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Sixth form scheme snubbed

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6th form in schoolCOUNCILLORS who attended a presentation by pupils of Tasker- Milward and Sir Thomas Picton schools on Wednesday, April 29, were left in little doubt about the strength of feeling and depth of opposition to the local authority’s scheme to strip Haverfordwest schools of their sixth forms.

The presentation, would have made uncomfortable listening for some councillors as student after student made it clear just how important having a sixth form in school was for the school community.

Cory Jenkins, the Head Boy of Sir Thomas Picton School, and Millie Thomas, Deputy Head Girl of Tasker- Milward, coordinated the presentations made by members of the schools, who face losing their sixth forms if the Council presses on with its scheme to site a new single sixth form centre at Pembrokeshire College.

Or at least that is the plan the Council is consulting on.

It appeared from comments made by Cllr David Lloyd near the meeting’s close that the Council has largely abandoned the sole proposal upon which it is now consulting.

Pupils’ impassioned plea

In a moving address to councillors, Cory Jenkins related how the personal knowledge of a teacher who had known him for years, allowed him to look again at his future and reconsider his original decision to attend an NVQ3 course in Drama and Theatre at Pembrokeshire College. He disclosed how polls of students at both Sir Thomas Picton and Tasker- Milward overwhelmingly supported the retention of sixth form education in Haverfordwest’s secondary schools.

Electing to remain in Sir Thomas Picton and study for A Levels, Cory has been offered a place at the London School of Economics. Cory was clear that, as were other speakers, the direct involvement of inspirational teachers with direct knowledge of students gained over a number of years, was something the Council’s plans put in jeopardy.

Luzelle Davies spoke movingly of the importance of the sixth form in delivering assistance and support to younger students. Without sixth form presence in the school, Luzelle stated that the level of pastoral guidance given by post-16 students in school could not be replaced easily, if at all. Highlighting the reading support project within Tasker-Milward School and its importance in developing confidence in younger students and empathetic skills in older ones, Luzelle said that there was no way in which the scheme could be as successful or as rewarding for participants without sixth form input.

Responding to a question as to whether students in Year 11 could provide the support currently given by those in Years 12 and 13, Millie Thomas gave a clear and decisive ‘no’. Explaining how the pressure of working towards GCSE’s at the end of Year 11 meant that such a proposal would be impractical, Millie pointed out that periods in which Year 12 and 13 students were not in class or working in school provided them alone with the capacity and time to engage with younger students and build the school as a living community.

Not only about academics

The Council’s plan for repatriating students to their original schools to participate in sports once they were ensconced in Pembrokeshire College as students was given short shrift by student Tom Harvey. Describing the plans as ‘not very well thought out’, Tom pointed out that it was impractical to simply uproot students and transplant them back without continuity of sports coaching. Tom warned that the most likely result of the scheme was to reduce participation by young people in sport. One councillor in attendance was heard to mutter that the authority’s proposals on sport smacked of ‘back of a fag packet calculation’.

The suggestion that the Council had adequately consulted before it made its proposal was vigorously disputed by Millie Thomas. Pointing out that students learned of the proposals to strip schools of their sixth forms by reading about it in The Herald and other local press, she related how the original proposals were for 11-19 education to remain in schools and the proposal to relocate post-16 education to Pembrokeshire College came out of the blue.

Cory Jenkins took up the baton and demonstrated the Council’s careless use of statistics to back up its claims regarding the success of post-16 school-based education. Pointing out that claims made of superior performance at post-16 by Pembrokeshire College ignored the size difference between schools and the College. 165 students heading off to university from the College in 2014, represented only 1% of its post-16 cohort, whereas 26% of A Level students headed to Russell Group universities alone from the sixth form in Haverfordwest’s schools.

Cllr David Lloyd made an interesting contribution both to the event and to the wider debate about the future of post-16 education.

While he said that councillors would listen to the views expressed by the students, and praised them for their eloquence, he averred that councillors had to look at ‘the broad picture’. In terms, he appeared to tell students that listening to them would not entail acting to allay their concerns in a concrete way.

And then Cllr Lloyd made a revelation.

