News
Calls for STP hall to be kept
COUNCILLORS have called for the main hall at Sir Thomas Picton School (STP) to be kept as part of any new school to be built on the site.
At a meeting of Full Council on Thursday (Jul 26) members were presented with a report from the Task and Finish Group that recommended the STP site as the preferred option for the new school.
Members voted by a clear majority to accept the STP site as the preferred location of the new school but were told that the cost of refurbishing the hall would be greater than that of a newly-built school.
Cllr Jamie Adams spoke of the challenges that still existed with Portfield School pupils travelling to the STP site adding that they must meet their needs.
He added: “There are significant elements that do not need to be demolished but if STP is to be the preferred site there could be a partial new-build and partial re-generation.”
Cllr David Bryan said: “This has been a long arduous journey with a lot of obstacles put in place. There is light at the end of the tunnel and I hope that light isn’t another train coming.”
Cllr Jacob Williams added that the council could ‘at least’ investigate the possibility of a part refurbishment and part new build.
He went on to say: “The school hall is very well built, it may not be in the greatest condition and the acoustics would never be built to those standards these days. It would be a great shame to lose the hall as it is. I have concerns that if a new hall was built that it would not be built to the scale to what it is now.
“The BBC Wales orchestra also performs in the hall and it would be a great loss to Haverfordwest as a venue for that type of activity.”
Cllr Tom Tudor said it had been a ‘rollercoaster ride’ but that they had finally got the solution that everyone in Haverfordwest had wanted.
Cllr Paul Rapi said: “This is quite a unique hall for its size and the way it can be used. There are a lot of things that you can’t get anywhere else. I think it would be better money spent on refurbishing the hall and making it an asset to the school and the people of Haverfordwest and Pembrokeshire.”
Head of Highways and Construction Darren Thomas told members that the Welsh Government had received the technical note from the council and added that he had not had any negative comments back.
He also told members that they would be holding a meeting on Monday.
Cllr Bryan asked what would happen to the Tasker Milward site but Cllr Bob Kilmister said that was yet to be decided.
Cabinet member for Education, Cllr David Lloyd said: “There has been considerable tumult and difficulty in resolving this issue. The overwhelming demand was for the STP site and that is to be fulfilled.
“With regards to the music hall, there are difficulties in keeping a building for many years but the way to do this work is with a new build.”
Cllr Paul Miller added: “The authority has not covered itself in glory; we could have been on site delivering a school and been half way through. We can’t see this process happen like this again. I’m very positive that we have the right outcome. The work we need to do now will determine exactly what the new school will look like.”
Crime
Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property
A PEMBROKE DOCK resident is due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court later today (Nov 25) for multiple alleged breaches of a community protection notice.
Sheena Deacon, of 13 Wavell Crescent, Pembroke Dock, faces charges under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which carries a maximum penalty of a Level 4 fine.
The charges stem from allegations that Deacon failed to remove accumulated household waste from her property on several occasions. According to court documents, the breaches occurred on September 19, September 26, October 2, October 9, and October 17 this year.
The charges indicate that Deacon, despite being issued with a community protection notice, did not comply with the requirements to clear and appropriately dispose of refuse and household waste from her address.
The Herald will bring updates on the case as it progresses.
News
Welsh Conservatives urge Labour to scrap ‘family farm tax’
THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have announced plans to bring forward a Senedd debate next week (Nov 27) calling on the UK Labour Government to abandon its proposed “family farm tax.”
The tax, introduced by the UK Labour Government, is being criticised as a move that will harm Welsh farming, threaten food security, and increase food prices. Alongside the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme and perceived “anti-farming agenda,” critics argue this new tax amounts to a coordinated effort to undermine the future of agriculture in Wales.
Shadow Minister warns of consequences
Ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, James Evans MS, condemned the proposal, stating:
“Labour’s family farm tax will put family farms out of business, threaten our food security, and lead to food prices rising. Only the Welsh Conservatives will stand up for our farmers, and that’s why we’re bringing forward a Senedd motion calling on Labour to reverse this decision. No farmers, no food.”
NFU Cymru expresses alarm
NFU Cymru President, Aled Jones, echoed these concerns, highlighting the widespread opposition from the farming community. Speaking about the impact of the tax on Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, Jones said:
“Earlier this week, hundreds of farmers from across Wales journeyed to London to meet with their MPs and register their deeply held concerns about these misguided and ill-thought-out reforms.
“The proposals unveiled by the Treasury last month to introduce a tax on the passing on of our family farms to the next generation are a massive added burden. They will leave many farmers without the means, confidence, or incentive to invest in the future of their business.
“NFU Cymru reiterates its call for the UK Government to halt these changes.”
The motion to be debated
The motion, set to be debated in the Senedd, reads:
“To propose that the Senedd:
Calls on the UK Labour Government to reverse its decision to impose a family farm tax on agricultural businesses.”
This debate is expected to attract significant attention, with Welsh farmers and rural communities keenly watching for the outcome.
Community
Internet outage for two villages after exchange box destroyed
RESIDENTS of Clunderwen and Llandissilio have been left without internet access following the destruction of an Openreach exchange box just outside Llandissilio village.
The incident occurred yesterday (Nov 23) when the box was reportedly demolished by a vehicle. The damage has resulted in a complete loss of internet services for the two villages, with repairs expected to take at least a couple of days.
Local residents have expressed frustration over the disruption, as the outage affects home businesses, remote workers, and households relying on internet connectivity for day-to-day tasks.
Openreach engineers have cordoned off the site, and work is ongoing to assess the extent of the damage. A spokesperson for Openreach has been contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.
The vehicle involved in the incident has not yet been identified. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact the local police.
With repair timelines unclear, affected residents have called for increased communication from service providers to manage expectations during the outage.
“Bringing the community back online is a priority,” a local resident said. “We’re hoping Openreach can resolve the issue quickly and ensure it doesn’t happen again in future.”
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