News

Services to be cut beyond the bone

Published

9 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.

News

Drug gang imported £11m worth of cannabis into Wales, including Pembrokeshire

Published

4 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Eleven convicted over parcel delivery operation smuggling drugs from the US

A MAJOR drug trafficking network supplying cannabis across Wales – including Pembrokeshire – has been brought down following a two-year investigation by the Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU).

Eleven members of the organised crime group have now been convicted of conspiracy to import and supply Class B drugs after evidence showed they were receiving large quantities of cannabis from the United States via international parcel delivery services.

The gang, headed by 28-year-old Abubakr Khawar from Riverside, Cardiff, is believed to have been importing around 23 kilos of cannabis a week, with estimated sales of more than £10,000 per day. Parcels were concealed in vacuum packs and disguised as innocent items such as clothing and toys.

Some of the cannabis was distributed into Pembrokeshire, The Herald understands, as part of a wider supply network across south Wales.

Recruited individuals were paid between £50 and £200 to receive the deliveries at addresses throughout the region. The parcels, once landed, were overseen by Mohammed Hussain, also 28 and from Cardiff.

On December 9, 2024, coordinated raids were carried out by Tarian, South Wales Police and British Transport Police, leading to the arrest of those involved.

The following individuals have now pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and conspiracy to import cannabis:

Abubakr Khawar, 28, Riverside, Cardiff (pleaded March 19)
Daniel Marshall, 40, Treharris, Merthyr Tydfil (April 4)
Andrew Pethers, 36, St Mellons, Cardiff (May 13)
Sophie Jones, 32, Splott, Cardiff (May 23)
Kyle Solowyk, 29, Barry (May 23)
Ceiron Jones, 28, Whitchurch, Cardiff (May 1)
Solomon Bertram, 36, Llanishen, Cardiff (March 19)

All were remanded in custody ahead of sentencing.

Two others, Mohammed Nurul Hussain, 28, and Abdu Huriara Husain, 28, both from Cardiff, initially pleaded guilty to supplying Class B drugs and later changed their pleas to guilty for importation during a trial earlier this month.

Sean Montgomery, 24, of Rumney, Cardiff, and Steven Munroe, 44, of Riverside, Cardiff, denied both charges but were found guilty following a trial at Newport Crown Court on Wednesday (June 11).

Sentencing is scheduled to begin on September 10, 2025.

Detective Constable Sean Meyrick of Tarian ROCU said: “I welcome the verdicts reached today and await the outcome of the sentencing hearing. I would like to thank Border Force for their assistance in this investigation, and colleagues at Tarian and our constituent forces.”

Farming

’Exceptional’ oat variety bred at Aberystwyth wins major award

Published

4 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE UK’s most widely grown oat, bred at Aberystwyth University, has scooped one of the industry’s most prestigious accolades.

The National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) has awarded its coveted Variety Cup to the winter oat Mascani describing it as an “exceptional variety” and praising “its unmatched quality and reliability”.

Mascani was bred by researchers at Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) and is marketed across the UK by Senova Ltd.

The variety is extremely popular in the milling industry and is known for its consistent grain quality along with reliability in the field and resistance to crop disease.

The 2025 NIAB Variety Cup for Mascani was presented to Dr Catherine Howarth from IBERS and Alison Barrow from Senova Ltd at an awards ceremony at the 2025 Cereals event in Lincolnshire.

The Variety Cup acknowledges exceptional varieties that have made a major contribution to crop productivity through improved quality, disease resistance, grower return or commercial success, and can be drawn from the entire spectrum of horticultural, ornamental and agricultural crops.

Clare Leaman, Niab’s cereal specialist, said: “Despite the emergence of newer oat varieties boasting improved yield and agronomic traits, Mascani has maintained dominance in the industry due to its exceptional quality characteristics, which continue to meet the exacting standards of millers. Its success is testament to the unique dynamics of UK oat breeding programmes which often lead to varieties with remarkable longevity. Mascani’s sustained relevance highlights its unmatched quality and reliability, even in a competitive landscape, making it a prime contender for the Niab Variety Cup.”

Research on developing the Mascani oat began at IBERS thirty years ago and the variety was added to the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board’s (AHDB) list of recommended seeds in 2004.

Dr Catherine Howarth, oat breeding and research lead at IBERS in Aberystwyth University, said: “As a research team, we are incredibly proud to accept the Niab Variety Cup for Mascani. It’s a huge honour for all those who have been involved in the development of the variety – from the original cross in 1995 and subsequent years of selection to its release onto the market as a game changing variety. Its superb quality, yield and excellent milling consistency has made Mascani a favourite across the UK for growers, merchants and millers alike. Its continuing success is evidenced by its share of the UK winter oat market, which has been over 70% for the past 6 years. Oats offer clear benefits to human health, including lowering cholesterol as well as contributing to a more sustainable environment.”

Alison Barrow, Technical Marketing Manager at Senova Ltd, highlighted that, after 21 years on the AHDB Recommended List, the variety continues to stand the test of time and remains the top-selling winter oat variety, with over 70% of the UK winter oat market.

