News

Silverdale residents ‘frightened for their lives’

Published

4 years ago

July 22, 2020

A RESIDENT of The Silverdale Lodge, Johnston, has spoken exclusively to The Herald today (Jul 22) to vent his frustrations over the current spike in ‘undesirable’ residents within the lodge.

After becoming increasingly concerned with what he has witnessed at the Lodge, Mark Thornton has set up a committee which he hopes will benefit the residents of the Lodge and those in the wider Johnston community.

The Silverdale Lodge has been a centre of controversy for the local community since the beginning of the lockdown restrictions in March, where it has been used to facilitate the homeless in the county through the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Herald has previously reported on the increase of anti-social and criminal activity in the Johnston area, which the community believes is the doing of the residents of The Silverdale Lodge.

Mr Thornton previously gave an interview to The Herald, where he stated at the time he was not aware of any residents causing issues. He insists that this was true at the time, however now he says he has seen incidents himself.

Mr Thornton, who will now lead the group as the official representative of The Silverdale Lodge residents, hopes the Johnston community will band together with him to create a safer environment for them all to live.

Mr Thornton said “We don’t want anymore criminals here and we are going to do our hardest to get the troublemakers removed and ensure they do not return.

“The reason for doing this is to make both the decent residents of The Silverdale Lodge and the Johnston community safe again.

“I have spoken myself with the police today, who have advised me that this is the best way to deal with the issues. I am actively seeking to set up a meeting with the residents of the Lodge, the council, police and the Johnston community.

“Dyfed-Powys Police have assured me they will attend all of the meetings that I arrange.

“Silverdale residents currently feel as if they are in a jail because of the types of people that are being housed here, they need to feel safe and not trapped. We need it to be back to a facility to tackle homelessness within the county.”

Mr Thornton said that it has got to the point where some residents of the Lodge are ‘scared for their lives’, with police in attendance at the Lodge countless times a day to deal with multiple incidents.

Mr Thornton also believes he is being ‘starved into silence’ by Pembrokeshire County Council as punishment for speaking to this newspaper about the ongoing issues at the Lodge.

In the exclusive interview, Mark explains his frustrations about life at the Lodge, his on-going battle with the council and his struggle with receiving food parcels.

As a way to tackle the issues on site a 24-hour security team was placed at the Lodge, however Mr Thornton has told us that this service has now diminished to just a shift covering the evenings.

He added that he spoke to the security team, who have alleged that as of August their service will cease to exist at the lodge, which has infuriated residents who are fearful of the repercussions.

Security guards at Silverdale gave exclusive interview with The Herald

Mr Thornton told The Herald that the only support now available to the Lodge residents throughout the day, is an on-site support worker, which has resulted in residents relying solely on the police for their protection.

The Herald has received reports that on Tuesday (July 21) the police were in heavy presence on two separate incidents at the lodge.

We have contacted Dyfed-Powys Police for a statement, we are awaiting their reply.

The Herald contacted Pembrokeshire County Council with regards to the ongoing issues at the Lodge, a spokesperson said: “ In order to fulfil the Covid-19 guidance from Welsh Government, as a local authority we are required to assist through the provision of accommodation. This is to ensure that individuals are able to comply with social distancing and self-isolate should it become necessary.

“Pembrokeshire County Council is grateful to the Silverdale Lodge in Johnson for supporting the Authority with additional accommodation during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Silverdale has individual lodges that allow for social isolation precautions to be applied within individual rooms so we have moved some of our service to this site temporarily.

“We may at times also be working with people who no longer need to stay in hospital but who cannot go home as their property requires some adaptions and we may also have people who need to isolate themselves from vulnerable people they live with.

“The site offers the Council an additional alternative temporary accommodation for people who are in this position.

“It is not a bail hostel nor halfway house.

“At Silverdale we have support on site. Pobl and Goleudy Housing & Support Services are currently offering support for the residents in the Silverdale. The service is available seven days a week from 9 am to 7pm.

“The service is working with the residents to assist with practical,emotional and wellbeing support and to help people develop and maintain the skills and confidence necessary to secure and maintain sustainable housing for their longer term.

“In addition we have security on site to ensure the site is covered across a 24-hour period.

“We also continue to provide support from our experienced homelessness prevention team within the housing department.

“We are unable to comment on specific individual cases but we can confirm that, as a local authority, we do work closely with Dyfed Powys Police.

“We do not have a planned heavy police presence on the site but are grateful to them for their support if needed and for their proactive work to help residents across the county adhere to the current requirements in relation to social distancing and travel.”

Police were made aware of a gathering at Princess Royal Way in Haverfordwest at around 9pm on Tuesday, July 21.

Around 60 people had gathered peacefully to light candles and lay tributes following the tragic death of a two-year-old child.

Officers attended to ensure there was no community tension.

Later that night, eight people were spoken to by police following a gathering outside a property in Johnston.

Officers also spoke to a small group which had gathered outside Haverfordwest Police Station shortly after.

All gatherings passed without incident.

Superintendent Ross Evans said: “Pembrokeshire is a close-knit community, and we understand that the death of a child will be a cause for grief.

“However we would appeal to the public to refrain from any actions that could impact the ongoing investigation, including comments shared online and on social media.

“Officers will be more visible in the local area over the coming days as enquiries continue, and any concerns can be addressed through them.”

Community

Officials announced for 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire

Published

7 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD returns to Pembrokeshire in 2026, and organisers have named the officials who will steer this major cultural event over the next year and a half.

