PLANNED changes to the Pembrokeshire seaside beauty spot village of Porthgain, which have caused huge divisions in the village, will not lead to parking charges, councillors heard.

Pembrokeshire County Council, in an application before the September meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee, was granted approval for a long list of changes to Porthgain Harbour.

It includes highway and environmental improvements, including new parking bays, a realignment of the existing Llanrhian Road carriageway, resurfacing of existing parking areas, designated pedestrian footways and crossings, and traffic calming features.

The National Park owns the land subject to the application; the proposals securing some £300,000 in Welsh Government funding

Local concerns said the proposal would “change the ‘feral and free’ nature of Porthgain,” and is “a complete urbanisation of a very rural historic working harbour village” and the “natural charm of village will be ruined”.

Speaking at the September meeting, local county councillor Cllr Neil Prior said there had been much local division over the proposals, and he had been to “numerous meetings trying to smooth things out”.

Since then, a 517-strong e-petition was received on the council’s own website, started by Andrew Harries, which was heard at the November 15 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The petition, which claimed the scheme was “nothing more than a cash grab” which would lead to a charged-for car park, said: “We are all dead against the proposals to change Porthgain. The village has been trapped in time since the quarry closed in the 1930s. The original houses, foundations, grounds and landscape have all remained the same since that day all of the workers lost their jobs.

“The proposed plans for Porthgain were drawn up by PCC and The National Parks. The plans would add dedicated parking spaces around the village, zebra crossings, pavements and more.

“To replace the grounds of where the workers and its buildings once stood with pavements and car parks is absolutely disgraceful.

“This is nothing more than a cash grab by PCC and National Parks. The new car park will most likely charge visitors, which will also affect the businesses as well as decrease the villages footfall.”

Speaking at the November meeting, on behalf of the petition creator, chair of local group Pobl Porthgain Robert Jones said he had never seen any traffic-related incidents in the village, and their concerns had been “totally ignored”.

He said the scheme was supported by “people that moved in looking to turn it into a retirement home,” adding: “People who live there aren’t bothered; there’s been traffic in Porthgain since the motor car.”

Local member Cllr Neil Prior said the issue had become “heated” locally, with “a lot of the blame levelled at my door”.

“I feel like there has been a thorough exercise over the last few years to get the majority view, I completely accept it has been difficult, we are talking in any community about different views and different priorities.

“It has caused division in the village, and I regret that, I really hope that the village can come back together.”

He added: “Residents have been in touch with me, people have stepped back from the group because it has felt combative, they have felt it’s an aggressive environment.”

He stressed there were no plans in the scheme to introduce paid-for parking: “I still feel the majority of residents want something. I’m all for public participation and democracy, what has been ramped up is the public outcry, we’ve had things on this that are frankly not accurate.

“We are discussing a petition today, I don’t think it should’ve come to committee, the petition is based on untruth.”

Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett warned there was a limited timescale to take advantage of the funding, adding: “If the community is saying to us ‘We don’t want any of these measures,’ sadly we’ll walk away, it would be sad if we couldn’t find a way to do some of these works.”

He stressed: “Pembrokeshire County Council has no ownership of the land in that area and no interest in it, with no plans for parking charges.”

Committee chair Cllr Mark Carter hoped there would be some way for all involved to “come together” with sympathetic changes.

After that proposal to encourage all sides to agree suitable changes was defeated, members agreed to merely note the petition.

SENIOR councillors are being asked to look at lowering the speed limit through a north Pembrokeshire village which has been described as “a serious safety concern for the community”.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, meeting on November 15, considered a petition, entitled Reduce the Speed Limit at Square and Compass, calling for a reduction of the current 50mph limit on that section of the A487 Fishguard to St Davids road.

The petition, which attracted 127 signatures on the council’s own website, and a further 152 signatures on paper, was started by Emma Tannahill, who hopes the speed will be lowered to 40mph.

It read: “We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to reduce the current speed limit of 50 miles per hour on the main road (A487) through Square and Compass as it is a serious safety concern for the community. This road is home to many families with young children.

“A school bus from Croes Goch Primary School has a drop-off point on this stretch of road which further exacerbates the risk of accidents. In addition, there are young families that cycle to and from Croes Goch primary school along this road.

“This section of road also serves as a thoroughfare for traffic to and from Croes Goch petrol station and Torbant caravan-site. Both of which see a high volume of traffic and pedestrian activity. The high speeds of traffic on the main road is a risk to those coming in and out of these sites.

“In addition to the petrol station and caravan-site there is also a pub and public bus stop, both of which are adjacent to this 50 mile per hour section of road. Reducing the speed limit would significantly improve safety for pedestrians and cyclist.”

At the meeting, committee chair Mark Carter said he had driven through the area after the petition was received, feeling it was “bizarre” it should have a 50mph limit when similar stretches of road in other villages had 40mph and even 20mph limits.

Members heard a lot of technical assessments on potential changes had already been undertaken, along with many other locations, with a likely proposal for a reduction to 40mph at Square and Compass.

Members agreed to note the petition, asking Cabinet members to look at making changes as appropriate.

CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the Welsh Government to introduce the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system for local elections, following moves by two councils to shift away from the First Past the Post (FPTP) system being blocked on technical grounds.

Yesterday (Nov 14), Ceredigion Council voted narrowly, with an 18 to 17 majority, in favor of adopting STV. This follows Gwynedd Council’s decision last month, where 65% of councillors backed the move. However, both councils have been prevented from implementing STV due to a requirement for a two-thirds majority under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

In recent consultations, public support for STV has been overwhelming, with over 70% in Gwynedd and 67% in Ceredigion favoring the change. Only Powys Council rejected the proposal, despite 60.5% of its respondents supporting STV. Campaigners argue that the current system deprives voters of representation, citing that over 100,000 people were denied a vote in the 2022 elections due to uncontested seats.

The Electoral Reform Society Cymru (ERS Cymru) highlights the contrast with Scotland, where the introduction of STV for local elections in 2007 has significantly reduced uncontested seats. According to ERS Cymru, Scotland has had fewer uncontested seats in the last four elections combined than Gwynedd Council recorded alone in 2022.

Jess Blair, Director of ERS Cymru, said:

“Decisions made in council chambers affect everyone in those areas, so every vote should count. It’s absurd that councils choosing STV are blocked by a technicality, leaving them stuck with an outdated system that denies representation to thousands. The Welsh Government must act to avoid repeating the undemocratic outcomes of the last elections.”

Campaigners are now calling on the Welsh Government to introduce STV across all councils in Wales, ensuring representation that reflects the electorate’s wishes.