News

Wales would ‘lose out’ over Brexit

Published

9 years ago

February 23, 2016

WALES would lose out if the United Kingdom left the European Union in the EU referendum. That was the message from one councillor at a meeting of the Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The committee met on Tuesday (Feb 2), to discuss the consequences of the EU Referendum on Pembrokeshire.

The UK government has committed itself to holding a referendum before the end of 2017 and at a previous meeting, councillors asked for a report on the potential impacts of leaving the EU.

It was felt that the referendum was important to people across Pembrokeshire while Cllr Keith Lewis said that Wales had ‘no option’.

Cllr John Allen-Mirehouse said: “Wales, as a predominantly rural area, would stand to lose out if the UK left.”

Councillors were shown a brochure which highlights many of the impacts of EU funding in Pembrokeshire in areas such as business and economy, tourism and heritage.

They also heard from the Council’s European Manager, Gwyn Evans, who said: “Simply, the best estimates that are available to us, these are not Council estimates, show that although the UK is a net contributor to the European Union, Wales itself is a net beneficiary and that’s partly due to the European investment which we see in Wales through the European Structural Investment Funds.

“To that end we have recently produced a brochure on some of the investments taking place in Pembrokeshire through the convergence program.

“I think it’s important to stress that the membership of the European Union is about more than money.

“It’s also important in facilitating training for example. The only observation I would make is that it is not clear that any of the benefits that we presently draw will be replaced by others should the British electorate decide to leave the EU in the referendum whenever it might be held.”

Cllr David Lloyd said that this was of importance to people across Pembrokeshire.

Cabinet Member for Economy and Communities, Cllr Keith Lewis added: “I was part of a WLGA (Welsh Local Government Association) group who visited Brussels and had the opportunity of speaking first hand to some of the elected representatives and the message that I gathered as far as Wales is concerned was that there was no option.

“Without European money there was very little scope for hardly any economic development and nobody could offer any guarantee that if Britain were to withdraw that the Westminster Government would make the deficit to areas like Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“That was the views of the elected members and they certainly saw this as the only game in town for Wales.

“The NFU have not come down in support or against the referendum and the feeling was, amongst the WLGA group, that it was high time that they did, especially the Welsh branch.”

Cllr John Allen-Mirehouse said: “We don’t know what the EU referendum is going to be. Is it going to be do we stay in or go out? We don’t know what we’re being asked yet. I certainly agree with the principle that Wales, as a predominantly rural area, would stand to lose out if the UK left.”

Cllr Ken Rowlands highlighted the report which stated that Welsh lamb exports had increased by £76m from 2003 to 2013 and added: “That says it all.”

Cllr David Pugh added: “We’ve got to realise that this is a short term benefit to Wales because in five years’ time the funding streams will probably change. We’re not likely to get the same level of funding when this round of funding finishes. With the expansion of the EU, the former eastern block countries going in, they will receive a net benefit but Wales will probably lose out.”

Gwyn Evans highlighted that the current round of funding would end in 2020 and added that they did not know what Wales was going to get after that.

It was also highlighted that the Welsh Local Government Association has given its support to the UK’s membership of the EU but councillors were told that their decision would not bind Pembrokeshire County Council into that.

Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

Published

30 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.