News

Pembroke Dock: New traffic lights causing congestion

Published

6 years ago

August 3, 2018

Long queues: Traffic has been congested for up to a mile (pic. Herald)

MOTORISTS and politicians in Pembroke Dock have slammed new traffic lights on the A477 London Road, saying they make congestion much worse.

Work started at the junction with Ferry Lane in early February to install new traffic lights, street lighting and pedestrian crossings. It was expected to take 17 weeks.

25 weeks later and the junction is still littered with cones and non-operational street lights.

Last week, The Herald reported that work at the site had stopped for several weeks. The Welsh Government agency responsible, South Wales Trunk Road Agent (SWTRA), blamed computer problems and bad weather for the delay.

London Road’s new traffic lights were finally activated on Monday morning (July 30) and almost immediately long queues began to form in all directions.

On Wednesday afternoon (Aug 1), the Pembrokeshire Herald observed traffic queueing back to Bangeston and the Cleddau Bridge toll booths.

At Waterloo roundabout, traffic was at a standstill for several minutes at a time with ferry traffic appearing to compound the problem. One driver wound down his window and shouted to the Herald reporter: “These lights are an almighty cock-up!”

Frustrated drivers: Queues build up in every direction (pic. Herald)

Laura-Jayne from Pembroke Dock said: “The last two nights picking my partner up from work at London Road Industrial Estate has been horrendous. I had to turn left out of that junction and then the back roads through Pembroke back into the Dock.”

Another driver, Heidi from Saundersfoot, said she was stuck in a queue on the A477 stretching back more than a mile to Cosheston.

County Councillor Joshua Beynon and Labour’s parliamentary candidate Marc Tierney have written a joint letter to SWTRA to expressing local concerns: “[We’ve] had multiple complaints from road users who have spent more than 20 minutes just attempting to get through the junction with delays reaching a mile back in some instances. This has turned the area into a gridlocked, congested zone as traffic reaches levels that should not occur in a small town of only 10,000 residents.

“While we appreciate the lights are a new feature to the area, we do not envisage this problem improving over time.”

Cllr Beynon and Mr Tierney invited SWTRA to visit the site and see for themselves the congestion the new traffic lights are causing.

We asked SWTRA for a response.

Crime

Pembroke Dock resident faces court over dog control breaches

Published

2 hours ago

November 13, 2024

Court Reporter

PHILIP Murray, 52, of 11 Picton Place, Pembroke Dock, will appear at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Nov 14) to face several charges of breaching a community protection notice. The notice, issued under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, required Murray to control his dogs in response to repeated disturbances.

The charges relate to incidents from May to September 2024, when Murray allegedly failed to comply with the restrictions set out in a notice issued on January 3, 2024. Court documents state that despite multiple warnings, Murray continued to disregard the order, leading to ongoing issues linked to his dogs’ behaviour.

If found guilty, Murray could face a Level 4 fine for each offence. The hearing is scheduled to take place from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in Courtroom 1, presided over by the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire Adult Panel.

The case underscores the role of community protection notices in addressing persistent anti-social behavior.

Crime

Cilgerran driver banned for drug use on Cardigan high street

Published

2 hours ago

November 13, 2024

Court Reporter

A CILGERRAN motorist appeared before a district judge after driving on Cardigan High Street under the influence of cannabis.

On May 3, police officers on patrol detected a strong smell of cannabis from a Volkswagen Golf driven by Kim Haynes, 40.

A drugs wipe returned a positive result, with subsequent tests showing Haynes had 3.4 mcg of Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol in her blood, above the legal limit of 2.

Haynes, of Sun Cottage, Church Street, Cilgerran, pleaded guilty to driving over the specified drug-drive limit. She was fined and ordered to pay a total of £365, including costs and a court surcharge, and was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Crime

Motorist disqualified after cannabis-fuelled traffic collision

Published

2 hours ago

November 13, 2024

Court Reporter

A 21-YEAR-OLD driver has been disqualified after a traffic pile-up on the A40 following cannabis use.

Officers attended Arnold’s Hill, Slebech, on March 29 in response to a multi-vehicle collision involving Kayleigh Taylor, 21, whose Toyota Aygo was on the opposite carriageway.

“There was a smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle, so a drugs wipe was conducted, which returned a positive result,” said Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan. Further tests showed Taylor had 7.7 mcg of Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol in her blood, above the legal limit of 2.

Taylor, of Princess Royal Way, Haverfordwest, admitted to driving over the specified drug-drive limit and possessing 266.1 grams of cannabis found in her vehicle.

District Judge Mark Layton sentenced her to a 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. She was disqualified from driving for 17 months, fined £80, and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs.