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News

Culture and Leisure: Council to go back to the drawing board

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PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL will have to think again about how it delivers its cultural and leisure services after a report from a task and finish group deemed that the setting up of a trust would not be viable.

After dedicated campaigning by UNISON won over local politicians, all services are to remain under council control. In what is being described as a victory for local democracy, the trade union has said the move will safeguard over 400 jobs and protect community life in Pembrokeshire.

The council’s overview and scrutiny committee met last week and unanimously agreed to recommend to its cabinet that outsourcing not be pursued. The committee thanked UNISON for its presentation and the issues it had raised.

The council has been looking at ways to cut costs within the service and a report from Winckworth Sherwood, which cost the council £20,000, stated that the setting up of a trust would be the best option.

The move drew intense criticism from UNISON which said Winckworth did not have the interests of the local community at heart and transferring services out of democratic control would forever deny local people a say in how services are run.

UNISON used expert advice from the Association for Public Service Excellence to effectively demolish the council’s case, revealing no evidence the proposal was cheaper or more effective. The union also said the consultant would further gain financially from any decision to outsource.

UNISON led a very public campaign against outsourcing, even touring the Pembrokeshire County Show to obtain signatures to its petition.

UNISON branch secretary Janet Wyer said: “Every step of the way, we said to the council, we know the pressures you are under because of severe UK Conservative cuts but outsourcing would deliver only short term savings and it would be calamitous for all those local services we all hold dear. If local services are under pressure, councils should work with staff and trades unions to find a solution.

“There is no place for private consultants advising councils to cut or outsource services. We know they deliberately paint a desperate picture of the council’s future in order to secure further work. Outsourcing would have failed the people of Pembrokeshire and local services are always best delivered by staff directly employed by the council.”

Problems with the proposed new trust were also previously highlighted in the January 20 edition of the Pembrokeshire Herald.

The council’s Cultural and Leisure services will now be retained in-house but the council has charged directors with coming up with a new model to deliver them.

Paul Ashley Jones, Head of Procurement, said: “There were grant funding issues, existing trusts, some elements were designated community facilities and also the implications of the 2008 schools premises regulations. What was key to this was that we identified a number of facilities that would have transferred to the trust were actually based on school premises and this did cause a number of issues that would need to be resolved.

“A number of premises have had grant funding, particularly for things like 3G pitches, and where grant funding was involved we would need to get consent of the funder in order to transfer the facilities.

“There were also issues over the likes of Scolton Manor, which has received grant funding.

“There are at least two existing trusts which were relevant, one in particular with Tasker Milward School which has some sports facilities on it. Essentially, those trusts would need to give approval and some compensation would need to be considered.

“There was also an issue around school designated community facilities, facilities designated for the community such as the playing fields and the library at Crymych and these made it difficult to transfer across to a trust.

“It was clear that each school governing body would have to enter into a transfer control agreement if their facilities were to transfer to a trust.

“We looked in depth at the procurement and the feasibility of awarding the long term contract to a newly created trust. A simple direct award to a trust wasn’t feasible and if we were to move forward we would have to undertake a tender exercise. This is something that people were very much against in the consultation.

“Looking at the financial issues, we looked at a number of facilities being on school sites and it meant that the rate savings on those facilities that had been envisaged wouldn’t be able to be achieved.

“There was the issue over increased employers pension contributions for staff that TUPE to a new organisation so it wasn’t possible to quantify both of those areas.

“Finally, on the HR and TUPE issues, we identified that there would be additional costs to the council due to additional employment. There was also the issue that became clear that we would need a client officer internally, the creation of a new post, to manage contracts.

“Given the information we now had on those issues, we found that it isn’t viable to set up an independent trust to deliver our cultural and leisure services.”

Cabinet Member Keith Lewis said he would be exploring whether the council could demand compensation from consultants Winckworth Sherwood.

Community

Ground breaking event marks start of key Haverfordwest Public Transport project

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KIER and Pembrokeshire County Council held a traditional ground breaking event at Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange (HPTI) last month – celebrating the official start of work on site.

Council members including the Leader Councillor Jon Harvey, Deputy Leader Councillor Paul Miller, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Councillor Rhys Sinnett and for Haverfordwest Castle ward Councillor Thomas Tudor, joined Kier for the event with the ceremonial breaking of the ground marking a key milestone in the project’s progress.

The scheme includes the construction of a modern bus station and multi-storey car park to Haverfordwest’s town centre, providing a new interchange for buses and coaches, with upgraded passenger facilities.

Designed by architects BDP and built by Kier, the completed scheme will include more than 300 parking spaces, seven bus bays, public toilets and accessible changing facilities for people with disabilities.

The project also has a number of sustainable features including electric vehicle charging facilities and an array of solar panels on the roof which will supply  the vast majority of the building’s energy usage and help Pembrokeshire County Council meet their commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030.   

Ian Rees, regional director at Kier Construction Western & Wales, said: “We have been on site for a number of months now undertaking essential enabling works, this ground breaking ceremony is an important milestone as we progress into the construction phase of this vitally important transport hub. 

“This transport interchange for Pembrokeshire County Council will really begin to take shape over the coming weeks and months and will ultimately deliver a much-needed, modern transport hub for the local community, improving connectivity and accessibility for residents and visitors alike.”

Cllr Paul Miller, Deputy Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, said: “It’s great to see work starting on this new transport interchange, which is an important part of the wider Haverfordwest Masterplan. It’s designed to make it easy and convenient to visit Haverfordwest town centre which is a key part of our efforts to regenerate the town.

