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Wind turbine extension refused

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turbine123PLANS to extend the height of a controversial wind turbine near Castle Cenlas, Mathry, were refused by the Planning and Rights of Way Committee.

The committee met on Tuesday, September 8, to discuss the application which had been recommended for approval by planning officers.

A previous application to the committee for the turbine was made in September 2014 but that was also refused by the committee.

However, the application was subsequently granted on appeal in March 2015.

The application before the committee sought to extend the height of the blade tip from 34.5m to 36.6m.

There were near farcical scenes when the vote was taken as at first the vote had been recorded as six for the application and seven against it.

The agent Martin Horne stood up in the public gallery demanding a recount of those who had voted but it was eventually clarified that six had voted for and seven had voted against.

Objecting as she did at the previous meeting, Annie Lock said: “My husband and I run a luxury camping and yurts business which is near where the turbine will be sited.

“Visitors come for the peace, tranquillity and landscape. We have been through the anxiety and stress of two other turbine applications by this applicant, both of which were refused by the planning committee.

“Over 150 people have objected to this amendment alone. This application is being presented to you as a minor change. This turbine will be over two metres higher and the blade sweep will be over 50% greater than the turbine which you have already turned down.

“The sweep, covering a 50% larger area, will have a devastating impact on the visual amenity and tranquillity of the area and our campsite.

“The recommendation to accept this turbine is just a gamble. Would you choose to go on holiday underneath a large turbine? You answered no to a smaller turbine last time.”

Cllr Brian Hall explained that as he had supported the turbine on the previous occasion he would do so again.

However, a number of councillors felt uncomfortable with the recommendation.

Cllr Peter Stock said: “I’ve always got great concern when we look at anything that could possibly affect the quality of Pembrokeshire.

“Visual impact is very important, and looking at Pembrokeshire now, we have many turbines up and this is possibly detrimental to the county.

“This particular one is higher than what we voted on last time and why when we turned it down before, are we being asked to approve this one?

“I believe that if we approve this today it will have a detrimental effect on that area.”

Cllr Tony Wilcox added: “This is a different application, this is larger and it would have a detrimental effect on the area and there are also two other turbines there so I am not comfortable with the officers’ recommendation.”

Cllr Gwilym Price said: “I can’t support approval here. I think the visual impact is absolutely devastating. I support the community council and the business in this area, tourism is so important to our county and we want to keep it looking as nice as possible. I hate to see too many turbines in an area so I will be voting against this.”

The plans to extend the turbine were refused but the developer still has the green light to go ahead with the existing consent.

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Business

Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

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PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

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Business

Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

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TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

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News

Welsh Water has increased sewage discharges into waterways ‘by 40%’

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NEW figures released by the Environment Agency have shown that Dwr Cymru discharged sewage into waterways for a staggering 23,354 hours last year, a 40% increase on 2022. 

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are now calling for tougher action against sewage dumping in Welsh waterways.

The party has also called for a halt on bonuses for water company bosses whose firms have dumped sewage into waterways.

Conservative MPs have consistently voted against measures which would have helped to tackle the crisis.

The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said: “It is a complete scandal that filthy sewage is being pumped into our nation’s rivers and waterways without consequence.

“It’s beggars’ belief that both the UK Conservative Government and the Welsh Labour government are allowing water firms to get away with this environmental vandalism.

“We as a party are calling for tougher action to stop sewage being dumped in local waterways. We have also called for a halt on bonuses for water company fat cats whose firms have pumped filth into our waterways.”

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