News

Getting ready for the big chill

Published

12 years ago

November 27, 2013

PEMBROKESHIRE County Council is gearing up for the cold winter months ahead.

The Council’s transportation team is preparing its winter road plan to cope with whatever the weather brings. Although last year’s winter weather was relatively mild, Council gritters were still in action for 65 days.

The year before was exceptionally severe with gritters out for over 100 days and maintenance staff working the whole of the festive season – including Christmas Day itself.

This year the Council has stockpiled 7,000 tonnes of salt/grit – with a further 1,000 tonnes in reserve – ready to use on the County’s busiest roads should temperatures take a dive.

Staff are on standby 24 hours a day seven days a week to enable them to respond to emergency situations at short notice.

“We are determined to keep the county moving whatever the weather,” said Councillor Rob Lewis, Cabinet Member for Transportation.

“We prepare as much as we can but at the end of the day it’s impossible to predict exactly what the winter weather will bring.

“We hope to have a mild winter, but if it is not to be, then we are ready for the worst.”

Over winter the Council subscribes to a dedicated weather forecasting service and is also able to monitor data from a number of weather stations in the region including three in Pembrokeshire and a further eight in neighbouring authorities.Sensors installed at these outstations store and relay vital information such as air and road surface temperatures as well as wind speed.

A dedicated winter maintenance duty officer is also in place – including out of hours and at weekends- to monitor and plan for bad weather and coordinate the council’s response to it.

A team of 39 trained drivers will be on standby ready to respond should conditions take a turn for the worse. At their disposal they have one rotary snow plough (snow blower), 16 straight ploughs, five purpose built gritters, 11 demountable gritters and two trailer spreaders – plus access to additional snow clearing equipment from private contractors if needed.

Should temperatures start to dip towards freezing they will cover 11 primary salting routes across the county as a precaution.

Once these main routes have been completed they will tackle a network of secondary routes.

“During periods of snow and low temperatures it is policy is to give priority to key routes – ie those with high levels of traffic flow and then treat secondary routes as quickly as resources allow,” said Councillor Lewis.

Pembrokeshire has 120km of Trunk Road and 2,459km of county roads in total and ensures that all trunk roads and all class 1 and more heavily used or strategic class 2 and 3 roads are covered- 594km in total.

One treatment of the County’s primary gritting network (approximately 600km) uses on average about 75 tonnes of grit/salt.

Information about any disruption to services – including snow and ice – can be found on the council’s website: www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/serviceclosures

People can also stay up to date during bad weather conditions by:-

• Registering for school and Cleddau Bridge closure alerts – www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/alerts
• “Like” us on Facebook – www.facebook.com/pembrokeshirecountycouncil
• “Follow” us on Twitter www.twitter.com/pembrokeshire

News

Pembroke Dock man sent to Crown Court over alleged ABH assault

Published

7 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Court Reporter

Charge relates to incident in the town last weekend

A PEMBROKE DOCK man has been sent to the Crown Court for trial after appearing before magistrates accused of assault causing actual bodily harm.

Darren Markes, aged 47, of High Street, Pembroke Dock, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Dec 15).

The court heard that Markes is charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, contrary to the Offences Against the Person Act.

The charge relates to an alleged incident on Friday (Dec 13) in Pembroke Dock, when it is alleged that Markes assaulted a woman, causing her actual bodily harm.

No plea was entered at the hearing.

Due to the seriousness of the allegation, magistrates declined jurisdiction and ordered that the case be sent to the Crown Court for trial under the Crime and Disorder Act.

Markes was remanded on conditional bail. Conditions include:

Not contacting a witness, directly or indirectly
Reporting to Pembroke Dock police station every Wednesday between 12:00pm and 2:00pm
Living and sleeping each night at his home address

He is due to appear at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday (Jan 16) at 9:30am for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

Crime

Aberystwyth man denies criminal damage charge over Cardigan gallery window

Published

7 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Court Reporter

Alleged incident said to have taken place on Bridge Street

AN ABERYSTWYTH man has denied a charge of criminal damage relating to an alleged incident in Cardigan.

Ricky Myers, aged 27, of Jasper House, Aberystwyth, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Dec 15).

The court heard that Myers is accused of criminal damage to property valued under £5,000, contrary to the Criminal Damage Act 1971.

The charge relates to an incident on Saturday (Aug 24, 2024) at Manchester House on Bridge Street, Cardigan, where it is alleged that a window at the Cardigan Gallery was damaged. The property is said to belong to Peter Austin.

Myers pleaded not guilty to the allegation.

Magistrates adjourned the case for further case management, and Myers was remanded on conditional bail, with a condition that he live and sleep each night at his home address.

He is due to return to court at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Dec 17) at 2:00pm.

Crime

Pembroke Dock man remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on string of offences

Published

7 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Court Reporter

Harassment charge and three assaults among cases listed for Llanelli court

A PEMBROKE DOCK man has been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing after admitting a series of offences, including harassment and assaults.

Tony Brundrett, aged 21, of Kavanagh Court, Pembroke Dock, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Dec 15).

The court heard Brundrett has pleaded guilty to harassment without violence, contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act. The charge alleges that between Tuesday (Sep 17) and Thursday (Oct 31) at Spring View, Pembroke Dock, he pursued a course of conduct amounting to harassment of a female, including attending her home address and contacting her by text message.

He has also admitted assault by beating against the same female, alleged to have taken place on Wednesday (May 21) at Spring View, Pembroke Dock, and a further assault by beating against a second female on Thursday (Oct 30), also at Spring View.

Magistrates were additionally told that Brundrett faces a further allegation of common assault against a third female, said to have occurred on Tuesday (Dec 9) at Kavanagh Court, Pembroke Dock. No plea was recorded to that matter in the register entry.

Brundrett has also pleaded guilty to a number of offences linked to an incident in Haverfordwest on Saturday (Nov 16). These include:

Aggravated vehicle taking, involving a Vauxhall Corsa, with damage caused before recovery
Using a motor vehicle without insurance
Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence
Criminal damage, involving a window belonging to Pembrokeshire County Council

He was remanded in custody, with the next hearing listed at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Dec 31) at 10:00am.