With the artistic and local committees already established, meetings to finalise competitions and adjudicators are underway to ensure the List of Competitions is ready by spring. Committee members have also been voting over the past weeks to elect key officials for the Executive Committee.

John Davies, former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, has been appointed Chair of the Executive Committee. Known for his deep connection to Pembrokeshire and extensive experience with national organisations, Davies aims to make the Eisteddfod a true community event, welcoming involvement from all corners of the region.

Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, takes on the role of Deputy Chair (Strategy). With a strong passion for Welsh culture and language, Jones brings a wealth of experience working with local communities, visitors, and volunteers across three counties.

Deputy Chair (Culture) is Carys Ifan, Director of Canolfan Egin and a seasoned cultural organiser. Based in Llangrannog and originally from Llandudoch, Ifan has led numerous artistic and community projects across the region.

Cris Tomos, a community development veteran with over 30 years of experience, will lead the 2026 Eisteddfod Local Fund. Working with PLANED, a community development charity, Tomos has supported countless community enterprises and co-operatives in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire.

Non Davies, recently elected as Executive Committee Secretary, brings extensive cultural management expertise as Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Manager for Culture. Having chaired the Cardigan Local Fund Committee for the 2022 Ceredigion Eisteddfod, Davies is well-versed in managing cultural projects.

National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said: “We’re looking forward to working with John and the team over the next few months as we prepare for the 2026 Eisteddfod.

“There’s almost a quarter of a century since the Eisteddfod was last held in Pembrokeshire, and we’re very much looking forward to returning to the area. 2026 is an important year for us as we celebrate 850 years since the first Eisteddfod was held in Cardigan Castle in 1176.

“We’re looking forward to working in a new way within a catchment area which includes parts of another two counties, which is, of course, a chance to work with local people in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire again.”

Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks, including the sale of competition prizes and opportunities to donate the Crown and the Chair.

The National Eisteddfod will be held in Llantood from August 1–8, 2026.

News

Campaigners urge Welsh Government to adopt proportional representation for Local Elections

Published

8 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the Welsh Government to introduce the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system for local elections, following moves by two councils to shift away from the First Past the Post (FPTP) system being blocked on technical grounds.

Yesterday (Nov 14), Ceredigion Council voted narrowly, with an 18 to 17 majority, in favor of adopting STV. This follows Gwynedd Council’s decision last month, where 65% of councillors backed the move. However, both councils have been prevented from implementing STV due to a requirement for a two-thirds majority under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

In recent consultations, public support for STV has been overwhelming, with over 70% in Gwynedd and 67% in Ceredigion favoring the change. Only Powys Council rejected the proposal, despite 60.5% of its respondents supporting STV. Campaigners argue that the current system deprives voters of representation, citing that over 100,000 people were denied a vote in the 2022 elections due to uncontested seats.

The Electoral Reform Society Cymru (ERS Cymru) highlights the contrast with Scotland, where the introduction of STV for local elections in 2007 has significantly reduced uncontested seats. According to ERS Cymru, Scotland has had fewer uncontested seats in the last four elections combined than Gwynedd Council recorded alone in 2022.

Jess Blair, Director of ERS Cymru, said:

“Decisions made in council chambers affect everyone in those areas, so every vote should count. It’s absurd that councils choosing STV are blocked by a technicality, leaving them stuck with an outdated system that denies representation to thousands. The Welsh Government must act to avoid repeating the undemocratic outcomes of the last elections.”

Campaigners are now calling on the Welsh Government to introduce STV across all councils in Wales, ensuring representation that reflects the electorate’s wishes.

Business

Upgrades completed at Port of Milford Haven’s simulator suite

Published

9 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

UPGRADES have been completed to state-of-the-art equipment within the Port of Milford Haven’s navigation simulator suite at Milford Waterfront enabling marine professionals to receive bespoke specialist training. The virtual reality simulation system can safely replicate a range of scenarios that seafarers may experience in real world situations such as extreme weather conditions, emergency situations and escort tug work.

The upgrades provided by Netherlands-based company MARIN contain the latest hardware in terms of processing power and graphics, as well as upgrades to MARIN’s ‘Dolphin’ software, increasing the capability to create scenarios. These are complemented with new 4k visuals on 75” screens which increase the depth and field of vision, adding to the realism.

Recently, a training day was led by Training Pilot Captain Mark Johnson, assisted by ex-Pilot Andy Hillier, involving members of the Svitzer team as well as Pilots Matt Roberts and Ian Coombes. As part of the scenario, they were faced with a loss of engine power and steering along with worsening weather and sea conditions. The Pilots had to communicate with Svitzer in order to successfully instruct them on how to tow and direct a drifting tanker. While scenarios like these are uncommon within port operations, it is important to rehearse procedures that would be implemented if they are required and enhances participants’ skill sets.

Marine Pilot and Simulator Instructor, Captain Ewan McNicoll, said “This simulator suite has future proofed our training capabilities, both internally for Pilots and marine staff, but also externally for clients wishing to use the facility, be it for training purposes or research and development. We can create any type of scenario with any type of ship, ranging from practicing ship handling manoeuvres to emergency situations, it really is game changing! Working with our partners at MARIN has been a complete success and I am very proud of our new facility.”

For more information about training at the navigation simulation suite please contact the Port of Milford Haven at [email protected] or 01646 696100.