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Welsh countrysides and beaches to reopen as five mile restriction is lifted

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Barafundle beach

FIRST MINISTER Mark Drakeford has lifted the five mile travel restriction in Wales as of today (Mon Jul 6).

Prior to the easing, residents in Wales were unable to travel more than five miles from their homes with the ‘stay local’ restriction still in force.

The easing of the restriction will see Wales welcome back visitors to its beaches and countryside for the first time in over three months.

The new measures are said to “pave the way” for the tourism sector, which will begin to re-open from July 11, but Mr Drakeford has made it clear this will only happen “if conditions allow”.

The First Minister has urged those intending to visit beaches, countrysides and beauty hotspots to do so safely – by protecting others, protecting the environment, and following the social distancing rules.

Saturday (July 4) saw the re-opening of pubs, restaurants and cafes open in outdoor spaces in England.

The Welsh Government has set a date of July 13 for the re-opening of pubs, restaurants and cafes outdoors in Wales, this will only go ahead providing there is no spike in the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases.

As the five-mile travel restriction is lifted in Wales, Pembrokeshire County Council has moved to reassure the local community and visitors that it will continue to work hard to inform and support them.

“Our communities will start to welcome visitors this week,” said Cllr David Simpson, Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council. “Although the public have a huge responsibility to act responsibly – as consistently stressed by senior politicians both in Westminster and the Senedd – we as a local authority also have an important role to play.

“We are working closely with partners behind the scenes to make sure that we have procedures and measures in place to ensure the unlocking process is as safe as possible.”

Among the measures are a specific team being brought together by the Council and key partners to coordinate intelligence and information to monitor and manage any day to day issues, using data from the tourism sector, traffic measurements, and various teams on the ground.

Other measures include the production of a promotional film by Visit Pembrokeshire to welcome back tourists – with useful information on the concerns faced by local residents and constructive suggestions of what visitors can do to help.

“The Welsh Government’s Stay Local rule was kept in place to help every part of Wales manage the spread of the virus and properly welcome back visitors safely,” said Cllr Simpson.

“Visitors are an important part of our economy and so it’s important that local communities are welcoming towards them as we safely open up more of the visitor and tourism economy.”

Other measures include the use of electronic road signs (including the ones approaching Pembrokeshire and those in the County) to provide useful and relevant information to anyone travelling. Electronic signage in bus stops will also be used and extra signs are being considered.

A street trading arrangement has already been put in place to support café culture once restrictions ease, and an operational document has been produced to inform the local authority’s work for reopening the public realm – including facilities like car parks and public toilets.

Highways improvements are being considered including the potential re-allocation of road spaces, thanks to grant funding from the Welsh Government for sustainable transport solutions in response to Covid-19. The Council has worked up proposals for reallocation of road space in a few key towns which it will be sharing with communities as soon as possible.

The NHS Wales Test Trace Protect service is also well underway across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion to track the virus and give extra protection to communities.

Cllr Simpson said it was vital to remember that coronavirus has not gone away, despite some restrictions being eased by Welsh Government. “It continues to be as important as ever to maintain social distancing, keep washing your hands regularly, and to self-isolate if you or someone in your household has symptoms,” he said.

“Pembrokeshire and the rest of Wales is safely and gradually reopening. Together, we’ve made some great progress. But we’re still not back to normal and there are still risks. It’s important that we respect each other, our communities, and the local environment.”

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Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

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PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

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Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

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TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

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Welsh Water has increased sewage discharges into waterways ‘by 40%’

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NEW figures released by the Environment Agency have shown that Dwr Cymru discharged sewage into waterways for a staggering 23,354 hours last year, a 40% increase on 2022. 

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are now calling for tougher action against sewage dumping in Welsh waterways.

The party has also called for a halt on bonuses for water company bosses whose firms have dumped sewage into waterways.

Conservative MPs have consistently voted against measures which would have helped to tackle the crisis.

The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said: “It is a complete scandal that filthy sewage is being pumped into our nation’s rivers and waterways without consequence.

“It’s beggars’ belief that both the UK Conservative Government and the Welsh Labour government are allowing water firms to get away with this environmental vandalism.

“We as a party are calling for tougher action to stop sewage being dumped in local waterways. We have also called for a halt on bonuses for water company fat cats whose firms have pumped filth into our waterways.”

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