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News

Concern over learning centre closures

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A CONTROVERSIAL decision recently made by Pembrokeshire County Council’s cabinet members to close down Community Learning Centres across the county has been called-in for further scrutiny by opposition councillors.

Four CLCs are set to close in two phases with Pembroke Dock and Fishguard centres closing down from August this year, and Tenby and Haverfordwest from August next year. They host a diverse array of day and evening courses in crafts, languages, art and basic skills, taught by a range of tutors. Following the centre closures the council plans to relocate these classes to other community buildings.

Disposals of the closed buildings are to return to the Cabinet under separate reports in the future, whilst Crymych’s learning centre will be retained by the authority as a Welsh language hub under an arrangement which Cabinet decided ‘will be kept under review’.

The report before cabinet members at their February 9 meeting stated that in January the Welsh Government announced funding cuts of £85,600 from April this year, and there was a likelihood of future cutbacks.

Cllr Jacob Williams has criticised the report, telling the Herald that, although the decision on the face of it was about saving money, he found it bizarre that ‘no other pound sign is contained within the cabinet report’.

When he became aware of the scale of cabinet’s decision to approve the closures, the complete lack of consultation, and what he calls the ‘wafer-thin report’ it was based on, East Williamston representative Cllr Williams set about the formal process of calling the application in for further scrutiny. He did so with the support from fellow County Councillor Jonathan Preston of Penally, Tessa Hodgson of Lamphey, Viv Stoddart of Milford Haven and Peter Stock of Haverfordwest.

Within the call-in requisition supported by his four colleagues, Cllr Williams states that the ‘consultation to date on all aspects of the closures has been inadequate’, and that ‘no financial assessment’ has been undertaken about the costs for room rentals for classes once the centres are closed.

One argument put forward within the call-in is that classes ‘are in jeopardy of being lost altogether if suitable rooms cannot be found’, and profits currently generated by classes ‘could be diminished’ by alternative room rental costs.

“I am not convinced that the decision to close centres has been made with a strong enough case or that all other options have been assessed, including the possibility of charge increases,” Cllr Williams writes.

As part of their decision on February 9, Cabinet members noted that the Tenby CLC was located in the same building as the youth club and library, and as a clause gave a reassurance that the youth provision in Tenby would be protected but with no guarantee that it would remain in the same building.

This reassurance offers little comfort for Cllr Williams because he says no other potential buildings have been identified by the council for the youth club or library to move into, and he believes if the learning centre closes it will lead to the youth centre closing, and fears that as a knock-on effect, eventually the library will face the axe for the same reason.

Cllr Williams told the Herald: “I won’t stand by and let the residents of the area take this on the chin without a fight, and I’m grateful to the councillors who signed my call-in without which it would not have been possible. In the south of the county Tenby Library serves a very wide community. No building has yet been identified to relocate it to, and with the removal of the learning centre which takes up the vast majority of the same building, and then very possibly the youth club moving out or closing its wing of the building, the clock is going to be ticking for the library in its current location at Greenhill Avenue which I’m sure the council is eyeing up for developers. I’m aware that there is outcry over the decision in Fishguard for similar reasons, which is another reason why I was so keen to call this decision in. The matter should have been considered as part of a wider review and strategy by the council with the whole of the county’s community services in mind, and not as some innocuous report slipped into a cabinet meeting agenda without any consultation, dressed-up as a necessary response to funding cuts from Cardiff Bay. Cardiff Bay’s cuts don’t help but it’s simply dishonest to blame this decision all on that – there’s just no strategy from County Hall other than to mothball the buildings without any consultation and that’s just not good enough.”

Cllr Jonathan Preston who put his signature to the call-in bid told the Herald: “The cabinet’s decision has been made with seemingly little basis on the facts. Community learning centres are a hub of activity and provide learning opportunities for all. It’s a fact that of the 22 councils in Wales, Pembrokeshire is the second largest provider of adult and community learning with enrolment of 6,000 each year. We should be proud of this but before long we could be near the bottom of the pile in Wales if the learning centre closures mean classes are unable to continue.”

Lamphey representative Cllr Tessa Hodgson who sits as an unaffiliated independent member told our reporter: “I’m grateful to Cllr Williams for taking the initiative and calling-in this important and sweeping decision made by cabinet. I was very happy to lend my support and sign the requisition forms and I welcome the opportunity for councillors to scrutinise this matter in detail as well as the ramifications of it, which cabinet members failed to do on February 9.”

