PEMBROKESHIRE’S leader is to write to Welsh Government to push for a review of the contentious 182-day rule for self-catering holiday properties which otherwise have to pay second homes tax.

Self-catering businesses not meeting the 182-day criteria end up paying the second homes council tax premium, currently 125 per cent on top of the general rate, in the county, along with similar premiums for the other elements of the overall bill such as the police precept.

In a submitted question heard at the July 16 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr Huw Murphy asked: “Most councillors are aware that much of Pembrokeshire relies on tourism and hospitality for its economic success. A key element of a successful Pembrokeshire tourism industry is the self-catering sector.

“Plaid Cymru in its manifesto made several pledges for its first 100 days in office, one under the headline of ‘Unleashing Wales Economic Potential’ which made no specific mention of the 182 letting day rule that was introduced by the previous Labour Government under their co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru.

“However, Plaid Cymru prior to Senedd elections in May 2026, stated that they would review the 182-day threshold which has been a disaster for many self-catering businesses, many of whom are in rural and coastal communities. I have raised this matter on several occasions since being elected.

“Through speaking to those operating in the self-catering sector there is a clear need to reduce the 182-day threshold. I should point out that in the past I have suggested it be reduced to 140 days and still hold that view.

“Over 50 days have now passed since the Senedd Elections, but we have not heard any details of a review of the 182-day letting rule.

“Therefore, will the Leader [Cllr Tessa Hodgson] write off to the First Minister outlining the concerns of many Pembrokeshire county councillors with regards to the 182 days letting rule and ask for a reply setting out when Welsh Government intend to commence a review of this policy, which is much needed?”

Responding to the submitted question, Cllr Hodgson said she was happy to write a letter pressing the issue, adding she understood a Welsh Government review was expected, but was not aware of the timeframe for that at the current moment.

Cllr Murphy said, since his submitted question was publicised, he had been “inundated with emails” from constituents, “confirming the urgency” of a review.

Back in 2023, Cllr Murphy submitted an unsuccessful notice of motion to full council calling for the 182-day rule in Pembrokeshire to be lowered, proposing a figure of 140 days.

At the time of the 2023 call it was instead agreed to review the situation and for the council to raise its concerns to Welsh Government.

A PEMBROKESHIRE school at threat of closure as part of education reorganisation in the south of the county has now been saved after councillors backed a call from the deputy leader for it to remain open.

Stepaside CP School was being earmarked for closure by Pembrokeshire County Council, as part of proposals to establish a new 3-11 primary school on the Saundersfoot School site, discontinuing both Saundersfoot school and Stepaside school.

The Stepaside proposal was based on surplus places for all the schools in the proposals, with Stepaside having a surplus capacity of over 50 per cent, councillors had previously heard; figures that have since been much debated.

In March, a vote at a full meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council reaffirmed a decision of last December, that the Director for Education be authorised to commence statutory consultation to discontinue Stepaside and Saundersfoot and establish the new three-11 primary school.

Since then, Pembrokeshire’s deputy leader Cllr Paul Miller, who has recently taken on Cabinet member responsibility for education, made a call for the school to instead remain open, rescinding the previous decision to discontinue Saundersfoot and Stepaside schools, which was heard at the July 16 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council.

Cllr Miller said: “Following a thorough review, I have decided to recommend to council that it not proceed with the closure of Stepaside School. I believe the school is providing good educational outcomes for its local population and is sustainable in its current form.”

A lengthy supporting statement from Cllr Miller also said: “I assumed portfolio responsibility for Education on May 15. Since appointment I have reviewed in detail the substantive plans of the Directorate including those for school modernisation and reorganisation.

“To date I consider that the primary focus of our reorganisation work has been on addressing surplus places. While that focus absolutely aligns with Welsh Government guidance, measuring surplus places tells us simply how many empty classrooms we have.

“That’s an interesting estates and facilities metric but it tells us very little about the educational experience of the children inside those buildings. I accept that there is a size (pupil number) at which a small school becomes unviable and must shut. That’s not simply unviable from a financial perspective but also from the perspective of the education provided.”

