News
AM petitions Government to overturn Royal Mail sale
THE PRIVATISATION of Royal Mail will mean higher prices and a poorer service for rural communities, Assembly Member Joyce Watson has warned.
The Labour AM for Mid and West Wales has written to business minister Vince Cable MP urging him to ditch the £3bn sell-off.
Mrs Watson says a privately owned service would not maintain the unprofitable parts of the business leading to higher prices and worse services in rural Wales.
“This sale is all about securing a short-term win for the Treasury not the Royal Mail’s future. It is bad enough that the Tories are selling the family silver, but they are flogging it cheap. Royal Mail’s assets are worth billions and the quality of the service it provides to isolated communities is priceless. I have been inundated with messages from constituents who are furious that another British institution is being sold off. The UK Government must listen to the public outcry and drop these plans now.”
The Pembokeshire Herald can being you the letter in full:
The Rt. Hon. Vince Cable MP
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
Dear Dr Cable,
I have received concerns from many of my constituents regarding the proposed privatisation of the Royal Mail by the UK Government. Any such privatisation could have a significant impact on the towns and rural communities of Mid and West Wales that I represent.
Until 2012 stamp prices were subject to regulatory control which meant that individuals and businesses were protected from excessive price rises. However, the price of a first class stamp rose from 46p to 60p. As a private company, focused on increasing shareholder returns, it is likely that the Royal Mail will want more significant price increases.
Many businesses are dependent on the Royal Mail. The delivery of letters and parcels to any address in the UK is a service we cannot do without. For many small businesses, especially those in rural areas there is often no alternative to the Royal Mail. While these businesses are already suffering from high overhead costs, they can ill afford to see the cost of using the postal service rocket.
The Royal Mail delivers where competitors refuse to go. In my region of Mid and West Wales I see little evidence of private companies seeking to compete. My constituents understand that it costs more than the price of a stamp to deliver a letter to a rural address. That is why, despite assurances to the contrary, the postal services regulator is working to determine the real cost for deliveries to rural areas. It has also looked recently at how it can reduce the daily delivery service to addresses in the countryside. A privately owned Royal Mail will not want to maintain this non-profit making service. It is difficult to see how the government might be able to compel a private enterprise to continue to provide this service.
The local post office is a focal point for the life of so many small towns and villages across Mid and West Wales. Where pubs and other shops have disappeared, the post office has remained. But when that goes, I fear that the life of these communities will also disappear. This would have a significant impact on the elderly, disabled and those who cannot travel – already the most vulnerable members of these communities.
Many small post offices have a fragile existence and rely upon Royal Mail for business to survive. Yet the 2001 Postal Services Act fully separates the Post Office Counters’ network from Royal Mail. The government will point to a recently signed business agreement between the two. But that cannot guarantee that a new, private owner, free to do as they choose, will honour that agreement in the long-term. For example, they may wish to re-negotiate its terms or move more of its business to other retail outlets.
Many of my constituents will also miss the traditional red liveried vehicles, the use of Her Majesty’s head on stamps and the distinct pillar boxes are all part of the rich history of Royal Mail and a feature of our towns and countryside. While we must always look to the future, it would be a great shame if this heritage would disappear following privatisation.
I would be grateful if you would consider the concerns of my constituents and review your decision to privatise the Royal Mail.
News
Police ask for witnesses after single vehicle collision on A477
A SINGLE-VEHICLE road traffic collision occurred on the A477 between Redberth and Broadmoor, Pembrokeshire, early this morning (Thursday, Nov 21).
Dyfed-Powys Police were called to the scene at around 7:10am. One person was taken to hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.
The road was closed while emergency services attended, and the vehicle was recovered. It reopened at approximately 9:20am.
Police are appealing for anyone with information, dash cam, or CCTV footage to come forward.
Contact methods:
🖥️ | Submit online
📧 | Email: [email protected]
💬 | Direct message on social media
📞 | Call 101
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.
Please quote reference: 034 of 21st November.
News
Using nature-based solutions to ai water quality improvements in Pembrokeshire
A NATURAL RESOURCES WALES project on the Western Cleddau river in Pembrokeshire is harnessing the power of trees to reduce nutrient pollution and improve water quality.
Approximately 6,500 trees have been planted along the banks of the river near it’s confluence with the Eastern Cleddau, to soak up excess nutrients from agricultural land run off.
