News

Services to be cut beyond the bone

Published

10 years ago

February 24, 2016

‘Giving the public what they want at a level that’s affordable’: Jonathan Haswell

THE PEMBROKESHIRE HERALD has been provided with a copy of the confidential report by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) on the Council’s finances and where ‘savings’ can be made and ‘efficiencies’ found.

And it makes grim reading. Claims that the County Council has ‘taken the sting out of budget-cutting’, as was claimed in an article in Accounting and Business last November, appear to have the capacity to bite it on the backside and require industrial quantities of the local government equivalent of savlon for treatment.

As The Herald recently revealed, Pembrokeshire County Council’s has massively underspent on the standard spending assessment from the Welsh Government to the tune of £42m over three years. That policy was seemingly aimed at maintaining the IPPG’s fixation with the totemic claim of setting Wales’s lowest Council tax and obsession with pursuing a cuts agenda more in common with England than in Wales. The consequences of that policy are now coming home to roost as when it comes to cutting services, Pembrokeshire is now faced with cutting not to the bone but to the marrow.

The most massive cut will fall in social care. The social care budget has already taken a series of massive and slashing reductions under the stewardship of former Labour member Simon Hancock. The Herald can, however, report that there is more and worse to come for the most vulnerable people in our county.

CUTS AIMED AT THE VULNERABLE

Under the so-called cost reduction/ efficiency proposals for 2016/17, the Council is considering a cut of £750,000+ in day care provision and a £1.4m cut in home care services. Nursing home placements will be hit with a £119,000 cut and there is a massive cut of £922,000 in residential placements. The Council is being asked to swallow a £329,000 in supported accommodation and a £320,000 cut in unspecified ‘Other Services’ in Adult Care.

All in all the cuts to Adult Care amount to £4m in the next civic year. The situation is no less grim for the Council’s Child Care Services with £831,000 of projected cuts, including a £250,000 cut to the fostering service and £329,000 cut from other family services.

The planned cuts to Child Services are blandly noted as possibly impacting negatively on the Council’s prevention agenda.

Given Pembrokeshire’s ‘chequered’ track record on child protection, one has to wonder whether the Council really intends to jeopardise its already fragile reputation by creating a situation in which its will and ability to protect Pembrokeshire’s children is called into question.

SCHOOLS BUDGET BATTERED

Even while the County Council takes part in the largest, most ambitious, and potentially most chaotic and litigious schools reorganisation in Wales, it is planning to cut schools’ budgets. In the midst of a spending spree totalling tens of millions of pounds, with reserves syphoned from departmental budgets to support its grandiose ambitions, the Council is planning to cut funding for primary and secondary schools by almost £1.9m.

It has identified the potential risk of those cuts of being that ‘pupil outcomes do not improve’.

In other words, the Council is prepared to embrace a policy on the one hand that its 21st Century Schools programme claims to address. What that says about the Council’s confidence in its own schools programme and the good faith of assurances about improvements made during the course of its disorganised attempt at schools reorganisation is laid open to question.

£337,000 will be cut from the inclusion and complex needs budget for education, £187,000 from the school meals budget, and £194,000 from the schools effectiveness programme. A further £37,000 in savings will come from the music service, governors’ service, and sports development budgets. There is a scheduled £242,000 cut to Adult and Community Education and a further £52,000 cut to the youth service.

All in all, a reduction to the education budget in excess of £2.9m in one year. Just enough to cover the cost of the Council’s contribution to its favoured new 6th Form Centre at Pembrokeshire College.

HIGHWAYS AND LEISURE CUTBACKS

£696,000 is to be shaved from the highways budget.

£32,000 of that money is to be pared from the coastal defence budget, while a further £28K is to be carved out of a maintenance review of flood defences and drainage. The Council is counting on mild winters and clement weather to justify the former cut, while crossing its fingers that cutting the latter will not result in its failure to fulfil a statutory duty.

While those figures are small compared to the £250,000+ cut in highways maintenance, about which the Council notes that ‘some works may not be done’, they are suggestive a desperate crossing of fingers about the elements.

Meanwhile, the Council proposes to shave £192,000 off the leisure budget by the expedient of closing them at bank holidays and reducing opening hours. It remains to be seen what impact this has on Pembrokeshire’s ability to offer anything for tourists to do on a rainy May Day or Good Friday. Although, it may be the case – as appears to be indicated by the cuts above – that the authority is in possession of remarkably detailed long range weather forecasts.

With £114,000 to be slashed off the library service and a further £59,000 about archives, it seems that Pembrokeshire is prepared to make a solid contribution to the decline of literacy and bury the past beyond retrieval.

However, Pembrokeshire continues to have the lowest council tax in Wales.

Community

Crowds line streets as tractor run hailed a festive success

Published

3 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Tom Sinclair

CROWDS lined streets and pavements across Pembrokeshire on Saturday evening (Dec 20) as Clarbeston Road AFC’s illuminated Christmas tractor run was hailed a resounding success.

More than 200 tractors took part in the event, travelling through villages and towns including Newmoat, Maenclochog, Llys-y-frân, Walton East, Clarbeston Road, Wiston, Newbridge, Poyston Cross, Crundale and Haverfordwest, where large crowds gathered to watch the festive convoy pass through.

Families, children and residents wrapped up against the cold to enjoy the sight of tractors decorated with Christmas lights and festive displays, with applause and waves greeting drivers as they made their way through built-up areas and rural roads alike.

The convoy set off from the Clarbeston Road AFC Knock Playing Fields at 5:30pm and concluded at the County Showground in Haverfordwest later in the evening. At the end of the run, refreshments were available and the raffle draw took place at the Park House building, which was open to the public.

