News
House builder addresses housing shortage
AS THE new homes market in Wales struggles to enjoy the same positive strides towards recovery as in England, Wales’ largest house-builder, Persimmon Homes, is set to address the housing shortage in west Wales announcing plans to deliver 450 new homes across Pembrokeshire with the potential to create over 1,300 jobs over the next five years.
Signalling its commitment to house building in Wales by expanding operations into west Wales, Persimmon Homes on Thursday marked the start of works in Lamphey on 39 homes comprising two bedroom bungalows and two, three and four bedroom houses.
Construction is also set to start on a further 68 at Hermitage Farm, near Haverfordwest, early next year following planning consent last week and at Bush Hill near Pembroke once planning consent is granted.
Managing Director of Persimmon Homes West Wales, Huw Llewellyn, said:
“We have found that the local authorities in west Wales have reacted more positively to the economic realities facing housebuilders and are taking positive steps to help make developments viable through more realistic planning requirements to help generate economic development, as well as new homes.
“Persimmon Homes is the first of the major PLC house-builders to develop homes this far west in Wales. And with family roots in Carmarthen, I’m proud to be part of a company that is keen to invest in the local community and support the local supply chain.”
According to Pembrokeshire County Council’s Local Development Plan, there is a significant lack of housing in the region and this latest announcement from Persimmon Homes will provide around 90 affordable houses with the remainder available on the Welsh Government’s Help to Buy Wales scheme thus helping first time buyers and families looking to upgrade to a bigger family home to do so.
Between now and 2021, Pembrokeshire County Council has made provision for 7,300 dwellings in the Local Development Plan, enabling the delivery of 5,700 homes, and Persimmon Homes is set to deliver 8% of this over the course of the next five years.
Cllr David Pugh, Board Member of the Swansea Bay City Region and Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy, Tourism and Communities, said:
“Following the launch of the Swansea Bay City Region earlier this year, economic regeneration is very much the driving force behind Council activity as we strive to create jobs and sustainable economic growth.
“The announcement that Wales’ largest housebuilder is committed to investing in Pembrokeshire is a major step forward for the region and one that will present numerous opportunities for growth and regeneration and we hope to maximise the benefits of the developments for local people and businesses.”
Cllr David Simpson, Cabinet spokesperson for Housing and
Sustainability said: “From a Council point of view it’s superb for Pembrokeshire County Council to have such a large company in Pembrokeshire. Out of the 39 homes, seven will be affordable. Pembrokeshire Housing Association now has a good relationship formed with Persimmon Homes. Pembrokeshire Housing now have an agreement that the first allocations will all be local people.”
Managing Director, Huw Llewellyn said: “We plan to have the show homes open in March to April 2014 with people living here next year. It’s not a success until we have people living in the homes. We’re pleased with the relationship with the local authority.
“We’ve been welcomed here and have been working together well and we all have realistic expectations. It’s a five year plan to generate employment. People tend to think ‘How can a construction site create so many jobs?’. Well, it’s not just the boys he have working on site, it’ll be the people who will live there who will bring in trade for local people, such as a small shop – it will have more customers. It’s secondary jobs, too”.
Cllr David Pugh, Board Member of the Swansea Bay City Region and Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet member for Economy, Tourism and Communities said: “It’s great the commitment to come to this part of the world in Pembrokeshire. Pembrokeshire is open for business!”
Business
Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost
RURAL Wales is seeing a major upgrade in mobile connectivity, with faster 4G now live in several areas. Seven locations across North, South West, and West Wales are benefitting from new 4G mast upgrades funded by the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN), aimed at closing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.
The upgrades, which went live on Thursday (Nov 14), bring improved 4G coverage to communities including Bontddu, Llanelltyd, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Penmaenpool, Tabor, Snowdonia National Park, and Bontgoch. Local businesses, emergency services, and residents are expected to benefit from faster internet access, which supports daily communication, business opportunities, and economic growth.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for modern life and should be available from Cardiff to the remotest parts of Wales. Today’s upgrades bring us closer to making this a reality.”
SUPPORTING DIGITAL INCLUSION
As part of the rollout, Peter Kyle and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant visited Ebbw Vale to discuss digital inclusion with charity and industry leaders. They met with representatives at BGfm, a digital inclusion hub in Blaenau Gwent, to learn about how connectivity impacts daily life in Welsh communities.
Telecoms Minister Bryant said: “We are working tirelessly to make sure rural communities aren’t left behind online.
“These upgrades mean businesses can now operate without connectivity limitations, 999 services are better equipped to respond, and residents and tourists can stay connected across the Welsh countryside.”
ADDRESSING CONNECTIVITY GAPS
An estimated 1.5 million homes across the UK remain without internet access, limiting people’s ability to access essential services such as banking and healthcare. In addition to the SRN upgrades, the Chancellor has allocated over £500 million in next year’s budget for digital infrastructure expansion, targeting these underserved areas.
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the importance of this investment, particularly for rural Wales, where fast, reliable internet can be transformative.
“Connectivity is critical for day-to-day life in rural areas – from supporting local businesses to ensuring emergency services are just a call away,” Stevens said.
The upgraded masts, previously limited to EE customers and emergency 999 calls, now serve a wider user base, bringing essential internet access to more people without requiring new infrastructure.
Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “With the activation of five new SRN sites, Wales is seeing the tangible benefits of the Shared Rural Network, bringing crucial connectivity to rural communities.”
GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN REMOTE WALES
The improvements come alongside a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties, helping future-proof digital access in even the most isolated locations.
The latest upgrades mark another step in the Government’s mission to improve mobile coverage and close the connectivity gap across Wales, creating opportunities and supporting economic growth across rural communities.
News
Milford Haven man admits to downloading indecent images of children
A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sentenced after admitting to downloading over 1,000 indecent images and videos of children, including highly explicit content involving young children. Gareth MacDonald, now 23, appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and videos across various devices.
The court heard that police visited MacDonald’s home, which was the scene of protests after his arrest, last year following intelligence suggesting that child abuse images had been accessed there.
Officers spoke with MacDonald’s mother at the door before entering to conduct a search.
During the operation, two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, and two hard drives were seized.
MacDonald initially spoke to one of the officers privately, admitting to downloading the images and saying, “It’s me.” Later, in formal interviews, he revealed that he had grown “bored with legal pornography” roughly a year earlier, knowing that what he was doing was illegal but continuing regardless.
Prosecutor Emily Bennett informed the court that MacDonald’s devices held 15 Category A images, the most severe classification, 26 Category B images, and 960 Category C images. Some content depicted children as young as nine, and the most serious material involved pre-teen children in distressing situations.
Bennett also noted that MacDonald had briefly joined an online group where members self-identified as paedophiles, although he left without sharing any material. Cleaning software was also found on his devices.
Defense counsel Dan Griffiths acknowledged that MacDonald’s actions had crossed the custodial threshold, but argued that there was “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.” He highlighted MacDonald’s cooperation with police and his willingness to comply with rehabilitation programmes.
Judge Geraint Walters, presiding over the sentencing, addressed MacDonald, saying, “For some considerable time, you have accessed this kind of imagery, fully aware of the harm it represents.” He acknowledged that MacDonald largely isolated himself and stayed at home, factors he considered in the sentencing.
MacDonald was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and participate in the Horizon programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.
News
Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home
A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.
Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).
In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.
PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”
This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.
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