The corridors of trees, averaging 14metres in width, act as buffer strips between farmland and the river and have been planted on non-productive land. They have been introduced with the full support of the landowner, who was eager to introduce positive environmental change.
As well as providing benefits to the Special Area of Conservation river, the new trees will provide connection with existing natural woodland on the land, benefiting a range of plant and wildlife species.
The trees were planted by contractors Coed Porffor/Purple Trees and the planting operation took five planters five full days to complete.
Separately, the project has also seen over 1000m of new fencing installed to prevent livestock accessing the river.
Andrew Lewis, from NRW’s Marine Projects team said: “The Western Cleddau and Milford Haven estuary are incredibly special places, designated for a range of rare and threatened species and habitats including lamprey, otter, mudflats and marshes.
“We’re grateful for the support of the landowner, who allowed us to undertake such large-scale tree planting on the land. We worked closely with the landowner to develop this project and identify suitable areas of land which were least productive.
“In years to come, these trees will act as an important filter, reducing the amount of excess nutrients reaching the Western Cleddau, that are impacting the Special Area of Conservation river and estuary.”
The Western and Eastern Cleddau rivers converge at Picton Point to form the Daugleddau estuary at Milford Haven. The estuary is designated as a Marine Special Area of Conservation, while significant stretches of its coastline are also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The Western Cleddau faces significant water quality challenges, predominantly due to nitrate, phosphate and sediment pollution. These pollutants contribute significantly to water quality failures in the catchment under the Water Framework Directive (England and Wales) Regulations 2017.
The project has been funded by the Welsh Government’s Water Capital Programme, which supports a number of environmental priorities including river restoration, metal mine remediation, fisheries and water quality.
It supports similar initiatives being undertaken in the area to improve the Western Cleddau, including river restoration efforts undertaken by the Pembrokeshire River Restoration Project.
News
Teachers were ‘absolutely horrible’ to a girl who died after cyber-bullying
A 14-YEAR-OLD girl who died following a harrowing cyberbullying campaign was “let down at every possible opportunity” by her school, an inquest heard this week.
Megan Evans, from Milford Haven, was found dead at her home in February 2017 after allegedly being targeted online with an “I hate Megan Evans” group and other abusive messages urging her to “kill herself.”
Her heartbroken mother, Nicola Harteveld, discovered additional bullying groups after logging into Megan’s social media accounts.
Allegations against teachers
Megan’s best friend, Chloe Boswell, told the inquest in Haverfordwest that the school environment added to Megan’s distress. Chloe, now 22, described the teachers as “absolutely horrible” to Megan, claiming one staff member responsible for behavior management “picked on her” about her uniform.
“The school didn’t create a safe space for students to speak about bullying,” Chloe said.
Nicola Harteveld shared similar frustrations, accusing the school of failing to address her daughter’s struggles. “At every opportunity, she was belittled by people she was supposed to trust,” Nicola told the inquest.
The lead-up to Megan’s death
The hearing was told Megan appeared to be her “normal bubbly self” on the day of her death. She had attended a school meeting about a trip to France and seemed in good spirits.
Later that evening, her parents left for Cardiff with Megan’s younger siblings, leaving her at home with her older siblings. Around 10:00pm, her brother found her locked in an upstairs bathroom. Despite efforts from her family and emergency services, Megan could not be saved.
Friends said Megan had expressed feelings of hopelessness on Snapchat before her death. Her friend Travis Johnson recalled Megan saying, “I CBA [could not be bothered] anymore,” hours before she died.
But the inquest heard differing views on whether Megan was bullied. While Chloe reported witnessing bullying and suggested students felt unable to confide in teachers, Malcolm Duthie, representing Pembrokeshire County Council, said friends questioned at the time did not believe Megan was being bullied.
Duthie acknowledged the difficulty schools face in tracking online abuse, particularly on platforms like Snapchat, where messages vanish after 24 hours.
Megan was remembered as a talented artist, hockey player, and a caring, vibrant teenager. Her family described her as having “a big heart” and bringing “love and laughter” to their home.
In the wake of Megan’s death, her mother founded Megan’s Starr Foundation, a charity offering free counseling and peer support to young people across Pembrokeshire. Nicola has since campaigned to raise awareness of mental health challenges and the dangers of social media bullying.
The inquest continues.
For confidential support, contact Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.
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