News

Tough choices for 21st century schools

Published

12 years ago

December 19, 2013

In an exclusive interview with The Pembrokeshire Herald, Council Leader Jamie Adams shares his vision for the future of Pembrokeshire’s schools

A COLD grey day slowly fades into twilight as Jamie Adams sits at a desk opposite me in an office tucked away in a maze of corridors at County Hall.

We are here to talk about the 21st Century Schools programme: the ambitious and wide-ranging plans that are a significant and potentially controversial part of the County Council’s plans for the future of education in Pembrokeshire.

In short, local authorities have been told to look at schools with low numbers and consolidate them, to look at their estate and ways to improve it and offered the chance of limited time funding to do both. The policy gained a high-profile casualty when the former Welsh Government Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, resigned after fighting locally a policy he promoted nationally.

The Pembrokeshire Herald wanted to find out what the Council’s plans were and, in a wide-ranging interview, spoke to Jamie Adams – who chairs the authority’s 21st Century Schools Management Board – about them.

“I would not say that the position in Pembrokeshire is any more challenging than it is in other counties,” Jamie Adams begins.

“I would rather regard it as an opportunity to shape the provision of education, and to address the problem of surplus places in our schools.

“We have twenty percent more school spaces than we have pupils to fill those spaces. Now, there are counties – I won’t name them – in which difficult decisions have been avoided in favour of the status quo. That is the easy route to take.

“For now, however, Pembrokeshire has the chance to obtain the funding to provide new buildings and new schools and to build for the future. This is a once in a generation chance to do this and I think that we should take up the challenge to shape education in our county for the better.”

He pauses and looks reflective, before continuing: “In order to build new schools, we must make some other choices. We have the opportunity to rationalize the Council’s estate. We cannot afford to operate surplus buildings or surplus space. It ties up capital.

“A good example would be youth centres, day centres, family centres: we cannot afford to keep these as single use buildings used only part of the time. We must ‘sweat the assets’ to get the most out of them. That means combining buildings’ uses to keep services affordable and buildings viable.

“We must do this in order to get the funding we need. The original 21st Century Schools scheme provided for a 70-30 split between central government and central government inputs. That is now 50-50. We have to find forty percent more of the funding than originally planned. As we are the second highest recipient of central government funding in Wales, our challenge is that much greater in terms of capacity for capital projects. We have got off to a good start and have a lot of the money in place. I am confident that within two years we will be one third of the way to our funding target in terms of releasing capital.

“As a council, our challenge over the next two to three years is to release the money tied up in existing assets that can be realised. That can only be done by a collective effort. My challenge is to convey the message that we need to move away from holding too much in buildings to do more with services.”

But what of specific schools: Johnston, for instance?

“When we first sent our exploratory bids in, they were prepared to a tight timescale as aspirational expressions of what we wanted to achieve. There was a narrow window provided by the Welsh Government. Some other Welsh councils decided not to stick their necks out, we were prepared to take the chance given.

“Since our initial expressions, we have taken the opportunity think both generally and strategically at schools and our education system in Pembrokeshire. We are focusing on three things: growth, outcomes and quality of build. We must also consider Welsh medium provision and special educational needs.

“So in terms of Johnston School, we looked again at the site. The present site is a nightmare for traffic twice a day. The streets around the school are simply not built to handle the number of cars going back and forward there. In addition, the buildings are ‘tired’ and need updating/replacing.

“While we looked originally at developing on the existing site, we decided that it was rather like trying to fit a size eight foot in a size six shoe. It is simply not going to fit. So, we have decided to find out if there are chances to develop elsewhere in Johnston.

“Secondly, we have identified an additional need for further support for special educational needs covering the area between Haverfordwest and Milford Haven and stretching inland and toward the coast. If you look at a map of the County, one location stands out as the sensible place to locate that provision: Johnston.

“In light of that revised thinking, our original proposal for Johnston School’s present site has been replaced by our wish to look at the opportunities for building a new school on a new site.”

What about Hakin and Hubberston schools?

“That’s an ongoing consultation, and I don’t want to prejudge its outcome. I point out, however, that for pre-eleven education, Estyn is looking for a single site school. Now Hakin is a split site already and Estyn want that point addressed.

“In terms of Hubberston, I do not doubt that we could make do with the existing buildings for a few more years, but the opportunity to develop our options is now. I think this is a unique chance to develop a new school on a single site.

“There are, of course, other issues: I am particularly pleased that the revised proposals incorporate the opportunity to retain faith-based education; that is to be welcomed. I am pleased that this area is bucking the trend across the county and that there is a growing young population there. In order to address that issue, we really ought to future-proof our provision now, when we have the chance. Finally, as it stands, we have three schools in very close proximity to each other and a new school on a single site makes more sense.

“At Broad Haven School we have the chance to provide a nursery and additional capacity. To an extent that is a less complicated project, as it is a much smaller school. But it fits into our strategic plan for the future provision of school places across Pembrokeshire.

“Make no mistake: we will have to make tough choices in the future as well. The Council will be moving on to consider the Angle Peninsula and the area south and west of Pembroke town. We need to consider how viable our current provision is and whether there are opportunities to use resources more efficiently there.

News

First dolphin killed by grey seal recorded in Welsh waters

Published

57 minutes ago

March 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE FIRST suspected case of a grey seal killing a common dolphin in Welsh waters has been recorded on a Pembrokeshire beach.

Marine investigators believe an adult female short-beaked common dolphin found stranded at Newgale Beach may have been attacked by a small group of grey seals operating between west Wales and the south-west coast of England.

The discovery marks a significant development in what researchers say is growing evidence that some male grey seals are preying on a wider range of marine mammals than previously understood.

