News

New school approved, despite concerns

Published

9 years ago

January 29, 2016

County Hall: Members attend the Extraordinary meeting yesterday (Jan 13)

A NEW school will be built in the Angle peninsula despite concerns over the proposed location.

The proposal will see the closure of Angle VC, Orielton CP and Stackpole VC Schools and a new 3-11 VC school established. At Thursday’s (Jan 14) Extraordinary Meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, it was revealed that a proposed new school on a site in Hundleton was the preferred option. However, concerns were raised over Hundleton’s proximity to Monkton School which some councillors felt might lead to a drop in pupil numbers. There were also suggestions to keep the Stackpole School open because of its size and to put the new school there.

After a lengthy debate a majority voted in favour of the plans for the new school on a site in Hundleton. Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sue Perkins said: “There is a strong level of support for these proposals. A federation was considered but the legislations does not allow for this to happen. “It should be acknowledged that meeting all the needs of the Angle peninsula is a difficult challenge. “The new school will have 120 pupils which is hardly a large school and the proposal is the most sensible and equitable solution.”

Hundleton Cllr John Allen- Mirehouse said: “These have been three difficult years for the schools. All of the schools achieve well, there reports are excellent. One thing that has come out of the reports from the inspector is the ethos of the schools. “These are small rural friendly schools but finance has made it very difficult for Stackpole and Hundleton and the reason for that is the falling numbers of pupils. “People on the peninsula would very much like to keep the status quo but there is a universal agreement that the first choice is not an option. “The new school would be on one of two sites and the preferred site is at Hundleton. “There have been many consultations and there is a minority group that would like to retain Stackpole but that is really not an option. “The future, if an option is not taken up, looks grim for all three schools. It is a difficult choice but a majority want the new school and that will offer what the other three cannot offer of a first class facility. “We are looking at the education of a minority and this will bring educational benefits that will occur for generations to come”

Cllr Tony Wilcox said: “This is a sign of the times and everybody would welcome the new school but it is the location I have a problem with. Most of the children go to the Stackpole School. We own the site and we would only have to use the one bus to get children to and from the school. “We would have to buy land in Orielton and the location may cause problems for Monkton.” Council Leader Jamie Adams said that the council had to be mindful of the roads around Stackpole and that although Stackpole is the largest school, it was about where people travel from to attend the school.

Cllr Viv Stoddart was also concerned about the new location and added that there was no mention of the preferred site in the recommendation. Cllr Adams said that the preferred option was the Orielton site. Cllr Jacob Williams said: “I agree with the concerns. The site at Hundleton would be within two miles of Monkton and I don’t think that is ideal. The Monkton School is too close to this site. “The site at Stackpole is bigger, it has playing fields and is in Pembrokeshire County Council Ownership. The case has not been made that the site needs to be at Hundleton. Why spend extra money on new land at Hundleton?”

Cllr Daphne Bush said: “Travelling from Angle to Hundleton is far better and you cant expect Angle children to travel to Stackpole and Hundleton is a super alternative. Cllr Mike John said it would not be fair to expect children from Angle to travel to the Stackpole School and added that the new school needed to be in a central location. Cllr Tessa Hodgson said she was unhappy with the recommendation as she felt it should include the possibility of looking at the Stackpole site as an alternative. The plans were approved by a majority vote.

Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

Published

31 mins ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.

Crime

Three men from London admit their guilt over illegal cannabis farm

Published

57 mins ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THREE men admit their guilt after police discover over 700 cannabis plants during a raid on a former school building in Llandysul.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police executed a warrant at the former Ysgol Gynradd Llandysul on Heol Llyn Y Fran on November 15. Inside, they found 737 cannabis plants spread across multiple rooms.

Armeld Troksi, 29, and Njazi Gjana, 27, both from Empire Avenue in Edmonton, London, along with Ervin Gjana, 24, from Durham Avenue in Romford, were arrested at the scene and later charged with producing cannabis.

The three men appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where they admitted their involvement in the illegal operation. Defence solicitor Joshua Scouller requested a pre-sentence report for Ervin Gjana, which was granted by Judge Geraint Walters.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 20.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Following a warrant executed at the former school on Heol Llyn Y Fran, officers discovered a significant cannabis grow containing 737 plants.

“We are grateful to the local community for their continued support and cooperation. Officers will remain in the area while the site is secured.

“Our commitment remains firm in disrupting drug production and supply networks across our force area.

“We encourage residents to report any suspicious activity, no matter how small it may seem. Every piece of information can make a difference, and reports can easily be submitted through our website.”

News

Protest in Lampeter to save Wales’ oldest university

Published

1 hour ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Wales’ oldest university staged a march and demonstration last Friday (Dec 20) in a bid to highlight the plight of the Lampeter campus.

The protest, organised by the Lampeter Society, brought together former and current students, along with local residents, to oppose plans by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) to relocate humanities courses to Carmarthen next September.

The rally began at Lampeter Rugby Club at 10:30am, with demonstrators marching to the university campus. Despite the timing—on a weekday and so close to Christmas—organisers reported a strong turnout.

Ieuan Davies, one of the organisers and a Lampeter alumnus from the 1980s, said: “We wanted to show support for the students whose education is being directly affected by these plans, and to remind decision-makers of the devastating impact this will have on the local economy and culture.”

Established in 1822, Lampeter is Wales’ oldest higher education institution. In 2009, it merged with Trinity College Carmarthen and later joined with Swansea Metropolitan University to form UWTSD.

The proposed relocation of the humanities faculty has sparked concerns about the long-term sustainability of higher education in Lampeter. Campaigners argue that losing the faculty would mark the end of over 200 years of academic heritage in the town.

The Lampeter Society has also launched a petition calling on the university and the Welsh Government to create a ‘viable, sustainable plan’ for the campus’s future. The petition requires 10,000 signatures to trigger a debate in the Senedd and can be accessed at https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/246410.