“I think we can all agree the previous multi-story car park had reached the end of its useful life.

 “Once we’ve completed this project, the town centre will be easily accessible both by bus and of course by car with the car park element of the project benefiting from wider spaces, EV Charging, single tap exit and payment and of course a much nicer, lighter and safer environment for users.”

Architects, landscape architects and civil and structural engineers from multidisciplinary design practice BDP designed the transport interchange.

Matthew Mayes, architect director at BDP, said: “This significant regeneration scheme will be transformational for local people, offering improved access to bus, taxi and cycling facilities with excellent connectivity to the riverside, shopping centre and railway centre.

“Our designs include striking aluminium fins that wrap around the building with stone cladding at ground level to reflect the town’s historic features and a new public square with plenty of greenery and seating for people to relax.”

Built on the site of a demolished multi-storey car park and bus station, HPTI will form part of the South West Wales Metro project, which aims to better integrate sustainable modes of transport and complements the wider regeneration work in Haverfordwest.

The design of HPTI is being funded from the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund.

 Kier has significant experience in south-west Wales spanning over 60 years and has included the delivery of schools, hospitals and even the home of Welsh television, S4C, in Carmarthen.

This project was procured by Kier through the South West Wales Regional Contractors Framework (SWWRCF).

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News

Welsh Government unveils new legislation to transform bus services

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PROPOSALS to overhaul the way local bus services are planned and delivered across Wales have been published today, with the aim of improving services for passengers and encouraging more people to use public transport.

A new Bill has been laid before the Senedd which, if passed, will grant powers to establish a fully integrated bus network that puts passenger needs first.

Key proposals include creating one network, one timetable, and one ticket system across Wales. Services will be designed based on local knowledge but coordinated nationally by Transport for Wales, working in close partnership with local authorities and Corporate Joint Committees. The new system would primarily operate through franchised contracts delivered by private, public, and third sector operators.

Welcoming the Bus Services (Wales) Bill, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said the legislation had the potential to transform bus travel for communities across the country.

“This is a historic day for public transport in Wales as proposals for bus reform begin their journey through the Senedd,” said Mr Skates. “This is about putting people first—offering one network, one timetable and one ticket across Wales.

“Change is needed. While some areas are well-served, it’s not the case everywhere. I want a bus network that is reliable, affordable, easy to use, and better integrated with other modes of transport such as trains and active travel.

“The benefits are clear: improved access to services, greater equity for those most reliant on public transport, and a meaningful alternative to car travel.”

Buses carry around 190,000 passengers a day in Wales and account for three-quarters of all public transport journeys. The Bill aims to address common barriers to bus use—such as poor reliability, lack of ticket interoperability between operators, and weak links with other transport modes.

The public will benefit from clearer, easier-to-navigate timetables and more seamless transitions between buses and trains. Ticket revenue will be reinvested across the country, improving services in both rural and urban areas.

Mr Skates highlighted current examples of successful integration, including the TrawsCymru T1 service, which already offers joint bus and rail tickets, and the 1bws ticket in North Wales, valid on almost every local bus in the region.

“These examples show what can be achieved with joined-up thinking,” he said. “I don’t underestimate the scale of change this Bill represents, which is why the rollout will happen region by region. But when complete, it will be truly transformational.”

The rollout is expected to begin in South West Wales in 2027, followed by North Wales in 2028, South East Wales in 2029, and Mid Wales in 2030. However, Mid Wales will benefit from earlier improvements through the Bridge to Franchising programme, already underway.

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Education

Welsh pupils harness Minecraft to explore offshore wind and climate careers

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PUPILS at Golden Grove School in Pembrokeshire are diving into the world of renewable energy and marine conservation through the immersive Minecraft Education world Offshore Wind Power Challenge—a collaboration between The Crown Estate and Microsoft UK.

Available in both Welsh and English, the virtual world enables students to design and build their own offshore wind farms to power a coastal village. Along the way, they gain insights into climate change, environmental protection, and careers in sustainability, engineering and conservation.

The initiative has now been expanded with new classroom resources tailored for younger learners and aligned to the Welsh curriculum. Lesson plans for teachers are also being provided to support the integration of the material into everyday teaching.

As part of their focus on developing green skills in schools across Wales, The Crown Estate partnered with education specialists Dosbarth to create the new learning content. The organisation is currently delivering taster sessions across the country, including to Year 5 and 6 pupils at Golden Grove.

Wales is emerging as a leader in renewable energy, with new floating offshore wind farms set to be developed in the Celtic Sea under The Crown Estate’s latest seabed leasing round. These projects have the potential to generate up to 4.5GW of electricity—enough to power more than four million homes. Independent research estimates the economic value of these developments could reach £1.4bn, supporting up to 5,300 jobs.*

Rebecca Williams, Director of Devolved Nations at The Crown Estate, said: “This is an exciting collaboration that brings new educational content to schools through the best-selling game of all time. This Minecraft Education world provides students and teachers with a fun way to explore the opportunities and challenges of our energy transition while protecting the natural environment, through the languages that matter most to them.

“The Crown Estate is committed to creating partnerships that have a positive impact. We hope this initiative will inspire young people to develop their skills and discover the green careers of the future.”

Karen Jones, Managing Director of Dosbarth, added: “By creating new materials for younger audiences that align with the Welsh curriculum—and providing accessible lesson plans for busy teachers—we believe these resources will inspire even more pupils across Wales to become the next generation of environmental leaders and problem-solvers.”

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