Local Government

CPT responds to Welsh Labour £2 bus fare pledge

Published

3 months ago

January 9, 2026

THE CONFEDERATION of Passenger Transport has welcomed Welsh Labour’s pledge to introduce a £2 cap on all single bus fares across Wales if the party leads the next Welsh Government, while warning that any such policy must be properly funded to be sustainable.

Responding to the announcement, Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) said lower fares could play an important role in boosting bus use and cutting car dependency, but cautioned against unfunded commitments.

Aaron Hill, Director of CPT Cymru, said buses remain the most widely used form of public transport in Wales.

“Buses are Wales’s favourite form of public transport, carrying nearly 200,000 passengers a day. They’re a green, affordable and convenient alternative to travelling by car,” he said.

“Bus operators welcome ideas and policies that will encourage people across Wales to take public transport more often.”

Mr Hill said Wales had lagged behind other parts of Great Britain in recent years when it came to fare initiatives, pointing to England’s £2 cap scheme, which has been extended several times with central government backing.

“Wales has been slow, in comparison to the rest of Great Britain, to invest in lower bus fares, so a cap of £2 would be a welcome step in boosting public transport usage,” he said.
“It is vital that any cap is backed with adequate funding, and that a strategy is in place to capture gains for the long term if the cap is for a limited period.”

Welsh Labour has also pledged to introduce 100 new bus routes across Wales as part of its wider transport plans. CPT said the ambition was positive but stressed the need for realistic delivery.

“Bus operators welcome Welsh Labour’s pledge to introduce 100 new bus routes,” Mr Hill added.
“We stand ready to work with the party on identifying pockets of demand and on discussing how this goal could be fulfilled, while ensuring value for money.”

However, the organisation warned that past experience showed a gap between political ambition and financial reality.

Public funding for bus services under the current Welsh Government has, CPT said, not always matched the scale of commitments made by ministers, with operators facing rising costs linked to fuel, wages and vehicle investment.

“Public funding under the current Welsh administration has not always been sufficient to meet the level of ambition set out by politicians,” Mr Hill said.
“It is vital that, as a nation, we bridge this gap and that pledges are backed by hard cash.”

Opposition parties have previously raised concerns that fare caps, while popular with passengers, can place significant strain on already stretched transport budgets if not fully funded, potentially leading to service reductions elsewhere. Some local authorities have also warned that rural routes, which are more expensive to operate, could be at risk if funding does not keep pace with lower fares.

CPT said any future investment must be carefully designed.

“All public investment in buses must be designed to generate value for money and to deliver a visible impact for passengers,” Mr Hill said.

Welsh Labour has argued that cheaper fares and expanded routes would increase passenger numbers, reduce congestion and help meet climate targets, but has yet to set out detailed costings for the proposals.

With bus services under pressure across Wales, CPT said collaboration between government, local authorities and operators would be essential if fare caps and network expansion are to deliver lasting benefits rather than short-term gains.

Unite has also cautiously welcomed today’s Welsh Labour’s commitment to a £2 bus fare cap and the expansion of bus routes across Wales, recognising that affordable, reliable public transport is essential for workers, communities, and the Welsh economy.

The union has long argued that buses are a public service, not a profit-making exercise, and the commitment to bring services back under public control through the Bus Services Bill is a significant step in the right direction.

A fare cap, if properly funded, could help tackle transport poverty, support access to work and education, and reduce car dependency.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Public transport should be just that. Owned by the public and run for the public. And this should extend to fares that allow workers, students and families to go about their business for a fair fare. Today’s announcement by the Welsh Labour is a step in the right direction.”

Unite also welcomes the news in December confirming the passing of the Bus Services (Wales) Bill, which will see bus services come back under public control.

Lead officer for public transport in Wales, Alan McCarthy said: “It will surprise nobody that deregulation has failed to deliver for communities in Wales. Unite has long campaigned for bus services to return to public control, the bill is a significant step forward in ensuring that services work in favour of passengers and communities rather than shareholders and profiteers.

“The next step is to ensure that workers’ pay and conditions are not just preserved but enhanced as a result of this. Deregulation created an environment where profits were maximised by suppressing pay. Bus workers pay and conditions in Wales are among the worst in the UK. Unite will not allow workers to pay for franchising.”

Local Government

Foster Wales Pembrokeshire enhances support for local foster carers

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Cerys Lafferty

FOSTER Wales Pembrokeshire is committed to building better futures for local children, ensuring they can remain in their communities with the support of dedicated foster families.

As part of this ongoing commitment, Pembrokeshire County Council has announced an increase in foster carer allowances from April 2026.

The updated allowances are designed to better reflect the real cost of providing day-to-day care and to recognise the vital role foster carers play in children’s lives. Full details of the new rates will be shared with foster carers.

Head of Children’s Services, Chris Frey-Davies said: “Foster carers play a vital role in providing stability, care and hope for children who need it most. We want to ensure they receive the right support to carry out this life-changing work, and these enhanced allowances are an important part of that. We are incredibly proud of the difference our foster carers make in Pembrokeshire.”

Pembrokeshire is also introducing a new two-year pilot initiative offering reduced Council Tax payments for eligible foster carers. The foster carers will be contacted directly with information on how the scheme will work.

Anyone considering fostering can benefit from a wealth of local support, including access to specialist teams, dedicated social workers, strong community networks and the opportunity to help children stay close to home.

