News

Toll bridge in Enterprise Zone is ‘ludicrous’

Published

10 years ago

March 8, 2016

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has rejected a notice of motion from Cllr Bob Kilmister which called for the council to negotiate with the Welsh Government over the transfer of the Cleddau Bridge.

The matter was discussed at a meeting of the council’s Cabinet on Monday, February 22.

Cllr Kilmister stated that the Council lacked the will to negotiate with the Welsh Government and said it was ludicrous how there was a toll bridge in an Enterprise Zone.

However, Cllr Rob Lewis said that negotiations were currently taking place and added that he was perplexed as to why the notice of motion had come before them.

Cllr Bob Kilmister said: “The purpose of this is to quite clearly on whether we are prepared to stop using the bridge as a cash earner or not.

“The whole argument is about the Chief Financial Officers’ comments in the report. He says: ‘Should ownership of the Cleddau Bridge be transferred to the Welsh Government and the council receives no proceeds from the transfer it would lose net income of £1.9million per annum’.

“Who could disagree with that statement? My notice of motion seeks to negotiate a transfer. It does not specify the terms, they need to be negotiated and frankly I am very confident that this could be achieved with good will on both sides.

“Refusing this simply says that we don’t want to change our position at all. I’m extremely confident that this is a view not shared by the residents of this county. Currently, I think we lack that good will to negotiate. This council has used, over many years, all kinds of smoke and mirrors on this issue. It has, in my opinion, deliberately misled members and the general public because it raises so much income for the council.

“It has ignored the economic considerations or the effect it has had on businesses and residents who use it, often on a daily basis.

“It has been a stealth tax since this council was formed and before. The notional debt issue confused everyone, including the Wales Audit Office, but at last we now have a clear position on that issue.

“If anyone doubts that the tolls on this bridge do not have a detrimental effect on the county’s economy then they are, in my humble opinion, utterly deluded.

“We have a toll bridge in the middle of an Enterprise Zone, frankly it beggars belief.

“We need to negotiate a conclusion to this saga and this seeks to achieve that end.”

Council Leader Jamie Adams said it was not fair to suggest that the running of the Cleddau Bridge was dreamed up by the council.

Cllr Rob Lewis said: “This is something that has taken up quite a lot of council time over the last 18 months. To say that we as an authority have done nothing would be wrong. There has been substantial work carried out by the Economy Task and Finish Group.

“The important thing that we need to be aware of is the current work taking place with the Welsh Government looking at the future of the road network of the area. Cllr Kilmister seems to be asking to do something that we started doing a while ago. This is the process that we need to follow.”

Cllr Sue Perkins said: “I’m sure nobody likes to pay for the Bridge but I think everybody understands that before the bridge it took an hour get round so it is a huge important benefit to the area and once the work has been done Welsh Government could take it over and say we will not charge at all and trunk the road which is something that many people have argued about.

“My concern is that we would not only lose the bridge and the management of it but we could also end up costing a huge amount more for the people of the area. We don’t know but that is the work that needs to be undertaken and this is what we are doing.”

Council Leader Jamie Adams added that the council would, on some occasions, need to draw on the money coming in from the bridge like they had in the past to strengthen the bridge.

Cllr Bob Kilmister said: “The Act of Parliament was very specific saying how the use of funds should be made and there is great doubt that we have actually followed that act.

“My party, the Liberal Democrats, first raised the issue in 1984 with Patrick Jones so to say that this has come out of nowhere so this isn’t the case.

“We have made huge profit out of this bridge over the time of its existence. That is either in the region of either a minimum of £7million and a maximum of £19million. This argument is simply about money.

“We have to negotiate and we haven’t done that in a constructive manner with Welsh Government up to this time and we need to preserve our financial position as best we are able to do that.

“We have a duty to protect and build that economy and at the present moment our actions with the Bridge do not help that to happen and to have a toll bridge in an Enterprise Zone is ludicrous and I cannot understand how that came about.”

The notice of motion from Cllr Kilmister was not adopted.

Education

School issues safeguarding alert over children’s use of Roblox

Published

5 minutes ago

December 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi warns parents about addictive gameplay, unsafe chat functions and scammers

YSGOL PENRHYN DEWI in St Davids has issued a safeguarding warning to parents after concerns were raised about children’s use of the popular online gaming platform Roblox.

In a letter sent to families today (Dec 15), Assistant Headteacher Louise Gray said the school had been made aware of a series of risks linked to the platform, which is widely used by children aged 8–13 – and in some cases younger.