“We’re delighted with the recognition of Mascani’s status and reputation within the marketplace by Niab. Mascani’s success can be attributed to its combination of superior grain quality and performance in the mill, along with its reliability in the field and suitability for sustainable rotations. Appealing to both end users and farmers alike, the variety has spearheaded the increase in UK-wide oat plantings and boosted development work into alternative oat markets, as the health and nutritional benefits of oats have been recognised. As a result, we now see oats being eaten at different times of day to just the traditional breakfast occasion.”

Speaking at the Cereal awards ceremony, Niab Chief Executive Professor Mario Caccamo, said: “It takes an exceptional variety to win the Niab Variety Cup, or its sister Cereals Cup, with candidates reviewed annually by our crop specialists and agronomists. This year, we had several strong contenders for the Variety Cup, and it is incredibly rewarding to acknowledge Mascani’s long-standing contribution to the industry. Its success exemplifies the impact that superior crop varieties can have on productivity and grower returns.

“As Mascani’s legacy continues to inspire innovation in crop breeding, Niab reaffirms its commitment to recognising and fostering excellence in agriculture. The Niab Variety Cup remains a symbol of achievement and dedication, inspiring breeders to push the boundaries of plant breeding.”

Established in 1986, the Niab Variety Cup is not awarded annually and is only presented when the organisers decide there is an exceptional variety which deserves recognition. It has been won twice before by plant breeders at Aberystwyth – for the perennial ryegrasses Aberdart in 2003 and Abergreen in 2015.

Business

Milford Haven Port: Hospitality income overtakes biggest energy terminal

Published

5 hours ago

June 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Tourism and hospitality generate more than any single energy customer, marking a historic economic shift for the UK’s leading energy port

THE PORT OF MILFORD HAVEN — long known as Britain’s busiest energy gateway — has revealed that its hospitality and tourism businesses are now outperforming its largest energy customer.

For the first time in the Port’s history, income from hotels, restaurants, and visitor operations exceeded the revenue earned from its single biggest energy terminal, according to the Port’s 2024 Annual Report.

The milestone marks a strategic turning point in the commercial direction of the trust port, which has traditionally relied on oil and gas terminals such as Valero, Dragon LNG and South Hook.

***Excellent results: Port boss Tom Sawyer has definitely got something to smile about***

Chief Executive Tom Sawyer said that the shift demonstrates the value of diversification in a volatile global energy climate. “Hospitality and tourism generated more income for us in 2024 than the busiest of our energy terminal customers,” the report confirms. “This should be very reassuring to all our stakeholders as it underpins our ability to invest with greater confidence in our core port operations.”

Port invests in community and renewables

As a trust port, Milford Haven has no shareholders. All profits are reinvested locally — and in 2024, more than £500,000 was delivered in community grants, youth outreach, environmental work, and local development.

The Port posted £43.2 million in turnover, a 4.6% rise on the previous year. Operating profits rose by 65.9% to £6.8 million, and net profit after tax stood at £1.9 million, reversing a £1 million loss in 2023. Diversified revenue now accounts for 45% of total income, up from 39% the year before.

Green energy future for Pembrokeshire

***Plans for new floating turbines in the Celtic Sea could provide enough power for more than 4 million homes***

The year also saw the official opening of the Pembroke Dock Marine facility — a £60 million infrastructure project supported by the Swansea Bay City Deal, with visits from the Deputy Prime Minister, the Welsh First Minister and the Secretary of State for Wales.

With the emergence of Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW) as a regional growth sector, and new hydrogen projects launching from Pembroke Port, the Port of Milford Haven is positioning itself as a central hub in Wales’ clean energy transition.

Two green hydrogen firms — ERM and Haush — launched operations in 2024, with trials underway and a 15MW electrolyser planned for local supply and refuelling uses.

Coastal tourism rises — jobs follow

Meanwhile, Milford Waterfront is booming. The Tŷ Hotel, operated by The Celtic Collection, exceeded expectations for its second full year, while McDonald’s, Greggs, Costa, and other outlets created 130 jobs over the past two and a half years.

Milford Marina reached 100% occupancy, with a growing waiting list. The area hosted thousands at events such as the Round Table’s fireworks display and beer festival. One luxury cruise ship, Star Legend, even brought cyclists from North America on a bespoke “Tour de Pembrokeshire”.

A new play park, accessibility upgrades, and repurposing of historic dockside buildings are all planned in 2025.

Changing priorities — and opportunities

***The Yasa Southern Cross, berthing at the Valero jetty, June 2025***

While energy remains the Port’s core operation, the fact that hospitality and tourism are now more valuable than its top energy customer sends a strong message about the changing economy of coastal Pembrokeshire.

Dr Siân George, the Port’s new Chair and a veteran of the marine renewables sector, said the shift was both strategic and symbolic: “This Port is anchored in its community. The fact that our strongest individual revenue stream in 2024 came from local tourism, not global energy, shows that our strategy is not just working — it’s transformative.”