: “We’ve not been formally approached by anyone other than SASA with any detailed offers for the operation of the airport.”

The spokesperson added that the council operates an “open door policy” and any interested party can request a meeting to discuss investment opportunities at any time.

The council also rejected suggestions that taxpayers are subsidising the airport, stating: “We plan to offer no financial support as part of any future agreement. The lease will be on commercial terms; all occupational costs will be an obligation of SASA.”

Safety and environmental concerns

The whistleblower also raised concerns about fire cover, staffing, and an alleged environmental incident involving firefighting foam entering drains.

In response, the council said the airport is a licensed facility and operational matters fall under the responsibility of the licensee and the CAA as the regulatory body. Officers had sight of the recent “positive CAA audit” which led to the reinstatement of the licence.

The council added that its officers had not been asked to investigate any recent environmental incidents.

Background to lease decision

The council’s decision follows a turbulent period for Swansea Airport after the previous operator surrendered its lease in 2024, placing the site’s future and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licence at risk.

In July last year, the Swansea Airport Stakeholders Alliance (SASA) stepped in on an interim basis to keep the airport open, with the CAA licence later reinstated following a successful audit.

Since then, the council says SASA has introduced a café, tightened operational standards, rebuilt confidence within the flying community and attracted interest from businesses looking to relocate to the site.

Cabinet approved the move to grant a long-term lease earlier this month, with council leader Rob Stewart previously saying that taking the airport back to market would have required a fresh CAA licence application, potentially leading to disruption and uncertainty.

Under the proposal, SASA will be offered a lease on commercial terms, subject to independent valuation, allowing it to invest in infrastructure while the council retains its role as landlord.

Ongoing scrutiny

The council said it remains committed to supporting aviation in Swansea while ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and best value principles.

The Herald understands that concerns continue to be raised by some within the local aviation community, and the situation will be kept under review.

A PLEA to not “pluck the heart out of a community” by closing a Pembrokeshire village school was heard by councillors just days after a consultation into its future was launched.

At the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, members received a petition opposing the potential closure of Ysgol Clydau, Tegryn, which had generated 648 responses on the council’s own website, meaning it crossed the threshold to be heard at full council.

A council statement accompanying the launch of the consultation said: “At its meeting on May 8, Pembrokeshire County Council considered a report of the School Modernisation Working Group which outlined the findings of a review of education provision in the Preseli area.

“In particular the review considered the extent of surplus school places in the area, set against a significant decline in the pupil population.”

The Ysgol Clydau petition states: “We demand that Pembrokeshire County Council reconsider its decision to close Ysgol Clydau and instead prioritise the needs of our community by keeping the school open. We oppose the closure of Ysgol Clydau and call for full public scrutiny before any decision is made.

“We urge you to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the community, listen to our concerns, and work with us to find alternative solutions that support the needs of our children and families.”

Sarah Farnden

Speaking at the meeting on behalf of the petitioners, Sarah Farnden, in an emotive plea, said the school was “not just a school but a sanctuary, a nurturing environment,” which offered “warmth, belonging and safety”.

“A village without a school becomes a village without families, a village without families becomes a village without a future,” she told members, adding: “Ysgol Clydau is not in debt, it’s not overspent, we’ve done everything asked of us, so why are we being punished?

“There has been a school on this site for 145 years, if you close Ysgol Clydau you are not closing a building you are closing a heritage; we are not here to fight you, we are here to beg you.”

Cllr Iwan Ward

Local member Cllr Iwan Ward said: “The decision of Pembrokeshire County Council to release this consultation on the closure a few days before Christmas is extremely disappointing, a time of year families should be concentrating on being together, not a time to have to face the threat of losing the heart of our community.”

To applause from the gallery, he added: “It’s not a matter of numbers on a paper, it’s a moral matter; the school is much more than four walls, it’s a safe place for children to grow and a cornerstone of community spirit.

“Closing a school like this rips the heart out of rural life, to threaten a school that isn’t failing is an action I cannot, and am not willing to, take quietly.