Organisers said the turnout from both drivers and spectators exceeded expectations, with the event once again bringing communities together while raising funds for local causes, including The Catrin Vaughan Foundation, In It With Isaac, and Wales Air Ambulance.

Clarbeston Road AFC thanked tractor drivers, volunteers, sponsors and members of the public for their support, as well as residents and road users for their patience while the convoy passed through.

The illuminated tractor run has become a firm fixture in the local festive calendar, with Friday night’s event described by many spectators as one of the best yet.

Community

Charity tractor and car run set to raise funds for Macmillan and Paul Sartori

Published

4 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A CHARITY tractor and car run in memory of Charles Rees is set to take place in Pembrokeshire later this month, with funds raised supporting Macmillan Cancer Support and Paul Sartori Hospice at Home.

The Charles Rees Tractor & Car Run will be held on Sunday, December 28, 2025, starting and finishing at Dudwell Farm in Camrose.

Participants are being invited to “start their engines” in aid of the two charities, with gates opening at 9:00am and the convoy leaving promptly at 10:30am. Organisers have confirmed that the run will operate with no halfway stops, returning to Dudwell Farm at the end of the route.

The event will begin and finish at Dudwell Farm, Camrose (SA62 6HJ), and is open to tractors and cars. Registration and cash payment will take place on the day, with the price to be confirmed nearer the event.

Additional donations can also be made locally in the run-up to the event at Camrose Country Hardware and Croesgoch Stores.

The run has been organised to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, which provides vital care and assistance to people living with cancer, and Paul Sartori Hospice at Home, which supports patients and families across Pembrokeshire during some of the most difficult times of their lives.

Organisers say more information will be released closer to the event and are encouraging the local community to support the run, whether by taking part, donating, or lining the route to show support.

The event is expected to attract strong local interest, continuing Pembrokeshire’s tradition of community-led fundraising in support of much-valued charities.

News

Late Griffiths strike caps dramatic Clarby fightback in nine-goal thriller

Published

5 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Herald Sport

CLARBESTON ROAD staged a remarkable comeback to edge out Pennar Robins in a breathless Division One contest that delivered nine goals, wild swings of momentum and a hat-trick that ultimately counted for nothing.

Despite falling behind on three separate occasions, Clarby showed resilience and attacking intent to secure a 5–4 victory, sealed late on by Emyr Griffiths after the hosts had earlier trailed 3–1 in the first half.

For Pennar, the result was a bitter one. Jack Jones struck three times and the Robins led at 1–0, 3–1 and 4–3, but each advantage slipped away as Clarby refused to lie down.

The opening exchanges hinted at little of what was to come. Ben ‘Rocky’ John tested Pennar goalkeeper Ryeley Clark early on, while Tom Davies dragged an effort wide at the other end. The game burst into life after nine minutes when Pennar opened the scoring following a slick team move. Nicholas Willis drove forward down the right, combined neatly with Kieran Smith and Noah Davison, and was tripped inside the box. Jack Jones made no mistake from the penalty spot.

Clarby responded almost immediately. Player-manager Matthew Ellis, keen to atone for conceding the penalty, rose to head home Travis Jones’ corner at the near post just two minutes later.

Pennar regained control midway through the half. Tom Grimwood’s curling corner was met by Jones, who nodded in at the back post, and moments later the same duo combined again as Jones completed his hat-trick, finishing from close range after Grimwood beat his marker and cut the ball back.

Crucially, Clarby struck back before the break. Matthew Bowen delivered an inviting cross from the left and John powered a header past Clark to give the hosts renewed belief heading into half-time.

With the wind at their backs, Clarby came out flying after the restart. John levelled matters by cutting inside and firing low into the corner, before sustained pressure saw Matthew Davies have a goal ruled out for offside and substitute Josh Woods flash a shot across goal.

Against the run of play, Pennar edged back in front on 69 minutes when substitutes combined — Adam Phillips delivering a cross that Conner Phillips met unmarked to head home.

Once again, Clarby refused to fold. Jack Ashman drove forward from the edge of the area and thundered a high finish into the net to make it 4–4, before the decisive moment arrived 12 minutes from time. Griffiths broke through the Pennar back line and showed composure to lift the ball beyond Clark, completing a stunning turnaround.

Clarby managed the closing stages well to see out a vital win ahead of the Christmas break.

Man of the match: Jack Jones
Despite ending on the losing side, Jones’ clinical finishing and constant threat were impossible to ignore. Kieran Smith and Noah Davison were also influential in Pennar’s first-half dominance, while Ben John was central to Clarby’s revival before limping off with a knee issue.

Clarby player-manager Matthew Ellis said: “It’s a huge three points. After nine goals your head’s spinning a bit, but you’ll take it when you’re on the right side of the result. Pennar caused us problems early on, but we really turned it around after the break.”

Pennar manager Craig Butland said: “The second half wasn’t good enough. Individual errors are hurting us and conceding just before half-time changed the momentum. We’ve got to see games out better.”

Clarbeston Road: Rhys Mansell, Matthew Bowen, Greg Brown, Matthew Griffiths, Samuel Hurton, Jack Ashman, Emyr Griffiths, Matthew Davies (capt), Matthew Ellis, Ben John (Jake Wesley 62), Travis Jones. Sub not used: Joseph Jones.

Pennar Robins: Ryeley Clark, Nick Willis (Ryan Walters 80), Alex Wheeler (Adam Phillips 53), Ethan Ball, Bobby Jones (Conner Willis 53), Connor Roberts, Tom Grimwood, Kieran Smith (capt), Noah Davison, Jack Jones, Toby Davies.

Referee: Stefan Jenkins.