News

Badger knows best

Published

11 years ago

September 9, 2013

IT’S NICE TO HAVE A HOBBY!

Like all keen collectors there is nothing that beats the sensation of having a complete set of something. Philatelists will tell you that they can’t stand having a gap where they know a purple sixpenny one with an inverted watermark should be.

And so it is with Pembrokeshire County Council.

It’s not enough having Morrison’s, Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland, and M&S. What the town of Haverfordwest needs – at least as far as the Council is concerned – is a Sainsbury’s. So, like all completitists with a gap in their album, they have invested a great deal of time and effort in acquiring one.

Now, Badger is not necessarily opposed to having a Sainsbury’s near his sett. At least he will get more opportunities to push a trolley around a big prefabricated shed and roll his eyes at the price of such delicacies as tinned pilchards, UHT milk and pork luncheon meat. And everyone knows just how much fun that is.

LIBRARY TO BE OVERDUE

Cllr Elwyn Morse is possessed of remarkable powers of foresight. In April, Mystic Morse said “Improving the site and making it work better will improve the whole service for the people of Pembrokeshire and its visitors,” he said.

At the same time the Cabinet member for Culture hailed the successful bid for a £300,000 grant to help with Council’s ambitious plans that the library be, according to Head of Cultural Services Mike Cavanagh, a “cultural and learning hub at the heart of the community of Haverfordwest and beyond.”

Oh dear.

The Council’s plans have now been re-assessed. Far from the site of the library being the type of glistening beacon of learning and culture of which Elwyn Morse dreamed, it now appears to be more of an albino pachyderm.

The ambitious and worthy plans have been shelved. It happens that the County Council’s estimates of the cost of redevelopment were, shall we say, ‘optimistic’.

But how quick the reassessment of the site’s viability was!

It was July that Mystic Morse revealed that his crystal ball had been subject to unexpected interference: “Unfortunately we are unable to go forward with the original proposals because the tender prices were well over the approved budget.

“In short, it is not feasible to proceed with the project in these straitened times.

“We are however actively considering other options to provide a 21st Century library in Haverfordwest and that could include re-locating to the town centre.

“Such a move would certainly provide a much needed boost for that area of Haverfordwest.”

One would have imagined that before closing a community facility, the Council would have done more than guess at the likely tender value of its replacement. The Council’s budget is less than the price of carrying out the works.

The whole process appears to have been less an exercise in replacing a tired facility than one in wishful thinking.

How can it be the case that it was okay to close the library in November 2012 or to receive a grant toward the replacement in April 2013 when the process of getting tenders for a replacement had not then been completed?

A closure intended to improve the service and the building now looks less part of a grand plan and more of a horrendous and avoidable misstep. Rather like trying to put out a fire in the County Council’s finances by throwing books on to it.

The Council remains so far silent on what it intends to do with the existing library site.

Badger has an idea, though.

We still haven’t got a Waitrose or an ASDA…!

We have a gap in the album.

Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

Published

28 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

55 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.