Roblox allows users to create and play games developed by other players. However, the school says this user-generated model can expose children to inappropriate or harmful content depending on which games they access.

Range of risks highlighted

The letter sets out several specific safeguarding concerns, including:

Inappropriate content in user-created games
Highly addictive gameplay, with daily quests and reward systems designed to increase screen time
Easily changed parental controls, allowing children to adjust settings without verification
Chat features that expose younger players to inappropriate messages
Peer pressure from in-game ‘connections’, with children believing they know other users
Emotional dysregulation linked to heavy use of the platform
Scams, including fake offers of free Robux or cosmetic items

Parents are being urged to closely monitor how their children use the platform, who they interact with, and what content they can access.

Guidance available

The school has directed families to the Welsh Government’s Hwb website for further advice on parental controls and safe use of Roblox.

Community

Festive creativity shines as Kurtz MS meets card competition winner

Published

55 minutes ago

December 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

SAMUEL KURTZ, Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, visited Pembroke Dock Community School on Friday 12th December to present a prize to the winner of this year’s Christmas Card Competition.

The competition invited pupils to design a festive Christmas card, with entries received from schools across the area. The standard of artwork was exceptionally high, showcasing the creativity, imagination and talent of young people in the community.

During the visit, Samuel Kurtz congratulated the winning pupil and thanked all those who took part, as well as the teachers and staff who supported the competition. Each child who entered also received a certificate in recognition of their hard work and effort.

Speaking after the presentation, Samuel said, “It was a real pleasure to visit Pembroke Dock Community School today and announce the winner of my Christmas Card competition. This year the winner is Mair Moseley, aged 10, and she designed a wonderful Santa image that really stood out. She has won a chocolate selection set and a £20 book token to enjoy over Christmas.”

He added, “ The creativity and enthusiasm shown by all the children was fantastic, and it made choosing a winner extremely difficult. I want to congratulate all the entrants and thank the staff for their ongoing support.”

Pembroke Dock Community School Headteacher, Mrs Katie Crockford-Morris, added, “We were delighted to welcome Samuel Kurtz MS to the school to present the prize. The children thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the competition, and they were incredibly proud to receive their certificates.”

The winning design will now be used as Samuel Kurtz’s official Christmas card this year, with one copy already on its way to His Majesty, King Charles.

Charity

Two Welsh families fund Childline across the UK on Christmas Day

Published

1 hour ago

December 15, 2025

Staff Writer

Joint £40,000 gift ensures vital support is available when children need it most

TWO Cardiff families have joined forces to fund the NSPCC’s Childline service across the whole of the UK on Christmas Day, ensuring children have somewhere to turn during one of the toughest times of the year.

The Peterson family and the Bowles family are each donating £20,000 as part of the charity’s One Unforgettable Day project. Their combined £40,000 contribution will cover the entire cost of running Childline for 24 hours on 25 December.

Childline operates 12 bases nationwide and offers a free, confidential service to anyone under 19, available day and night, 365 days a year. The festive period is often one of the most demanding for counsellors and volunteers; between 24 December 2024 and 4 January 2025, Childline delivered 4,261 counselling sessions.

Young people reach out to Childline for a range of reasons at Christmas, including mental health struggles, family tensions, financial worries, loneliness, and increased risks of abuse or domestic violence. With schools closed and regular support networks unavailable, demand for help typically rises.

Childline relies heavily on donations, fundraising and charitable partnerships. The support of Alan, Maggie and Hywel Peterson, and Nathan and Claire Bowles and their four children, will ensure counsellors are available throughout Christmas Day for any young person who needs them.

Hywel Peterson MBE, Chair of the NSPCC Cymru Fundraising Board, said:
“It’s an honour to help fund Childline across the whole of the UK this Christmas. This joint donation will ensure our dedicated staff and volunteers are there to support any child who needs us.”

Cardiff entrepreneur Nathan Bowles added:
“We know that Christmas can be a difficult time for some children, so our family is delighted to be joining forces with the Petersons this year to support this vital service.”

Louise Israel, Childline team manager at NSPCC Cymru’s Cardiff base, said:
“While children and young people need Childline all year round, we speak to many who find this time of year particularly difficult. It is only with the support of such generous people as the Peterson and Bowles families that our staff and volunteers can continue to be here throughout the Christmas holidays. This kindness will genuinely make a difference.”

Children can call Childline free on 0800 11 11 or visit www.childline.org.uk.
Anyone concerned about a child’s welfare can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit www.nspcc.org.uk for advice.