Meanwhile Cllr Vivien Stoddart who represents Milford Haven Hubberston Ward as an unaffiliated independent member said: “I was pleased to support Cllr Jacob Williams in his bid to call-in Cabinet’s controversial decision for further scrutiny, which will see most of the county’s five adult learning centres close down. The report to February’s cabinet outlining the plans to reduce the council’s input to the centres was just three sides of A4; light on detail, facts, and figures. These cuts in services will impact on communities, and Tuesday’s scrutiny meeting will enable councillors to assess the potential effects on the people they represent.”

One of the claims made within the report approved by the cabinet which the councillors object to is that ‘there will be no impact from these changes on the range of courses or opportunities that Learning Pembrokeshire offers’.

Within the call-in request it is argued: “Given the uncertainty over the future locations of buildings and the facilities that may or not be available, I don’t believe this claim is sustainable and the viability of all current classes switching to alternative buildings appears not to have been assessed.”

Cllr Williams’ call-in request triggered a joint extraordinary meeting of both the county council’s Older Persons, Health and Well-Being Overview and Scrutiny Committee and its Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to be held on Tuesday March 3, which was arranged by the newly promoted Head of Legal and Committee Services, Claire Incledon.

The joint committee consisting 26 councillors is unable to amend cabinet’s decision of February 9 or make a fresh one, but it can refer the decision back to cabinet with recommendations for changes, one of which has already been suggested by officers in response to the call-in.

Within the agenda for Tuesday’s joint overview and scrutiny meeting, Kate Evan-Hughes, the authority’s Director for Children and Schools, states that ‘there is some validity’ to Cllr Williams’ point concerning the failure to adequately assess the impact of Cabinet’s decision and the short time frame for closures.

Ms Evan-Hughes recommends that cabinet should be advised to revise its decision to delay the closures planned for 2015 so that no closures will take place until August 2016, which she states: ‘Will allow more time for community engagement in the process’ and for ‘the potential impact of building closures’ to be assessed alongside the planning stage for the 2016/17 academic year.

Cllrs Williams, Preston, Hodgson, Stoddart and Stock urge anybody who shares their concerns over the closures and the lack of evidence the decision was taken on, to come along to Tuesday’s scrutiny committee meeting which, like all council meetings, is open to the public.

It takes place at County Hall, Haverfordwest at 10am on Tuesday March 3.

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Community

Ground breaking event marks start of key Haverfordwest Public Transport project

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KIER and Pembrokeshire County Council held a traditional ground breaking event at Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange (HPTI) last month – celebrating the official start of work on site.

Council members including the Leader Councillor Jon Harvey, Deputy Leader Councillor Paul Miller, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Councillor Rhys Sinnett and for Haverfordwest Castle ward Councillor Thomas Tudor, joined Kier for the event with the ceremonial breaking of the ground marking a key milestone in the project’s progress.

The scheme includes the construction of a modern bus station and multi-storey car park to Haverfordwest’s town centre, providing a new interchange for buses and coaches, with upgraded passenger facilities.

Designed by architects BDP and built by Kier, the completed scheme will include more than 300 parking spaces, seven bus bays, public toilets and accessible changing facilities for people with disabilities.

The project also has a number of sustainable features including electric vehicle charging facilities and an array of solar panels on the roof which will supply  the vast majority of the building’s energy usage and help Pembrokeshire County Council meet their commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030.   

Ian Rees, regional director at Kier Construction Western & Wales, said: “We have been on site for a number of months now undertaking essential enabling works, this ground breaking ceremony is an important milestone as we progress into the construction phase of this vitally important transport hub. 

“This transport interchange for Pembrokeshire County Council will really begin to take shape over the coming weeks and months and will ultimately deliver a much-needed, modern transport hub for the local community, improving connectivity and accessibility for residents and visitors alike.”

Cllr Paul Miller, Deputy Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, said: “It’s great to see work starting on this new transport interchange, which is an important part of the wider Haverfordwest Masterplan. It’s designed to make it easy and convenient to visit Haverfordwest town centre which is a key part of our efforts to regenerate the town.

“I think we can all agree the previous multi-story car park had reached the end of its useful life.

 “Once we’ve completed this project, the town centre will be easily accessible both by bus and of course by car with the car park element of the project benefiting from wider spaces, EV Charging, single tap exit and payment and of course a much nicer, lighter and safer environment for users.”

Architects, landscape architects and civil and structural engineers from multidisciplinary design practice BDP designed the transport interchange.

Matthew Mayes, architect director at BDP, said: “This significant regeneration scheme will be transformational for local people, offering improved access to bus, taxi and cycling facilities with excellent connectivity to the riverside, shopping centre and railway centre.

“Our designs include striking aluminium fins that wrap around the building with stone cladding at ground level to reflect the town’s historic features and a new public square with plenty of greenery and seating for people to relax.”