The plans subject to the consultation, and upon which the Council is spending tens of thousands of pounds of public money and resources, do not seem to be the plans that the Council is promoting in Fishguard and Saint Davids. Instead, taking Cllr Lloyd at his word the Council appears is both promoting and pursuing a multi-site semi-federated strategy allowing some sixth form retention at Ysgol Bro Gwaun and Ysgol Dewi Sant.

The Herald has been able to confirm that is the plan being touted to mollify parents in Fishguard and Saint Davids.

If Cllr Lloyd is correct and that is the Council’s plan, it is not clear what residual legitimacy still attaches to the current consultation.

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Independent Alun Wills wins Prendergast by-election by 39 votes

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HAVERFORDWEST’S Prendergast ward has a new county councillor after Independent candidate Alun Wills emerged victorious in a closely contested six-way by-election.

Wills secured the seat with 199 votes (31.6%), defeating five other candidates: Kaleb Jenkins (Welsh Liberal Democrats, 160 votes), Mike Mathias (Welsh Conservative Party, 136 votes), Scott Thorley (Reform UK, 71 votes), Alison Tudor (Welsh Labour, 57 votes), and James Henry Purchase (Wales Green Party, 8 votes).

The by-election, held on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, was triggered by the resignation of former Conservative councillor Andrew Edwards. Edwards stepped down in December 2024 following a controversial tenure marred by allegations of racism. In 2023, he faced public backlash after reportedly stating that “all white men should have black slaves.” Although he withdrew from the Conservative group and served as an independent councillor following the scandal, he ultimately resigned from his role, citing family reasons.

The Herald at the time questioned if the recording of him saying those words was created by using Artificial Intelligence.

A shift in representation

Resigned in December: Ex-Cllr Edwards

Edwards originally won the Prendergast seat for the Conservatives in 2022, securing a decisive victory over Labour. However, his departure and the controversy surrounding his comments resulted in a highly competitive race that ultimately saw the Conservatives lose their grip on the ward.

Wills’ victory as an independent marks a significant political shift, reflecting voter dissatisfaction and a changing political landscape in Haverfordwest.

Priorities for the new councillor

Speaking after his win, Wills vowed to “insist on council tax value for money” and pledged to do his “utmost to revive the fortunes of Haverfordwest town centre.”

He will take office at a time when Haverfordwest’s regeneration remains a key concern for residents. Major projects such as the Western Quayside redevelopment and the proposed Public Transport Interchange are already in motion, with the aim of boosting the local economy and improving connectivity.

Additionally, Wills is expected to focus on tackling rising council tax costs, an issue that has sparked growing frustration among residents.

With an independent now representing the ward, the political landscape in Pembrokeshire continues to evolve. The question remains whether this result signals a broader trend of voters shifting away from traditional party politics.

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Crown Estate profits soar – but Wales sees little return, says MP

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THE LAND and sea assets in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion are amongst the most lucrative of those owned by the Crown Estate.

In 2023, they helped accumulate a Welsh financial handover totalling £853m, resulting in a record net profit to the UK public finance coffers of £1.1billion. This represented a marked increase in Wales’ contribution, compared to its 2007 asset value of just £21.1m.

The escalation is being driven by the rising demand for renewable energy projects, and with the offshore investments that are currently taking place in seabed of south Pembrokeshire, Wales’ contribution to the Crown Estate looks set to soar even further

But how much of this contribution finds its way back to Wales? The answer, sadly, appears scant.

Instead of finding their way back to the Welsh public purse, profits generated from Wales’ green wealth are being distributed to the HM Treasury and the monarch’s Sovereign Grant, which funds a handful of senior members of the Royal family. In 2023-24, the sovereign grant amounted to £86.3m.

Now, in a bid to ensure greater transparency and a fairer financial management, pressure is being put on the Government to allow the Crown Estate to be devolved to Wales, putting it on equal footing with Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“The value of the Crown Estate in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion is hugely significant,” commented Ben Lake, MP for Ceredigion and Preseli.