“I will stand with the staff, the governors, and the children also.”

Members heard the consultation had been expected to launch back in September but had been delayed due to staffing issues; its 42-day period due to now end in late January.

Members agreed to note the petition ahead of the consultation end, recommendations on the school’s future expected to be decided in March.

The final word went to Sarah Farnden, who said: “We’re not asking for special treatment, we’re asking for fairness and compassion; do not pluck the heart out of the community.”

Concerns raised over falling rolls and school reorganisation plans across south Pembrokeshire

A CALL for a temporary “breathing space” before any decision is taken on the future of a Pembrokeshire village school at possible risk of closure has been rejected at full council.

At Pembrokeshire County Council’s meeting on Thursday, December 12, members considered a major package of recommendations linked to education reorganisation in the south of the county. The proposals form part of a wider transformation programme responding to sharply declining pupil numbers across the Tenby, Saundersfoot and Stepaside areas.

Under the plans, councillors were asked to authorise a public consultation on establishing a new 3-19 all-through school in Tenby, initially operating across split sites. The long-term ambition is either to rebuild or significantly extend the Ysgol Greenhill site, or potentially relocate to a new site altogether. As part of this process, both Tenby Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School and Ysgol Greenhill would be discontinued.

A second set of recommendations proposed establishing a new 3-11 primary school on the Saundersfoot Community Primary School site, with both Saundersfoot and Stepaside schools discontinued.

The supporting report highlighted major surplus capacity in the area’s schools. In the Tenby cluster alone, there are 534 empty places in the primary sector and 341 in the secondary sector. Tenby Church in Wales VC School is forecast to have a surplus of 38.1 per cent in 2025, remaining above 25 per cent for at least four years. Ysgol Greenhill, with space for 1,194 pupils, has just 877 on roll this year, creating a 28.5 per cent surplus.

Saundersfoot Community Primary School, which can accommodate 280 children, had fallen to 151 pupils by 2025—a 49.2 per cent surplus. At Stepaside, enrolment is projected at 107 pupils in 2025, leaving 101 places empty—over half the school’s capacity.

For the Tenby proposals, an amendment by local member Cllr Sam Skyrme-Blackhall was accepted, ensuring the consultation explicitly recognises the value of VC schools and the importance of Welsh-medium secondary education. Members overwhelmingly backed the amended recommendation.

However, an amendment on the Stepaside proposal sparked a lengthy debate. Local member Cllr Alistair Cameron, backed by neighbouring councillor Alec Cormack, urged councillors to defer any decision relating to Stepaside, saying the school had only been officially notified of the proposals a few days earlier.

Cllr Cormack said it was accepted that the current position was unsustainable, with pupil numbers falling “both due to second homes and retirees moving into the area”. He stressed that both Saundersfoot and Stepaside were well-run schools, but “just too small for the buildings we have them in,” and suggested that reducing the size of the sites could eliminate surplus space.

“Today’s proposal is to close the Kilgetty site to save money and then spend money bussing pupils to the Saundersfoot site,” he said. “It’s only natural justice to give the school communities the chance of a fair hearing. There’s no reason to rush this decision today.”

Cllr Aled Thomas, chair of the schools working group, dismissed the call for a delay as “a consultation to have a consultation,” saying the proposals had been “in the public domain for well over 12 months”.

“Members, of course, are going to fight for their communities but this is just a tactic pushing it further down the line,” he added.

Cllr Cormack responded that the school itself had heard about the recommendation only on Monday. “The very people who are expert at delivering education have had no warning of this. I don’t understand why there is a need to press ahead so quickly. The communities deserve to be given more than three days’ notice.”

Cabinet Member for Education Cllr Guy Woodham told members there was no intention to hold any consultation before September 2026, stressing there would be “a lot of time for alternative proposals”.

Cllr Cameron’s amendment to defer the Stepaside decision was defeated by 37 votes to 12, with one abstention later clarified as an accidental mis-vote intending to oppose the delay. The substantive recommendation was then approved by 42 votes to seven.