A FULL report on Pembrokeshire council proposals for a £40m-plus road realignment scheme at flood-hit Newgale before a formal planning application is made is expected to be completed by the autumn.

Newgale was hit hard by flooding following storms in early 2014 storms, and later by Storm Dennis in 2020.

In 2014 it even saw a visit by the-then Prime Minister David Cameron following the storms.

A public consultation – through agent AtkinsRéalis – was launched earlier this year ahead of a formal council application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park for Phase 1 of the Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project, which would see the development of a new inland section of road with bridge over Brandy Brook some 2.3km inland, to replace the coastal section of A487 at Newgale that will be closed.

Varied claims have been made about the cost of this scheme, from £20m upwards, some even saying it could cost as much as £60m, with millions spent on consultation fees to date.

An alternative, cheaper, scheme has been proposed by STUN – Stand Up for Newgale, proposing a section of the shingle bank at Newgale be realigned 10-12 metres seaward leaving an over-wash barrier between it and the A487 to capture any pebbles and sea water.

In a question, on behalf of Solva Community Council, heard at the July 17 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, community council chair Gareth Chapman said STUN’s proposal “appears to be an under £1m proposal with up to 85 years’ lifespan compared to the conservative £40m-plus estimate for the PCC proposal”.

The question added: “PCC’s proposal is to counter for road closures that rarely happen and, even then, require little expense to restore the pebble bank. It should also be remembered that on several occasions, flooding at Newgale occurs because the river outlet is blocked preventing water from the valley escaping and not as a result of a high tide or storm.

“It is acknowledged that climate change and coastal issues at Newgale may eventually in many years force a change in the highway arrangements at Newgale but it is felt that all efforts should be made to retain the character of the village and iconic views for as long as possible.”

It also asked for the council to “commit to thoroughly examining the alternative proposal,” and to “fully take on board the overwhelming public opinion regarding the future of Newgale”.

Responding, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett said a full presentation had been given to the local community council earlier this month, adding a number of options had been considered in 2016 and 2017 which were “ruled out at that stage for a number of reasons” prior to the scheme now mooted.

He told members the council had undertaken “extensive consultation which has all fed into the development of the scheme,” with a full report expected before the autumn prior to a formal planning application.

“Any coastal protection scheme, we believe, would be a multi-million-pound scheme, certainly in excess of the £1m from STUN,” said Cllr Sinnett, adding those proposals would “only delay the issue for a short period of time, if at all.”

He told members a response to the STUN proposals would be included as part of the full pre-application consultation responses, with council representatives agreeing to meet with STUN.

A PEMBROKESHIRE PCSO has been recognised for her compassion and quick thinking after protecting a vulnerable man from an online scam involving a fraudster pretending to be a character from the Harry Potter series.

PCSO Rachel O’Neill was presented with the prestigious We Care Award at the Dyfed-Powys Police Force Awards on Friday (July 4), in recognition of her outstanding commitment to the community.

The force said Rachel’s intervention prevented serious emotional and financial harm to the victim, who had been manipulated by someone claiming to be Hermione Granger. Through her trusted relationship with the man, she was able to sensitively explain that he was being targeted by a scammer posing as the fictional character.

In addition to her frontline work, Rachel is well-known across the local area for her safeguarding talks on topics such as online fraud, drug misuse, abuse, and healthy relationships. She also plays an active role in youth outreach and has helped secure funding for several community projects.

Dyfed-Powys Police praised her for “consistently community-focused” policing, building trust among people who were once afraid to speak to officers.

The award was presented at a ceremony celebrating excellence within the force. Speaking after receiving her award, PCSO O’Neill said she was proud to serve the community and would continue working to protect those most at risk.

Brave officer: PCSO O’Neill received the We Care Award on Friday (Pic: Dyfed-Powys Police)

Welsh Conservatives say public being let down—but Welsh Water vows £4bn improvement plan

THE NUMBER of serious pollution incidents involving DŴR CYMRU has tripled since 2016, according to a new report by Natural Resources Wales (NRW)—with the company also discharging raw sewage for over 968,000 hours into rivers, lakes and coastal waters in 2024, the highest of any UK water firm.

Welsh Conservatives have called the figures “appalling” and accused Dŵr Cymru of failing to protect Wales’ waterways despite charging customers some of the highest water bills in the country.

Janet Finch-Saunders MS, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and the Environment, said: “Water companies in Wales, such as Dŵr Cymru, have a responsibility to ensure our waterways are protected—not to allow unchecked sewage dumping to continue.
“The scale of sewage dumping exposed in this report is appalling.
“Dŵr Cymru customers are being let down by a company that is spoiling Wales’ natural beauty and threatening public health.
“The fact that Welsh waterways remain among the most polluted in the UK shows just how badly Labour-run NRW has failed to get a grip on this crisis.”

NRW demands ‘fundamental changes’

NRW said there had been a “huge deterioration” in Welsh Water’s performance since 2020 and called for “urgent and fundamental changes” to how it operates.
In 2024, the company recorded 155 pollution incidents, up 42% in a decade—132 related to sewerage and 23 to water supply. Six were classified as serious category one or two incidents, down slightly from seven in 2023.

NRW’s head of regulation and permitting, Nadia De Longhi, said: “Despite repeated warnings and interventions, Welsh Water has been unable to reverse this concerning trend.
“This has left us with no choice but to pursue prosecutions. Welsh Water must address the root causes of these incidents before more harm is done.”

Welsh Water admits failings, pledges £4bn investment

In response, Welsh Water acknowledged its performance “is not where it needs to be”, citing better monitoring and reporting as one reason for the increased figures.
A spokesperson said: “We are accelerating investment in key areas to reduce pollution incidents with a £4 billion programme, including £2.5 billion on environmental projects.
“While we have made progress, such as increasing the number of incidents we find and self-report, we know more needs to be done.
“We remain committed to working constructively with NRW to deliver improvements.”

Welsh Water also pointed out that across the UK, pollution incidents have increased industry-wide, and that they are improving the use of smart technology to detect problems early.

In May 2024, the company was fined £1.35 million for failing to properly monitor water quality at 300 sites, prompting NRW to expand its own enforcement and oversight powers in future reports.