News

Welsh road use 20% lower than rest of UK

Published

9 months ago

June 8, 2020

PETROL sales at filling stations across Wales are 20% lower than their counterparts in the rest of the UK, according to newly released official figures.

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s research shows that while road use across the country was slowly returning to pre-lockdown levels at the end of May, Welsh road users continued to limit the use of their vehicles more than motorists in England.

The figures revealed a nationwide 7.5% weekly rise in fuel sales for the week ending 31 May. However, the same rise was not reflected in the data for Wales.

Responding to the new data, Greg Wilson, founder of Quotezone.co.uk, one of the country’s leading car insurance comparison sites, says: “It seems most motorists are taking those rules very seriously because there is a very marked difference between road use in Wales compared with road use in England.”

In Wales motorists are not allowed to travel more than five miles from their homes, whereas drivers in England no longer have any travel restrictions.

Across the UK, sales are 39% below their pre-lockdown levels despite a gradual easing of the lockdown in many regions.

In the eight weeks to 23 March – the day the lockdown began – average daily road fuel sales were 17,690 litres per filling station. By contrast, in the following ten weeks sales fell to 7,900 litres, a 45% drop.

The month of April saw the sharpest decline in fuel consumption though, when UK motorists spent 63% less on fuel than they did in February. The lowest average daily figure – 2,500 litres – was recorded on 12 April, at the peak of the pandemic. A month earlier to the day filling stations sold on average 19,500 litres.

The report used petrol and diesel sales figures from 4,500 filling stations, which make up over 50% of petrol stations in Great Britain. The study covered the period from 1 February to 31 May.

Greg Wilson added: “The lockdown has caused financial difficulties for a lot of people in the UK, but one area where many have been able to save a bit of cash is their transport costs. This new research reveals that the average amount motorists spent on fuel in April was 63% lower than in February, and an average of 45% less during the course of the lockdown.

“With a typical British household spending an average of £25 on fuel during a normal week, that means households are likely to have saved an average of £112 on fuel during the lockdown, although people with longer commutes may well have saved as much as £400 or £500.

“Of course, fuel isn’t the only expense drivers have been able to save a bit of cash on during the pandemic. Some motorists have also applied for a Statutory Off-Road Notice (SORN), which means they will have saved money on their car insurance and road tax as well.

“And it’s also worth mentioning that some car insurance companies are willing to reduce motorists’ premiums to reflect the lower mileage they’ve been doing whilst working from home, so it’s worth speaking to your insurance provider about that if you haven’t done so already.”

News

Pembrokeshire residents can quickly check symptoms for variety of conditions on NHS 111 Wales online

Published

14 hours ago

March 4, 2021

Carli Newell

NHS 111 Wales online symptom checker can save Pembrokeshire patients time by helping them find the right NHS service for treatment. Symptoms can be quickly checked for a variety of conditions and advice given on the best way to treat them by visiting www.111.wales.nhs.uk which is hosted by the Welsh Ambulance Service.

The way we access NHS services has changed as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with more options now becoming increasingly utilised, including the NHS 111 Wales online service which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It can be used for both health information and advice and to access urgent primary care in Welsh and English.

In a recent YouGov survey, a third of Pembrokeshire residents had not even heard of the NHS 111 Wales online symptom checker and only 19% had used it during the past 12 months.

Andrew Carruthers, Director of Operations at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “We are asking everyone to help us by reconsidering the way you access NHS services. The methods available have changed but we are still here for you. It is worth getting to know the different ways you can access the NHS so you can be seen and treated quicker with your first port of call being NHS 111 Wales.”

According to the YouGov survey, carried out for the Welsh Government’s Keep Wales Safe campaign, only 67% of Pembrokeshire residents had heard of the NHS 111 Wales online symptom checker. However, 86% said they felt it was important to have access to the service.

NHS 111 Wales online can help if you have an urgent medical problem and you’re not sure what to do. The way it works is: You answer questions about your symptoms on the website and depending on the situation you will:

Get self-care advice
Be told how to get any medicine you need
Find out what local service can help you
Be connected to a nurse, emergency dentist, pharmacist or GP
Get a face-to-face appointment if you need one
Be given an arrival time if you need to go to A&E – this might mean you spend less time in A&E

For those who don’t have confidence going online to seek advice, there is the NHS 111 Wales phone service. This is also a free service where patients can contact the NHS by dialling 111 to receive advice on the best way to manage their issue or gain further assistance if needed. The bilingual telephone service is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

Eighty-four percent of Pembrokeshire residents had heard of the NHS 111 Wales phone service when asked for the recent YouGov survey but only 20% had used the telephone service during the last 12 months.

News

Trial date for son accused of killing mum

Published

16 hours ago

March 4, 2021

Luke Sinclair

THE SON of Judith Rhead, 68, who was found dead in her home in Market Street, Pembroke Dock on Feb 20 will now appear in Crown Court again in October.

Dale Morgan, 43, said to be a scout master, appeared in court only to confirm his name, date of birth and address – which was listed as Honeyborough Green, Neyland.

A plea and trial preparation hearing date was set for March 26 with a provisional trial date set for October 4.

He was remanded in custody.

In court papers it stated that the alleged murder took place between December 10, 2020 and February 21, 2021.

The paperwork demonstrates that the police are unsure of the exact date that Ms Rhead died. The large date range, two months, points to the likelihood that this will be a challenging case for all those involved.

News

Launch of Haverfordwest Castle Conservation Management Plan

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2021

Carli Newell

MEMBERS of the public are being asked to help shape the future of Haverfordwest Castle as a draft Conservation Management Plan (CMP) is launched.

One of Pembrokeshire’s most important historical assets, the Castle is owned by Pembrokeshire County Council, which has produced the CMP.

The plan:

▪ sets out the significance of the castle and describes how the building will be protected with any new use, alteration, repair or management;

▪ will help with the planning of maintenance, conservation and repair work and adaptation of the site to meet new or changing uses;

▪ will help promote understanding of the site and look at improving public access and activities for local people and visitors;

▪ will support proposals to conserve the castle and adaptations of the site in response to climate change;

▪ and underpin funding applications to support improvements

An engagement exercise has been launched alongside the Plan, giving members of the public with an interest in the historic and/or environmental significance of the castle an opportunity to comment on the document and share their views.

To take part in the engagement exercise, please click on the following link:

https://haveyoursay.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/regeneration-communities

The deadline for responses is Sunday, March 28, 2021.