News
Town Council requests sixth form consultation extension
ON the eve of the Extraordinary Council meeting to discuss sixth form provision in Pembrokeshire, Milford Haven Town Council has asked that the consultation period be extended.
Members of the Town Council’s Public works and Planning meeting feel that there hasn’t been sufficient time to discuss the matter.
The meeting took place at Milford Town Hall on Monday, April 13.
Cllr John Cole said this issue would affect the whole of Pembrokeshire.
The Mayor, Eric Harries said that the effect of the reorganisation varies from school to school and the interpretation was that it would have very little effect on Milford other than to bolster its numbers and questioned whether that was correct.
Cllr John Cole said: “This raises all sorts of issues. I have had a look at a document which is full of wonderful ideas but in my view they have forgotten some of the major issues about staffing, staffing contracts and salaries.
“If you downgrade a school, you downgrade finances and if you downgrade finances you downgrade what’s available to members of staff.
“This is such a complex issue and I would suggest that we invite the senior director of children and schools to meet with full council to give us her briefing and answer our questions.
“They’re talking about moving Sixth formers from Fishguard, St Davids and those from Tasker Millward and Sir Thomas Picton and creating a sixth form unit on the college campus. The college organisation is not part of Pembrokeshire County Council and they are under major financial pressures at this time.”
Mayor Eric Harries highlighted a consultation meeting in Milford Comprehensive School on April 22 concerning secondary education and that representatives from the School have been invited to a meeting of the council saying: “The school is most anxious to demonstrate and exercise that it is very much a part of the community and that it wants to play a full part in it.”
The Mayor later moved that the council ask for the date of completion of the consultation period to be put back as there has been ‘insufficient time to discuss the matter’.
Councillors did not want to set an end date but felt that the current deadline of May 5 should be extended until the end of May. That proposal was accepted by all councillors.
Community
Tractor run lights up Pembrokeshire and raises funds for charity
THE PEMBROKESHIRE ILLUMINATED TRACTOR RUN took place today (Dec 21), raising funds for two vital charities: the Catrin Vaughan Foundation and Wales Air Ambulance.
Starting at Clarbeston Road AFC at 6:00pm, the brightly lit convoy of nearly 200 tractors made its way through Withybush Hospital and Haverfordwest High Street before finishing at the Pembrokeshire County Showground.
The annual event has become a highlight of the festive calendar, drawing large crowds to witness the spectacle of tractors adorned with colourful lights and decorations.
Funds raised from the event will support the Catrin Vaughan Foundation, which provides crucial assistance to families facing hardship, and the Wales Air Ambulance, delivering life-saving emergency medical care across the region.
Organisers praised the dedication of local farmers and volunteers, whose commitment ensures the event’s continued success year after year.
(Image: Nia Marshall/Facebook)
Business
Ferry Terminal ‘extremely busy’ due to ongoing Holyhead closure
PEMBROKE DOCK Ferry Terminal has been experiencing significant congestion today as ferry services remain under immense pressure following the closure of Holyhead Port earlier this month.
The disruption, caused by storm damage, has rerouted ferry traffic through Pembrokeshire, leading to long queues and crowded facilities at the terminal.
The Herald can confirm that it has been very busy today with cars, lorries, and foot passengers queuing in large numbers. Staff are working tirelessly to manage the influx, directing vehicles and assisting passengers as they prepare to board the heavily booked ferries.
A spokesperson for the Port of Milford Haven said: “We are working closely with ferry operators and local authorities to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but the sheer volume of vehicles is causing unavoidable delays.”
Travelers are being urged to arrive early for their sailings and to remain patient as the terminal operates at full capacity.
Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have increased capacity on their Pembrokeshire routes, deploying larger vessels, including the Stena Adventurer and the MV James Joyce, to handle the surge in demand.
From our position at the terminal, our photographer has captured photos showing long lines of vehicles, groups of foot passengers carrying luggage, and port staff coordinating efforts to ease congestion.
Authorities are advising non-essential travelers to consider rescheduling their journeys where possible and to monitor updates from ferry operators closely.
(Photos: Martin Cavaney/Herald)
Community
Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend
ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.
In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”
Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.
Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.
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robert hogggins
April 14, 2015 at 2:52 am
this is a time when pupils are making exam dicisions for their future and to be disrupted at this time could wreck their future
school enviroment is what they want when exams and familier teachers
around them who have supported them throuout
pembroke college funded from a vary different pot of money to that of the schooling funds and pembrokeshire college is under hardship as it is and how are all these pupils going to get to the college will the council pay for the transport
it will be parents paying but consider those on low incomes and benifts and single parents i dont think this has been fully revised who ever thaught of this should go back to school themselves