News
Issues over Pendine signage

Simon Hart MP
VISITORS trying to get to the tourist destination of Pendine are being sent on a 10-mile wild goose chase thanks to council policy, Simon Hart MP has learned.
The new Red Roses and Llandowror by-pass does not have any signs to Pendine at its junctions because Carmarthenshire County Council wants all Pendine traffic to travel via Laugharne.
“So if you are driving from Pembroke to Pendine, instead of turning right at Red Roses, you are being sent an extra 10-miles to St Clears before being signposted off the main road which is clearly ridiculous,” said Mr Hart.
When the new by-pass opened last year Mr Hart was contacted by tourist operators and residents in Pendine with concerns that their holiday village had been left off the map.
Mr Hart took it up with Welsh Transport Minister Edwina Hart last August and asked her to install signs at the new junctions.
“But she replied that the county council was consulted about signage on the new road and it had told her that their preferred route to Pendine is via the A4066 which goes through Laugharne. That meant no signs for Pendine went up at the Red Roses or Llandowror junctions because it’s already signposted from St Clears. I find it utterly ludicrous that the council wants and expects visitors to drive 10 miles further than they need to. Pendine is losing out on passing trade by being left off the map.”
Mr Hart has been pressing the council to look into the matter since November and was promised a full reply four weeks ago which has not yet arrived.
“All they have told me is that they are discussing the matter of brown signs with their marketing and tourism unit which is not the point, Pendine needs proper directional signage all along the new by-pass not just tourist signs.”
Community
New trauma support workshops launching in Haverfordwest

A NEW 10-week course which will help people understand and cope with their trauma is launching in Haverfordwest on March 19th.
The Trauma Toolkit Workshops will help participants try out practical techniques, skills and ideas about managing the impact of trauma.
The workshops are run by Pathway Counselling, a local mental health charity which is part of PATH (Pembrokeshire Action for The Homeless).
There will be two group sessions held every Wednesday from March 19th, the first for women at 10am – 12pm, and then a second for men at 2pm – 4pm.
The sessions will take place at The Green Shed, Old Hakin Road, SA61 1XF.
The workshops will be led by Meriel Goss, who has been offering practical sessions to cope with the impact of trauma for 10 years.
She trained at The Trauma Centre, Justice Resource Centre, Boston where Dr Bessel van De Kolk, author of The Body Keep the Score researched trauma therapies and approaches.
Meriel is also an Adlerian counsellor at Pathway Counselling and a regular at their offices at 19 Market Street, Haverfordwest.
Meriel said about the workshops: “Trauma is something that can impact any and every aspect of your life, so having a safe environment to learn more about it, and how to cope with it, is so important.
“Pathway Counselling ran a shorter trauma course last year which was extremely popular, so the need for another, bigger course was clear.
“The sessions aren’t a processing space for sharing your stories, and it’s perfect for people who maybe don’t feel like they are ready for counselling sessions.
“When you sign up the workshops, I always have a discovery call with you beforehand, which lay rest to any nerves.”
The sessions are free for anyone who is low income or on benefits.
The low cost sessions are available for £58 (standard) / £28 (concessionary).
To book, call Pathway Counselling on 01437 765335, email [email protected] or visit www.pathwaycounselling.co.uk
Community
Paul Davies discusses community transport solutions with PACTO

PRESELI PEMBRKOEHIRE Senedd Member Paul Davies has recently met the Pembrokeshire Association of Community Transport Organisations (PACTO). PACTO provide services and help for people who don’t have access to their own transport and who don’t have or can’t use conventional public transport services.

Mr Davies discussed PACTO’s work in delivering more accessible community transport solutions in Pembrokeshire. They also discussed PACTO’s Community Transport Transformation project and the findings from the consultation that PACTO carried out last year.
Mr Davies said, “PACTO do a fantastic job in helping people travel across Pembrokeshire and I’m pleased to have met the team and learnt more about their work.”
“PACTO play an enormous role in making Pembrokeshire a much more accessible place for all. They help enable people to travel more freely across Pembrokeshire and live more independently.
“Travelling across Pembrokeshire is not without its challenges and so it was great to talk to the PACTO team about how they plan to transform community travel across the county and build on their good work in our communities”
News
Stoddart puts council funding gap figures under scrutiny

A DISCREPANCY in Pembrokeshire County Council’s budget documentation has raised concerns about transparency in reporting the projected funding gap for 2025-26.
Local political commentator and county councillor, Mike Stoddart, has questioned changes between two versions of Appendix D, presented to Cabinet in December and February, which outline how the Council plans to bridge the significant funding shortfall.

In December, documents stated that over the past 11 years, the Council had addressed a cumulative funding gap of £174.8 million through a mix of budget savings, Council Tax increases, and reserve use. A breakdown showed that £110.2 million (63%) had been achieved through base budget reductions, with Council Tax increases contributing £43.3 million (24.8%), Council Tax premiums adding £11.7 million (6.7%), and reserve funding accounting for £9.6 million (5.5%).
However, the February version of Appendix D omitted references to cumulative funding and detailed figures, instead focusing solely on the projected funding gap for 2025-26, which had also decreased from £34.1 million to £27.4 million.
Stoddart argues that without the cumulative context, the figures become “mathematically meaningless” and has expressed concern that the Council has not provided an explanation for the change.
Speaking to The Herald, he said: “It is noticeable that the December document presented cumulative figures, but in February, this crucial context has disappeared without explanation. If these funding gaps and the methods used to bridge them are not cumulative, they don’t make mathematical sense.”
The Council has a statutory duty to agree on a balanced budget for 2025-26 by 11 March 2025, which will involve difficult decisions regarding budget savings, potential Council Tax increases, and the use of reserves.
The Herald has approached Pembrokeshire County Council for clarification on why the format of the funding report changed between December and February and whether the omission of cumulative data was intentional or a revision based on new financial assessments.
More to follow as this story develops.
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