To find out more about becoming a foster carer in Pembrokeshire, call 01437 774650, email [email protected] or visit https://pembrokeshire.fosterwales.gov.wales/

Local Government

44 candidates for Ceredigion Penfro Senedd elections

Published

2 days ago

April 13, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

44 CANDIDATES are fighting for your vote in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion in the forthcoming Senedd elections.

For the May 7 elections, Wales will have 16 constituencies instead of the current 40.

Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru created the new constituencies for Wales and the Senedd will have 96 members instead of 60, each constituency electing six members.

For Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, the new Ceredigion Penfro constituency is made up of the Ceredigion Preseli UK Parliamentary constituency and the Mid and South Pembrokeshire UK Parliamentary constituency, stretching from north of Aberystwyth to Angle in the southwest and Llanteg in the southeast.

The new voting system is based on a ‘closed proportional list system’; you vote for a political party (rather than individuals) or an independent candidate, the ballot paper showing the full list of candidates in your constituency.

If a party wins enough votes, they will win one or more seats in the Senedd; if an independent candidate wins enough votes, they will win a seat in the Senedd.

Seats will reflect the percentage of votes each party or independent candidate gets.

The six Welsh Conservatives candidates are: Paul Windsor Davies, Samuel Deri Kurtz, Claire Victoria George, Brian Andrew Murphy, Gill Evans, and Claire Malaina Jones.

Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales has eight candidates: Elin Jones, Kerry Ferguson, Anna Nicholl, Cris Tomos, Colin Nosworthy, Clive Davies, Owain Jones, and Matt Adams.

Wales Green Party has six candidates: Amy Nicholass, Tomass Jereminovics, James Henry Purchase, Morgan Hope Phillips, Rosie O’Toole, and Kezia Autumn Hine.

Reform UK also has six candidates: Susan Claire Archibald, Paul Marr, Michael Timothy Allen, Elisa Bessie Gonzalez Randall, Peter Martin John, and Bernard Holton.

Welsh Labour / Llafur Cymru is fielding seven candidates: Eluned Morgan, Marc Tierney, Joshua Phillips, Margaret Greenaway, Tansaim Hussain-Gul, Luke Davies-Jones, and Peter Huw Jenkins.

Welsh Liberal Democrats have six candidates: Sandra Louise Jervis, Alistair Ronald Cameron, Tom Hughes, Lee Dennis Thomas John Herring, Andrew Christopher Lye, and Maggie Robinson.

One candidate Gwyn Wigley Evans is standing for Gwlad – Gall Cymru Fod Yn Well / Gwlad – Wales Can Be Better, and one, Elizabeth Davies, for Heritage Party – Keep Our Countryside Green.

Also standing as Independents are: Aaron Carey, George Alexander Chadzy, and Paul Haywood Dowson.

Several candidates are listed as: “If a candidate has been a member of any registered political party, other than the party on whose list they appear as a candidate, at any time during the period of 12 months ending on the day on which the notice of election was published (March 23, 2026).”

Those are: Eluned Morgan, Margaret Greenaway, and Tansaim Hussain-Gul all listed under the Co-operative Party; George Alexander Chadzy listed under Advance UK and Paul Haywood Dowson under Restore Britain.

Ceredigion chief executive Eifion Evans is the Constituency Returning Officer; the May 7 polling day running from 7am-10pm.

If you’re aged 16 or over and live in Wales, you can vote in the 2026 Senedd Election.

Business

Call for all-weather horse-riding arena in Lamphey refused

Published

2 days ago

April 12, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL for an all-weather horse-riding arena and self-catering ‘pods’ near Pembrokeshire’s historic Lamphey Bishop’s Palace & Lamphey Court has been refused.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, James White sought permission for a 20 by 40 metre all-weather turnout and horse-riding arena along with two accommodation pods at Lower Lamphey Park, The Ridgeway, Lamphey, near Pembroke.

The proposed site forms part of a walled garden and agricultural land to the south of Lower Lamphey Park under 500m from Scheduled Monument, Lamphey Bishop’s Palace, Lamphey and inside the boundaries of Registered Park and Garden, Lamphey Bishop’s Palace & Lamphey Court.

The walled garden is located approximately 75m to the south of Grade-II-Listed Buildings, Barn at Upper Lamphey Barn and Grade-II*-Listed Building, Four Mediaeval House at Upper Lamphey Park Farm.

The application was supported by local community council Lamphey, but Natural Resources Wales (NRW) raised concerns regarding the location of the proposal within a Marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) catchment.

The council’s landscape officer – objected, saying there was an “under-representation of site features for the walled garden, lack of cultural appreciation of building and landscape qualities of the garden and lack of design input to the horse area”.

An officer report recommending refusal said an initial description in the application of the ‘pods’ being temporary had, by email from the applicant, being confirmed as not, being secured to the ground with waste connections, their intended use being self-catered units.

The application was refused on the grounds the pods would “result in an unjustified and harmful impact on the character and appearance of the open countryside,” and, due to the lack of a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) it is not possible to conclude that there would not be an adverse effect on the historic environment.

It was also refused for reasons including insufficient information provided to conclude that increases in nutrient inputs in the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC can be ruled out, and in the absence of an appropriate habitat and protected species survey “the proposal fails to demonstrate that the development would not adversely affect protected species, thereby reducing biodiversity”.