FURTHER discussion are to take place about where pupils from a Pembrokeshire school will go while its roof is rebuilt after failing when it was less than 10 years old.

Tenby VC School, a 3–11 English-medium primary school with an additional Learning Resource Centre (LRC) provision, was built in 2016.

Just a few years after its build, there were reports of water ingress.

In November 2024, a £75,000 feasibility budget to look at ways of tackling roof leaks at Tenby’s VC school, including a complete new roof, was backed by members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet.

The council implemented a series of urgent health and safety measures to mitigate immediate risks, including the installation of 510 ‘acro’ props to support vulnerable roof areas and the full closure of the Early Years/Playgroup wing, along with regular inspections.

At the November 2025 Cabinet meeting, members received a report detailing the findings of the feasibility study, with a favoured option of the replacement of entire roof, backing tenders for the works being sought.

It was warned there would need to be a “a comprehensive decant strategy” for pupils to go elsewhere while the works took place.

At the June 2026 Cabinet meeting, in a report presented by Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration Cllr Paul Miller, members were asked to approve the award of a Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) for Stage 1 of the Tenby VC School Roof Replacement Project following tendering; Morgan Sindall Construction the most successful applicant.

Stage 2 construction contract will only proceed following a separate formal approval based on market tested packages, validated cost plans, and an assessment of value for money, a report for members said.

Members were also asked to consider which decant strategies are to be considered for detailed feasibility, in order to enable the roof replacement works to take place.

Seven initial options have now been narrowed down to five the report said.

Options include: decanting the whole school to Saundersfoot CP and Stepaside Schools while retaining Tenby VC as a separate entity at a cost of some £0.5m a year; distribute Tenby VC pupils across multiple local schools across the wider Tenby cluster; decant to nearby comprehensive Greenhill School which currently has 302 surplus places; establish a modular village at the northern boundary of Greenhill School, a self-contained modular village adjacent to Heywood Lane, comprising nine classrooms and associated facilities for Tenby VC; and a hybrid model combining the modular village and Greenhill accommodation.

Two earlier options of a modular village on alternative council owned land in Tenby and a modular village on the Tenby VC site have been discounted.

Members agreed to further consideration on the ‘decant’ strategy, subject to a more detailed feasibility exercise, a final decant proposal be brought to Cabinet for consideration, along with the setting aside of up to £75,000 to support the final proposal; Cllr Miller saying there were, in effect, two options for the building: to replace the roof “or don’t, and effectively abandon that site”.

“A roof completely failing on a 10-year-old building is completely bad news, but we have 180 children being educated in a building that is no longer fit for purpose, and we have to get on with it.”

A further report will be brought to Cabinet at the conclusion of Stage 1 to seek approval for entering the Stage 2 construction contract.

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.