Built on the site of a demolished multi-storey car park and bus station, HPTI will form part of the South West Wales Metro project, which aims to better integrate sustainable modes of transport and complements the wider regeneration work in Haverfordwest.

The design of HPTI is being funded from the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund.

 Kier has significant experience in south-west Wales spanning over 60 years and has included the delivery of schools, hospitals and even the home of Welsh television, S4C, in Carmarthen.

This project was procured by Kier through the South West Wales Regional Contractors Framework (SWWRCF).

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News

Welsh Government unveils new legislation to transform bus services

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PROPOSALS to overhaul the way local bus services are planned and delivered across Wales have been published today, with the aim of improving services for passengers and encouraging more people to use public transport.

A new Bill has been laid before the Senedd which, if passed, will grant powers to establish a fully integrated bus network that puts passenger needs first.

Key proposals include creating one network, one timetable, and one ticket system across Wales. Services will be designed based on local knowledge but coordinated nationally by Transport for Wales, working in close partnership with local authorities and Corporate Joint Committees. The new system would primarily operate through franchised contracts delivered by private, public, and third sector operators.

Welcoming the Bus Services (Wales) Bill, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said the legislation had the potential to transform bus travel for communities across the country.

“This is a historic day for public transport in Wales as proposals for bus reform begin their journey through the Senedd,” said Mr Skates. “This is about putting people first—offering one network, one timetable and one ticket across Wales.

“Change is needed. While some areas are well-served, it’s not the case everywhere. I want a bus network that is reliable, affordable, easy to use, and better integrated with other modes of transport such as trains and active travel.

“The benefits are clear: improved access to services, greater equity for those most reliant on public transport, and a meaningful alternative to car travel.”

Buses carry around 190,000 passengers a day in Wales and account for three-quarters of all public transport journeys. The Bill aims to address common barriers to bus use—such as poor reliability, lack of ticket interoperability between operators, and weak links with other transport modes.

The public will benefit from clearer, easier-to-navigate timetables and more seamless transitions between buses and trains. Ticket revenue will be reinvested across the country, improving services in both rural and urban areas.

Mr Skates highlighted current examples of successful integration, including the TrawsCymru T1 service, which already offers joint bus and rail tickets, and the 1bws ticket in North Wales, valid on almost every local bus in the region.

“These examples show what can be achieved with joined-up thinking,” he said. “I don’t underestimate the scale of change this Bill represents, which is why the rollout will happen region by region. But when complete, it will be truly transformational.”

The rollout is expected to begin in South West Wales in 2027, followed by North Wales in 2028, South East Wales in 2029, and Mid Wales in 2030. However, Mid Wales will benefit from earlier improvements through the Bridge to Franchising programme, already underway.

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Education

Welsh pupils harness Minecraft to explore offshore wind and climate careers

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PUPILS at Golden Grove School in Pembrokeshire are diving into the world of renewable energy and marine conservation through the immersive Minecraft Education world Offshore Wind Power Challenge—a collaboration between The Crown Estate and Microsoft UK.

Available in both Welsh and English, the virtual world enables students to design and build their own offshore wind farms to power a coastal village. Along the way, they gain insights into climate change, environmental protection, and careers in sustainability, engineering and conservation.

The initiative has now been expanded with new classroom resources tailored for younger learners and aligned to the Welsh curriculum. Lesson plans for teachers are also being provided to support the integration of the material into everyday teaching.

As part of their focus on developing green skills in schools across Wales, The Crown Estate partnered with education specialists Dosbarth to create the new learning content. The organisation is currently delivering taster sessions across the country, including to Year 5 and 6 pupils at Golden Grove.

Wales is emerging as a leader in renewable energy, with new floating offshore wind farms set to be developed in the Celtic Sea under The Crown Estate’s latest seabed leasing round. These projects have the potential to generate up to 4.5GW of electricity—enough to power more than four million homes. Independent research estimates the economic value of these developments could reach £1.4bn, supporting up to 5,300 jobs.*

Rebecca Williams, Director of Devolved Nations at The Crown Estate, said: “This is an exciting collaboration that brings new educational content to schools through the best-selling game of all time. This Minecraft Education world provides students and teachers with a fun way to explore the opportunities and challenges of our energy transition while protecting the natural environment, through the languages that matter most to them.

“The Crown Estate is committed to creating partnerships that have a positive impact. We hope this initiative will inspire young people to develop their skills and discover the green careers of the future.”

Karen Jones, Managing Director of Dosbarth, added: “By creating new materials for younger audiences that align with the Welsh curriculum—and providing accessible lesson plans for busy teachers—we believe these resources will inspire even more pupils across Wales to become the next generation of environmental leaders and problem-solvers.”

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