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Castle for Village Green Status?

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Haverfordwest Castle grounds are to be considered for Village Green Status, as an enquiry is scheduled to take place towards the end of October that could decide its fate in respect of ownership.

The potential sale of the old prison building is the subject of much controversy between the Town Council and the County Council who do not see eye-to-eye, in terms of where future ownership should lie.

Speaking to The Herald, Town Councillor, Peter Lewis, said that his Council had applied for Village Green Status to ensure that the grounds are open to the public at all times, as it was suggested previously that the grounds may only be open to the public at certain times, should the development of a boutique hotel go ahead.

He also wrote that he believed the developer, Griffith-Roach Foundation, had withdrawn its interest in the castle, and, to this end, he questioned the transparency of the County Council who had not accepted an offer, as yet, of £50,000 which the Town Council had put forward for ownership of the former prison building. He went on to say that he believed the County Council were ‘hiding its intentions behind a veil that they call commercial confidentiality’. He also asked if, in fact, the County Council were planning ‘to off-load yet another of our assets for a nominal fee, thus relieving it of cumbersome expenses?’ and put forward the question as to whether the people of Haverfordwest believed in the County Council’s claim that a boutique hotel would attract more visitors than a museum.

However, County Councillor Mark Edwards of Prendergast ward, speaking on behalf of the Independent Plus Political Group, disputed some of these claims saying that the developer had not withdrawn interest and was waiting to see what the outcome would be of the enquiry into Village Green Status. He went on to say that, as far as he was aware, should the developer place a boutique hotel on the castle grounds, then this would actually lead to an improvement of this space, encouraging visitors, apparently welcome to visit at any time. Mr Edwards also believed that such a development would not only improve the grounds, but would also make for a better stewarded castle, in terms of what has become a problem of youths drinking alcohol on the site during the hours of darkness. He stated that the County Council, when deciding upon who should take over the land, would work in the interests of the public and consider what is the best value for the town. When asked how much the developer was offering for the land, in light of the Town Council’s offer, he stated that he did not know the figure. He was also unaware of whether or not the County Council were considering the offer from the Town Council.

Thomas Tudor, County Councillor for Castle ward, also concurred with Mark Edwards that the developer was still interested in the property. He told The Herald that he shared the residents’ concerns over any potential development, promising to ‘champion and represent them by ensuring that answers to their concerns are addressed’. He then referred to an email of last year in which he had said to the Town Council that he had asked for a ‘notice of motion’ to County Council and Cabinet recommending they carry out a full and public consultation with the people of Haverfordwest on site proposals, but that Cabinet had rejected the motion. He went on to say that he had asked for the amount offered by the Griffith-Roach Foundation to be disclosed but was told by Pembrokeshire County Council that this information was unavailable due to ‘commercial sensitivity’.

Haverfordwest residents must wait until the end of October to find out if the site is given Village Green Status or not, an outcome which is likely to have a defining impact on whether or not the Griffith-Roach Foundation pursue its goal of building a boutique hotel on the grounds of this significant, nearly eight-hundred year old, Haverfordwest historical landmark.

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Community

Charity tractor and car run set to raise funds for Macmillan and Paul Sartori

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A CHARITY tractor and car run in memory of Charles Rees is set to take place in Pembrokeshire later this month, with funds raised supporting Macmillan Cancer Support and Paul Sartori Hospice at Home.

The Charles Rees Tractor & Car Run will be held on Sunday, December 28, 2025, starting and finishing at Dudwell Farm in Camrose.

Participants are being invited to “start their engines” in aid of the two charities, with gates opening at 9:00am and the convoy leaving promptly at 10:30am. Organisers have confirmed that the run will operate with no halfway stops, returning to Dudwell Farm at the end of the route.

The event will begin and finish at Dudwell Farm, Camrose (SA62 6HJ), and is open to tractors and cars. Registration and cash payment will take place on the day, with the price to be confirmed nearer the event.

Additional donations can also be made locally in the run-up to the event at Camrose Country Hardware and Croesgoch Stores.

The run has been organised to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, which provides vital care and assistance to people living with cancer, and Paul Sartori Hospice at Home, which supports patients and families across Pembrokeshire during some of the most difficult times of their lives.

Organisers say more information will be released closer to the event and are encouraging the local community to support the run, whether by taking part, donating, or lining the route to show support.

The event is expected to attract strong local interest, continuing Pembrokeshire’s tradition of community-led fundraising in support of much-valued charities.

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News

Late Griffiths strike caps dramatic Clarby fightback in nine-goal thriller

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CLARBESTON ROAD staged a remarkable comeback to edge out Pennar Robins in a breathless Division One contest that delivered nine goals, wild swings of momentum and a hat-trick that ultimately counted for nothing.

Despite falling behind on three separate occasions, Clarby showed resilience and attacking intent to secure a 5–4 victory, sealed late on by Emyr Griffiths after the hosts had earlier trailed 3–1 in the first half.

