CARMARTHENSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL repaired just over 10 potholes a day on average last year — significantly more than during the previous 12 months.

Pothole repairs rise as council faces growing road maintenance pressure

Highways staff repaired 3,623 potholes in 2025-26, compared with 2,360 in 2024-25.

The figures closely align with the number of potholes reported by the public in both years, although defects are also picked up by staff during scheduled inspections.

The council received 156 insurance claims for damage and injury caused by potholes over the last two years and paid out on five of them. The total amount paid, excluding any ongoing claims, was £8,181.

It provided the figures following a freedom of information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Cllr Edward Thomas, cabinet member for transport, waste and infrastructure services, said the council inspected, assessed and repaired road defects such as potholes in line with national guidance and best practice.

He said all pothole reports from the public were logged and, where necessary, assessed.

Cllr Thomas said: “Reactive pothole repairs are carried out to address immediate safety concerns. However, the council’s long-term strategy is focused on targeted, planned maintenance to prolong the lifespan of road surfaces and deliver best value across the county’s road network, while working within the available budget.”

A council scrutiny committee heard last November that the number of potholes recorded in the county soared from 1,978 in 2020 to 11,014 in 2024. The figure for the first 10 months of 2025 was 9,146.

A committee report said Carmarthenshire had the second-largest road network of Wales’ 22 councils and the fifth-highest traffic levels.

It said: “The increase in potholes is as a result of sustained low levels of investment in preventative maintenance.”

Potholes worsen in winter when water freezes and expands, causing further cracks.

Carmarthenshire is not unique in having a seemingly endless list of potholes to fix. Swansea Council repaired 6,322 potholes in 2025-26 and received 5,455 pothole reports from the public.

It also paid out £111,175 in pothole damage and injury claims during 2024-25 and 2025-26, although the number of claims paid was only a fraction of those received.

Local MP says scheme could breathe new life into historic Haverfordwest landmark

HAVERFORDWEST MP Henry Tufnell has welcomed the approval of plans to transform the town’s historic Shire Hall into a theatre, café and restaurant, describing the move as “fantastic news” for the county town.

The comments come after Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee voted by eleven votes to two to approve plans to turn part of the former courthouse on Haverfordwest High Street into a theatre.

As previously reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald, the Grade-II*-listed building – described by Cadw as one of the finest of its type in Wales – has stood largely unused for years despite previous attempts to bring parts of it back into use.

Built in 1835 to the design of local architect William Owen, the former courtroom has played a major role in Pembrokeshire’s legal history, including hosting trials linked to the Rebecca Riots in the nineteenth century.

Posting on social media following the decision, Mr Tufnell said: “Fantastic news for Haverfordwest.

“Built in 1835, Shire Hall is a brilliant piece of local history.

“Today, redevelopment has officially been approved for the courthouse and upper-floor restaurant after a long time out of use.

“The space is set to be transformed into a theatre, café, and restaurant.”

He added that the redevelopment would help secure the future of one of the town’s most recognisable buildings.

The post included a photograph of the MP inside the courthouse with Thomas Baden Tudor, one of those involved in efforts to bring the building back into use.

Supporters of the scheme say the development could become a major cultural attraction for the county town, boosting footfall and helping revitalise the High Street.

Speaking during the planning meeting, Drew Baker, the proposed end user of the theatre, described the project as an investment in the “cultural economy of Haverfordwest” that would create a “genuine cultural destination” in the heart of the town.

While the planning application for the change of use has now been approved, a separate listed building consent application covering internal alterations – including proposals for a theatre, pizza restaurant and bar – is still under consideration by county planners.

Voncerns first highlighted by The Pembrokeshire Herald last month have now reached national attention, after a BBC Wales report warned the cathedral could face insolvency within two years without urgent action.

ST DAVIDS CATHEDRAL’S worsening financial crisis – first highlighted by The Pembrokeshire Herald on its front page last month – has now made national headlines after a BBC Wales report warned the historic site could face insolvency within two years.

The BBC report, published on Tuesday (June 3), drew attention to a visitation report commissioned by the Bishop of St Davids, which described the cathedral’s financial position as its “most critical” challenge and warned that without urgent action it could become unsustainable.

While The Herald reported extensively on the findings of the report in May, including concerns around governance, leadership, finances and the need for renewal, the BBC has now focused attention on one of its starkest warnings – that continued deficits and dwindling reserves could place the cathedral at risk of insolvency within two years.

The visitation report stated that unrestricted financial deficits had continued for seven years and warned reserves had fallen to “dangerously low” levels. It said that without “robust and disciplined planning and financial management”, the cathedral’s ability to sustain its role could be put at risk.

However, the report stopped short of predicting closure, instead warning that insolvency was a possibility if urgent action was not taken.

The Church in Wales has stressed that the visitation should be viewed as an opportunity for renewal rather than criticism, with work already underway to address concerns.

In a statement issued following publication of the report, the Bishop of St Davids, the Right Reverend Dorrien Davies, said the process was intended to support the cathedral rather than condemn it.

He said: “Such scrutiny is not a sign of failure, but of care and hope for the future.”

The Herald’s original coverage in May highlighted broader concerns raised in the report, including safeguarding, strained community links, the cathedral’s limited use of Welsh, volunteer shortages, and concerns over decision-making by cathedral leadership.

St Davids Cathedral, founded in the sixth century and visited by around 300,000 people each year, remains one of Wales’ most significant religious and historic landmarks.

The BBC report has reignited public concern about the future of the cathedral, with local councillors warning any loss or decline would be devastating for the city and wider Pembrokeshire economy.

For many in Pembrokeshire, the question is no longer whether St Davids Cathedral faces serious challenges – but how quickly meaningful action can be taken to secure its future.