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New Welsh School for Tenby

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All the trimmings: Tenby Infants having a Christmas dinner on Wednesday, the last before the new school opens in September

All the trimmings: Tenby Infants having a Christmas dinner on
Wednesday, the last before the new school opens in September

TENBY – traditionally the heart of ‘Little England Beyond Wales’ – will see the opening of its first Welsh language medium primary school next year. The new Welsh school, which can cater for up to 210 pupils between three and 11, is due to open in the south Pembrokeshire town in September 2016. A temporary governing body is already in place and it will be advertising for a new head teacher this month. “This is a very exciting and historic opportunity for primary education in the town,” said Councillor Huw George, Cabinet Member for the Welsh language.

“It will strengthen and develop primary and Welsh medium provision in the area and – along with the new English medium school – will provide children in the area with the very best educational start in life.” The new Welsh school is the result of growing demand for Welsh medium education in the traditionally English speaking town. The current Welsh unit in the town’s Infants School already has 71 pupils while numbers at the Junior School stand at 39. And while the new school’s main intake will come from these current Welsh units, it will also take in pupils from a wider catchment area across the south of the county.

Julie Jones, Chair of the Temporary Governing Body, said there had been a sea-change in attitude towards the Welsh language in Tenby over the last few decades. “Some 37 years ago, one of our new governors – Ann Griffiths – was the first in the area to campaign for a Welsh unit within the existing Infants School, which was eventually established with a handful of children. She is now on the temporary governing body of a brand new Welsh school, which will open its gates in September 2016 with over 110 children on the roll,” she said. “Where once there was a handful of parents waiting to pick up their children from the Welsh units at the end of the school day, we are now in triple figures, waiting at five different classrooms across the Infants and Junior schools.

“The difference is tangible, and the demand for choice to be able to educate one’s child fully in the Welsh language has been recognised by the County Council. “All we need now is to appoint an excellent new Head Teacher with the enthusiasm and drive to take up this exciting challenge – such is the local demand, the numbers in the new Welsh School will only go one way, and that is up. No more little England beyond Wales.” The new school is part of a £8.37m investment in primary education in Tenby by Pembrokeshire County Council. As well as the new Welsh medium school, a new English medium VC primary school, catering for 390 pupils from three to 11, will also be set up. The cost of the £8.37m project will be shared between the County Council and the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools programme.

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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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