ON SATURDAY (Apr 27), the historic town of Cardigan in West Wales is abuzz with excitement as it hosts its largest annual event, Barley Saturday. This significant day marks not just a local festival but a vital link to the agricultural roots of the region, attracting spectators from across the country to witness a spectacular parade of livestock and vintage vehicles.

At 2 PM, the main streets of Cardigan transformed into a vibrant parade route featuring the best of rural life—from the supreme stallion, admired by an enthusiastic crowd, to the meticulously prepared parade participants. This parade not only showcases the beauty and strength of these animals but also the care and tradition that continue to thrive in Cardigan.

The event kicked off early with an impressive lineup of agricultural workhorses displayed on the show field. The anticipation built up throughout the day as crowds gathered, lining the streets, eager to catch a glimpse of the gleaming vintage vehicles and the majestic livestock. According to Tudor Harries, the show secretary, “Barley Saturday helps restore the lost link between our community and its agricultural heritage.”

With such a large turnout, local authorities implemented strategic road closures and diversions to manage the flow of traffic effectively. Between 1:30 PM and 4 PM, several main roads were closed, ensuring the parade route remains clear and safe for both participants and spectators. Traffic around the town was slow-moving, indicating the high volume of attendees this year.

Beyond the festivities, Barley Saturday is a day of community and giving. Volunteers play a crucial role in marshaling the event, and bucket collections are conducted throughout the day, with all proceeds going to local charities. This spirit of community service is a testament to the values that underpin Barley Saturday.

Barley Saturday is more than just an event; it’s a celebration of Cardigan’s heritage and a vital part of its cultural calendar. It offers a day filled with joy, community spirit, and a deep appreciation for the rural traditions that are so often overlooked in modern times. As the town enjoys today’s festivities, it also renews its connection to the past, ensuring that these traditions will not be forgotten.

PASSENGERS are being asked to check before they travel between Carmarthen and Milford Haven/Fishguard Harbour next week when Network Rail will be carrying out essential work on the platforms at Clarbeston Road station.

Buses will replace trains at all stops between Carmarthen and Milford Haven/Fishguard Harbour on the West Wales lines from Saturday to Tuesday 27-30 April inclusive.

Network Rail engineers will be working at Clarbeston Road station, preparing the platforms to be able to accommodate new Class 197 trains.

The work will include lowering the platforms by removing the coping stones on the platform edge, altering walls, installing new coping stones, and finally laying new tarmac surfacing.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “These essential works will prepare Clarbeston Road station to accommodate the new Class 197 trains our colleagues at TfW are introducing.
“We’re grateful to passengers and local residents living near Clarbeston Road station for their patience and understanding while we carry out this important work.”

The line between Carmarthen and Milford Haven will also be shut all day on Sunday 12 May and Sunday 19 May, when buses will again replace trains, as Network Rail engineers carry out essential track renewals on a 100-metre stretch of track near Haverfordwest station.

THE first set of deadlines for the completion of actions to tackle the ongoing odour issues at Withyhedge Landfill in Pembrokeshire have been met, one week on following the issuing of further enforcement action by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).  

NRW issued site operator Resources Management UK Ltd (RML) with a further Regulation 36 Enforcement Notice on Thursday 18 April.

This outlined a series of actions to be completed by specified deadlines to address the ongoing odour and landfill gas emission issues at the site.

During the latest site inspection which took place yesterday (Thursday 25 April), NRW was able to confirm that three actions have been completed – two ahead of the imposed deadlines.

The operator has installed 24 pin wells, which have been driven into the waste in the lower section of the cell identified as causing the odour issues (Cell 8). These have also been connected to the landfill gas extraction system.

Capping material has been placed over the same area of the cell and welded to the basal liner to encapsulate gas in this area, allowing for extraction by the pin wells and four horizontal gas wells, which were previously installed.

While progress is being made, NRW officers detected strong landfill gas odours during an offsite assessment on Wednesday (24 April) in Poyston Cross and Crundale. Weather conditions this week appear to have led to a wider spread of landfill gas to surrounding areas, not solely linked to wind direction.

NRW odour assessments follow a set route around the landfill, with designated survey spots, identified to enable consistency of assessment and reporting. This is essential to ensure the regulatory and enforcement responses where there is offsite odour attributed to the landfill is robust. 

The remaining Regulation 36 Notice actions will require significant effort by RML to ensure they are completed on time and NRW continues to closely monitor progress.

Clare Pillman, Chief Executive of NRW, met with representatives from NRW’s South West Industry Regulation Team and Pembrokeshire County Council during a visit to Pembrokeshire on Thursday 25 April.

Clare Pillman, Chief Executive, Natural Resources Wales, said:  “While visiting the area surrounding Withyhedge Landfill with our regulatory team and partners from Pembrokeshire County Council this week, I was able to see and hear for myself just what people living and working in these communities have had to endure as a result of the odour issues from the site.

“What they have been experiencing is unacceptable and our officers have been working tirelessly alongside colleagues at Pembrokeshire County Council to ensure the operator gets this under control as quickly as possible. While it was clear that a lot of work has been done on site, there is still more to do to ensure they address all the actions set out in the enforcement notice.

“We want to make sure that happens, and are exploring every option together with Pembrokeshire County Council to ensure the operator works quickly to resolve the issues which are clearly affecting the quality of life of people in these communities.”

Huwel Manley, Head of South West Operations, said: “While we are reassured that action is being carried out by the operators at Withyhedge Landfill with a sense of urgency, we are continuing our regulatory presence on site to ensure the operator’s focus remains on tackling the issues that will address the continuing odour issues being experienced by surrounding communities.

“We will be closely monitoring progress over the coming days and weeks to ensure the operator complies with all the actions set out in Notice by 14 May. If they are not met, we will pursue additional enforcement action where appropriate.”

NRW requests that instances of odour from the landfill continue to be reported via this dedicated form: https://bit.ly/reportasmellwithyhedge or by calling 0300 065 3000.

Please report odours at the time of them being experienced, rather than historically. Reporting odours in a timely manner will help guide the work of partners more effectively, particularly in the further development of air quality monitoring.