It added: “It may also be that there are mitigations, for example shared leadership roles or formal federations, that can be explored to strengthen the sustainability of both schools.

“Equally, the planned temporary full decant of Tenby VC School [which needs a new roof] may utilise a significant proportion of the existing surplus places at Saundersfoot School. In those circumstances, I do not believe the available evidence currently demonstrates that closure of Stepaside School represents a necessary or proportionate response to the level of surplus places within the Tenby Cluster.”

At the meeting Cllr Miller stressed the Stepaside decision would not lead to a revisiting of the recently backed closures of Manorbier school or Ysgol Clydau.

While there were claims of “a massive U-turn” and a “purely political move” around Cllr Miller’s call, the latter of which he said he said was “completely outrageous,” members unanimously backed the call.

Cllr Miller said he accepted the process around Stepaside had “been imperfect,” but added: “I firmly believe this school has a viable future.”

Speaking after the meeting, Laura Burnett, Chair of Governors at Stepaside Community Primary School said: “The Governing Body of Stepaside Community Primary School are delighted to share the exciting news that the school will remain open for many years to come.  This is a tremendous achievement for the community that is served by the school in Kilgetty.
“The Governing Body continues to believe that the original proposal to close Stepaside School and transfer all pupils to Saundersfoot was ill-informed.  We remain concerned that the school capacity, projected pupil numbers and budgetary figures used to inform the proposal were outdated and did not provide a reliable basis for decision-making.

“In addition, we feel that the potential impact on the local community was not explored in sufficient depth, with limited engagement undertaken with those most affected.”

She added: “The appointment of new cabinet members provided a valuable opportunity for a fresh perspective. We are grateful to Cllr Paul Miller, along with the many county councillors, members of parliament and Senedd members who took the time to visit the school and see first-hand the high-quality education it provides, as well as the significant impact that its closure would have on pupils, families and the wider community.”
She went on to say: “We are delighted that Stepaside School will continue to serve the children and families of our catchment area for many years to come. As we look ahead to September, we look forward to welcoming new pupils into our thriving school community.”

Welsh professional footballer Liam Cullen, who plays for Swansea and the Welsh national team is a former pupil.

He said: “Alongside my brilliant education from all of the staff, they also facilitated my aims and dream of making it to where I am today being a footballer.

“Me and my family couldn’t have done it without the help of the school’s staff, allowing me to train and play most days whilst keeping on top of my education and giving me exactly what I needed to succeed both in school and out of school.”

LOCAL councillors Alistair Cameron and Alec Cormack have welcomed Pembrokeshire County Council’s unanimous decision to keep Stepaside School open.

Councillors voted earlier today to support a Notice of Motion brought by Cllr Paul Miller, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Education, rescinding the authority’s previous decision of December 12, 2025.

That earlier decision would have started formal consultation on closing Stepaside School and merging it with Saundersfoot School on the existing Saundersfoot school site.

Cllr Alistair Cameron said:

“Stepaside School should never have been considered for closure. Pupil numbers have remained stable since 2022, at between 110 and 115, and the school is expecting another strong intake in September. That demonstrates just how popular and valued the school remains.

“This is also reflected in the findings of Estyn, which described Stepaside as a ‘happy place where pupils feel safe and eager to learn’ and a ‘welcoming, calm and purposeful learning environment’, where pupils make good progress.

“I would like to thank headteacher Mr Jones and all his colleagues for their continued dedication and hard work on behalf of the children in their care.

“I also thank the chair of governors, Laura Burnett, the governing body, parents and the wider Kilgetty and Stepaside community for the determined support they have shown.

“Staff can now concentrate fully on what they do best, providing an excellent education within a caring and nurturing environment.”

Cllr Alec Cormack said: “I am delighted that the council has voted unanimously to keep Stepaside School open.

“This decision provides much-needed certainty for pupils, parents and staff and recognises the important role the school plays at the heart of its community.”