For Pennar, the result was a bitter one. Jack Jones struck three times and the Robins led at 1–0, 3–1 and 4–3, but each advantage slipped away as Clarby refused to lie down.

The opening exchanges hinted at little of what was to come. Ben ‘Rocky’ John tested Pennar goalkeeper Ryeley Clark early on, while Tom Davies dragged an effort wide at the other end. The game burst into life after nine minutes when Pennar opened the scoring following a slick team move. Nicholas Willis drove forward down the right, combined neatly with Kieran Smith and Noah Davison, and was tripped inside the box. Jack Jones made no mistake from the penalty spot.

Clarby responded almost immediately. Player-manager Matthew Ellis, keen to atone for conceding the penalty, rose to head home Travis Jones’ corner at the near post just two minutes later.

Pennar regained control midway through the half. Tom Grimwood’s curling corner was met by Jones, who nodded in at the back post, and moments later the same duo combined again as Jones completed his hat-trick, finishing from close range after Grimwood beat his marker and cut the ball back.

Crucially, Clarby struck back before the break. Matthew Bowen delivered an inviting cross from the left and John powered a header past Clark to give the hosts renewed belief heading into half-time.

With the wind at their backs, Clarby came out flying after the restart. John levelled matters by cutting inside and firing low into the corner, before sustained pressure saw Matthew Davies have a goal ruled out for offside and substitute Josh Woods flash a shot across goal.

Against the run of play, Pennar edged back in front on 69 minutes when substitutes combined — Adam Phillips delivering a cross that Conner Phillips met unmarked to head home.

Once again, Clarby refused to fold. Jack Ashman drove forward from the edge of the area and thundered a high finish into the net to make it 4–4, before the decisive moment arrived 12 minutes from time. Griffiths broke through the Pennar back line and showed composure to lift the ball beyond Clark, completing a stunning turnaround.

Clarby managed the closing stages well to see out a vital win ahead of the Christmas break.

Man of the match: Jack Jones
Despite ending on the losing side, Jones’ clinical finishing and constant threat were impossible to ignore. Kieran Smith and Noah Davison were also influential in Pennar’s first-half dominance, while Ben John was central to Clarby’s revival before limping off with a knee issue.

Clarby player-manager Matthew Ellis said: “It’s a huge three points. After nine goals your head’s spinning a bit, but you’ll take it when you’re on the right side of the result. Pennar caused us problems early on, but we really turned it around after the break.”

Pennar manager Craig Butland said: “The second half wasn’t good enough. Individual errors are hurting us and conceding just before half-time changed the momentum. We’ve got to see games out better.”

Clarbeston Road: Rhys Mansell, Matthew Bowen, Greg Brown, Matthew Griffiths, Samuel Hurton, Jack Ashman, Emyr Griffiths, Matthew Davies (capt), Matthew Ellis, Ben John (Jake Wesley 62), Travis Jones. Sub not used: Joseph Jones.

Pennar Robins: Ryeley Clark, Nick Willis (Ryan Walters 80), Alex Wheeler (Adam Phillips 53), Ethan Ball, Bobby Jones (Conner Willis 53), Connor Roberts, Tom Grimwood, Kieran Smith (capt), Noah Davison, Jack Jones, Toby Davies.

Referee: Stefan Jenkins.

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Crime

Ex-Gwent police officer now living in Pembrokeshire cleared of corruption

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A FORMER police officer from Pembrokeshire has been found not guilty of corruption following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.

Luke Silver, aged 34, formerly of Gwent Police, had denied three charges relating to the improper use of police power or privilege. The allegations centred on claims that he made sexually inappropriate and unwanted comments to two women he encountered while on duty.

Jurors heard that one allegation involved remarks allegedly made to a woman during a police interview, while other claims related to similar conduct during separate encounters. Mr Silver denied all wrongdoing throughout the proceedings.

After hearing the evidence, a jury acquitted him of all charges.

Despite the verdict, Gwent Police confirmed that Mr Silver is no longer a serving officer. The force said he was dismissed in April following an accelerated misconduct hearing that dealt with matters separate from the criminal case.

Reporting restrictions had previously been imposed on the misconduct proceedings to prevent any potential prejudice to the criminal trial. Those restrictions were lifted following the conclusion of the court case.

The misconduct panel found that Mr Silver had breached standards of professional behaviour on two occasions, relating to honesty and integrity, and conduct likely to bring discredit on the police service.

As a result, he has been placed on the College of Policing barred list, preventing him from working for any police force in the future.

Assistant Chief Constable Nick McLain said Mr Silver was no longer employed by Gwent Police and stressed the force’s commitment to maintaining public trust.

He said the public rightly expects officers to uphold the highest standards of behaviour, adding that the force would continue to act decisively where conduct falls short.

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