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No option but to publish an outline draft Council budget says Kilmister

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COUNCILLOR Bob Kilmister, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, has announced that the Council has no option but to publish an outline draft Council budget for 2020/2021 without prior knowledge of the Welsh Government’s provisional settlement.

The Welsh Government has delayed providing all local authorities with their provisional settlement until 16th December, due to the General Election.

The outline draft budget will go out for public consultation in December but the draft budget should be ready for Cabinet and scrutiny in January, said Cllr Kilmister.

“We will be setting the outline draft budget without knowing what our settlement will be,” he said.

“This is extremely challenging as we know what our likely expenditure will be fairly accurately but without knowing the amount of Welsh Government funding we can expect.”

Cabinet will have to make a recommendation on the outline draft budget to Full Council on Monday, 2nd December. The agenda, including full reports, will be published online on the Council’s website a week ahead of the meeting as usual.

Full Council will consider the outline draft budget on Thursday, 19th December. Again, the agenda and relevant reports will be published online a week in advance (12th December). This report will therefore also have to be published ahead of the announcement from Welsh Government.

This will mean that members will have to receive an oral update on the day regarding the Welsh Government provisional settlement and its implications for the draft budget, which is far from satisfactory, said Cllr Kilmister.

“The outline draft budget will be our best guess and I can say with certainty that the final budget due to be agreed on 27th February 2020 will be substantially different from the draft model,” he said.

“Setting such a complicated budget is a major challenge every year but this year it has been made even more difficult. We have cancelled a members’ seminar on the budget next week due to the lack of concrete information.”

Business

Ferry Terminal ‘extremely busy’ due to ongoing Holyhead closure

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PEMBROKE DOCK Ferry Terminal has been experiencing significant congestion today as ferry services remain under immense pressure following the closure of Holyhead Port earlier this month.

The disruption, caused by storm damage, has rerouted ferry traffic through Pembrokeshire, leading to long queues and crowded facilities at the terminal.

The Herald can confirm that it has been very busy today with cars, lorries, and foot passengers queuing in large numbers. Staff are working tirelessly to manage the influx, directing vehicles and assisting passengers as they prepare to board the heavily booked ferries.

A spokesperson for the Port of Milford Haven said: “We are working closely with ferry operators and local authorities to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but the sheer volume of vehicles is causing unavoidable delays.”

Travelers are being urged to arrive early for their sailings and to remain patient as the terminal operates at full capacity.

Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have increased capacity on their Pembrokeshire routes, deploying larger vessels, including the Stena Adventurer and the MV James Joyce, to handle the surge in demand.

From our position at the terminal, our photographer has captured photos showing long lines of vehicles, groups of foot passengers carrying luggage, and port staff coordinating efforts to ease congestion.

Authorities are advising non-essential travelers to consider rescheduling their journeys where possible and to monitor updates from ferry operators closely.

(Photos: Martin Cavaney/Herald)

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Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

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ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.

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Crime

Three men from London admit their guilt over illegal cannabis farm

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THREE men admit their guilt after police discover over 700 cannabis plants during a raid on a former school building in Llandysul.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police executed a warrant at the former Ysgol Gynradd Llandysul on Heol Llyn Y Fran on November 15. Inside, they found 737 cannabis plants spread across multiple rooms.

Armeld Troksi, 29, and Njazi Gjana, 27, both from Empire Avenue in Edmonton, London, along with Ervin Gjana, 24, from Durham Avenue in Romford, were arrested at the scene and later charged with producing cannabis.

The three men appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where they admitted their involvement in the illegal operation. Defence solicitor Joshua Scouller requested a pre-sentence report for Ervin Gjana, which was granted by Judge Geraint Walters.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 20.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Following a warrant executed at the former school on Heol Llyn Y Fran, officers discovered a significant cannabis grow containing 737 plants.

“We are grateful to the local community for their continued support and cooperation. Officers will remain in the area while the site is secured.

“Our commitment remains firm in disrupting drug production and supply networks across our force area.

“We encourage residents to report any suspicious activity, no matter how small it may seem. Every piece of information can make a difference, and reports can easily be submitted through our website.”

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