“The Crown Estate owns 65% of Wales’s foreshore and riverbeds, and more than 50,000 acres of land. And a considerable amount of this lies in the foreshores around south Pembrokeshire and the more rural areas of Ceredigion.

“Welsh County Councils, including Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, are having to make payments to the Crown in leasing fees and in 2023, this sum was nearly £300.000 Yet this is happening at a time when local services in Wales are under severe pressure. It doesn’t strike me as fair that we have these significant natural assets which are generating significant amounts of profit, yet they’re not returning back to Wales.

“The UK government says it’s spending money here, but when it comes to the provision of health, education and social services, Wales only gets a Barnett formula of roughly just under 5%.”

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In 2024, Scotland, which devolved from the Crown Estate in 2017, saw more than £100m enter its coffers as a result of its offshore energy.

“And the potential for Wales is just as significant,” said Ben Lake. “Engineers and experts are all pointing to the fact that the regeneration of renewable energy in Wales is going to be big and over the next ten years, the waters around Wales are going to see some of the biggest developments in offshore wind. But unless the Crown Estate is devolved, Wales is going to be severely shortchanged.”

The Crown Estate owns more than £603m of land in Wales which includes:

65% of Wales’ coast and riverbeds;

  • The seabed which extends up to 12 miles out to sea;
  • 50,000 acres of land;
  • 250,000 acres of mineral deposits and
  • All gold and silver deposits.

Last week Westminster blocked the transfer of Crown Estate management to the Welsh Government by voting down an amendment tabled by Plaid Cymru to the Crown Estate Bill.

The Liberal Democrats also tabled an amendment calling for Crown Estate assets to be handed to Wales. But both amendments were blocked by Labour MPs.

The stance contradicted recent comments from Wales’ First Minister, Baroness Eluned Morgan, who said she was “fighting very hard” for more control.

The Bill is expected to return to the House of Commons later this month for further debate and a bid to enforce a vote on the issue,

“Even if we’re able to get a small percentage of what Scotland is generating, Wales will be able to start investing in its public services given the acute pressures that are currently being placed on the NHS and the county councils,” concluded Ben Lake. “This will go a long way to alleviate the pressures they’re under.

“And further down the line, it’s possible that Wales could then start considering its own Wealth Fund, similar to what has happened in Norway as a result of its oil and gas licensing. Through its profits and interest, the Norwegian Wealth Fund has become one of the largest in the world. In 2024 it generated $220 billion to subsidise a significant amount into public services

“And Wales is no different.

“It’s now time for the money that’s being generated from Wales’ natural assets to come back for the benefit of the people who live here.”

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Wales set to ban supermarket junk food promotions

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New rules could reshape the way snacks are sold

SHOPPERS in Wales may soon find fewer tempting offers on unhealthy snacks as the Welsh government plans to ban the promotion of junk food in supermarkets.

Under the proposed regulations, retailers with 50 or more employees will be prohibited from placing sugary, salty, and fatty foods near tills, store entrances, or at the end of aisles. Similar restrictions will apply online, preventing junk food promotions from appearing on homepage banners, category pages, or checkout screens.

The crackdown, which could come into effect in March 2026 if approved by the Senedd next month, would also spell the end for buy-one-get-one-free deals and free refills on sugary drinks.

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles defended the measures, highlighting concerns about childhood obesity. “With nearly a quarter of children in Wales overweight or obese by the time they start school, we must take action to help people make healthier choices,” he said.

Retailers who fail to comply with the new rules could face fines of up to £2,500.

Industry concerns

The proposed legislation is similar to rules introduced in England in 2022 and follows a consultation launched last year. However, the Welsh Retail Consortium has raised concerns, particularly over limits on promotional pricing, arguing that price competition benefits customers.

“Restricting meal deal offers and category promotions could impact affordability for consumers,” a spokesperson warned.

Some smaller businesses, such as independent sweet shops and specialist chocolatiers, will be exempt from the restrictions.

The Welsh government says the new rules are designed to curb impulse buying of unhealthy foods and encourage better dietary habits across the nation. However, with opposition from some in the retail sector, the debate over balancing public health and consumer choice is set to continue.

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