Corkscrew injuries identified

The dolphin, measuring around six feet in length, suffered severe “corkscrew” injuries — distinctive spiral tearing of blubber and tissue — which are consistent with previous confirmed grey seal attacks on harbour porpoises.

Mat Westfield, Wales strandings co-ordinator for Marine Environmental Monitoring, said similar incidents had recently been investigated in north Devon.

He said: “It’s the first recorded case in Wales. Because it’s so close geographically to Devon, we suspect it may involve a small number of individual grey seals operating in that area.”

Bite marks were identified on the dolphin’s pectoral fins and around the torn blubber edges — patterns marine pathologists associate with grey seal predation.

The carcass has been sent for further examination. Full laboratory results could take up to six months, with tests expected to determine whether the dolphin had any pre-existing illness or injury.

***Marine Environmental Monitoring said the dolphin had “corkscrew” injuries consistent with a grey seal attack***

Behaviour linked to adult males

Dr Izzy Langley, of the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews, said evidence suggests the behaviour is limited to certain adult male grey seals rather than the wider population.

Grey seals are typically fish-eaters, feeding on sand eels, cod, herring and squid. However, over the past decade researchers have documented attacks on harbour porpoises and even other seal species.

Dr Langley said there was no clear evidence that dolphins targeted in such incidents were already sick or weakened.

She explained that researchers believe the attacks may involve ambush tactics from below, catching dolphins unaware while they forage.

“We’ve always found it difficult to understand how grey seals could kill a healthy dolphin,” she said. “It suggests this may not be an evolved predator-prey relationship, but behaviour developed by individual animals.”

Every confirmed case so far has involved adult male grey seals, leading scientists to suspect the behaviour may be learned rather than instinctive.

Rare but significant

Grey seals are common along the Pembrokeshire coastline and are a familiar sight around Ramsey Island, Skomer and the Marloes peninsula. While attacks on harbour porpoises have been recorded previously in Welsh waters, this is believed to be the first suspected fatal attack on a common dolphin.

Marine experts stress that such incidents remain rare and do not represent widespread predatory behaviour across the grey seal population.

However, the case is likely to prompt further monitoring of strandings along the west Wales coast as researchers seek to understand whether this represents an isolated event — or the emergence of a new behavioural pattern.

Health

Hywel Dda warns of ‘significant pressure’ as A&E departments remain packed

Published

2 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Patients urged to use NHS 111 as Withybush, Glangwili and Bronglais face continued strain

HYWEL DDA University Health Board has warned that its emergency departments remain under “significant pressure,” with particular concern at Withybush Hospital.

In a statement issued on Monday (Mar 2), the Health Board said A&E departments at Withybush, Glangwili and Bronglais hospitals were continuing to experience high demand.

Patients were urged to contact NHS 111 Wales for advice if they are unsure where to seek help, and to use community pharmacies and minor injury units for non life-threatening conditions.

The Health Board said: “Help us to help you get the right care in the right place.”

It added that those with serious or life-threatening emergencies should always call 999.

Delayed discharges impacting flow

The statement also highlighted pressures caused by delayed discharges, urging families to support relatives who are medically fit to leave hospital but are waiting for homecare or community health support.

Bed-blocking, often linked to shortages in social care packages, is widely acknowledged as a key factor in A&E overcrowding, as patients cannot be moved from emergency departments into inpatient wards.

When wards are full, ambulance handovers slow and patients can face long waits for assessment and treatment.

Withybush under particular strain

Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest was singled out as being under “particular” pressure.

There were no signs yet that things were improving today (Tuesday).

The Health Board did not release figures for waiting times, ambulance delays, or bed occupancy rates in its statement.

However, it confirmed that demand remains high across west Wales.

Alternative services highlighted

The public were reminded that:

NHS 111 Wales can provide 24-hour advice.
Option 2 via 111 offers urgent mental health support.
Community pharmacies can treat a range of common ailments without appointment.
Minor injury units are available for non life-threatening issues.

The Health Board thanked residents for their support and cooperation during what it described as a challenging period.

News

Vote.wales: Information website launched to give people voting confidence

Published

13 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Vote.wales to host all essential election information for the Senedd election

A BRAND new voter information website, vote.wales, has been launched today (2 March) by the Electoral Management Board for Wales, part of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru.

Vote.wales is the first website of its kind in Wales and tells people everything they need to know about the election, including advice about voting, information about the Senedd, and a postcode search function to provide tailored local information.

The website holds information about who can register to vote, how voting works in polling stations, as well as postal and proxy voting, and what accessibility support people can expect when they go to vote.

A postcode search function on vote.wales allows voters to see which of Wales’ 16 new constituencies they will be voting in, as well as telling them where their local polling station is located.

Once nominations have closed, the website will also inform voters which political parties and independent candidates are standing in their area.

The website explains how the Senedd works and what it does, highlighting which policy areas are devolved to the Senedd and which remain the responsibility of the UK Parliament. It also sets out the difference between the Senedd and the Welsh Government.

Further developments are expected in the coming weeks. In a first for Welsh elections, voters will soon be able to access detailed accessibility information about their local polling station. Political parties and independent candidates will also be able to publish their election leaflets on the platform, so voters can see not only who is standing but what they stand for.

Following the election, vote.wales will publish the full election results.

Commenting on the launch, Shereen Williams MBE OStJ, Chief Executive of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, said:

“An important election is coming on 7 May, and vote.wales is the place to go to find out all about it.

“We know that people across Wales are looking forward to making their voices heard at this election, but many people don’t feel they have all the information they need before they go and vote.

“If you have questions about this election, then head to vote.wales. Voting confidence starts here.”