News
Phased re-opening for Leisure Centre facilities
FACILITIES at Pembrokeshire County Council’s Leisure Centres will begin to re-open in a phased and safe manner from Monday, August 17.
Following further easing of Welsh Government restrictions, Pembrokeshire Leisure will be opening its doors for the use of fitness suites only in the first phase.
The fitness suites at Fishguard Leisure Centre, Haverfordwest Leisure Centre, Milford Haven Leisure Centre, Pembroke Leisure Centre and Tenby Leisure Centres will open from Monday, August.
You must book and pay for your gym slot in advance.
Without a pre-booked slot you will not be able to gain access to the facilities.
There will be no bookings or payments taken at the centres. In order to make a reservation you will need to be a registered user of Pembrokeshire Leisure.
You can register via the website https://pembrokeshireleisure.co.uk/ or by calling 01437 775504, Monday to Thursday, 9am – 3pm.
See below for further membership information.
Bookings can also be made via the website and telephone numbers above and through the Pembrokeshire Leisure app which is available to download on both Apple IOS and Android.
You will be able to book your session from Tuesday, August 11, onwards.
For everyone’s safety please do not attend any Pembrokeshire Leisure facilities if you are experiencing any Covid-19 symptoms.
Users are asked to bring only a full water bottle (drinking fountains will not be in use), a towel and their Pembrokeshire Leisure Card for their exercise session.
Please note there will be no changing facilities available so please arrive dressed ready for your session.
Buildings may operate one-way systems and equipment may be set out differently than normal with some equipment set up in other areas of the centre to allow more space to exercise.
Those visiting with pre-booked appointments are respectfully asked to adhere to social distancing rules in operation.
There will be an enhanced cleaning operation in place with hand sanitising stations and customers will need to use the provided cleaning products to clean equipment before and after use.
The second phase, from Tuesday, September 1, will see Crymych Leisure Centre re-open and swimming pools, indoor fitness classes and facility hire available at all centres.
Again, all activities will be via pre-booked appointments only.
Further details will be released in due course, including opening arrangements for all of the remaining leisure facilities.
Currently all Pembrokeshire Leisure memberships are frozen with no payments being taken.
To allow members to return when they feel safe and happy to do so Pembrokeshire Leisure will be offering the following:
If you are ready to return to us:
- Everyone with a frozen current membership will be able to access the fitness suites for free from August 17 to 31.
- We will be offering a ‘BeActive’ membership while our facilities have a reduced offering at £19/month.
- You will need to sign up to the membership using our app or website.
- This membership will be paid on a monthly basis with no minimum term.
- It will be available until our centres are able to offer a more complete selection of activities, when existing membership subscriptions will be restarted.
If you don’t feel ready to return to us yet:
- All memberships will remain frozen and you will not need to contact us until you are ready to return.
- All subscriptions will receive an extension as Appropriate.
- When we are able to offer a more complete provision of activities then memberships will be restarted. Members will be given notice before the payments are taken.
More information regarding the BeActive membership will be sent to all members.
All relevant information will also be published on
https://pembrokeshireleisure.co.uk/ and the Pembrokeshire Leisure App.
If you are unclear on the process of re-joining please contact 01437 775504.
Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Economy, Tourism. Leisure and Culture, Cllr Paul Miller, said: “With restrictions easing further in the coming weeks the team have been working hard to ensure we can offer a safe, phased, return to leisure facilities across the county.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming back members and the general public from the 17th.”
Crime
Shoplifter sentenced for two Pembrokeshire thefts
A SHOPLIFTER has appeared before magistrates after admitting stealing food and alcohol from two stores in Pembroke Dock
John Ashby, 37, was seen stealing two crates of San Miguel lager valued at £22 from B&M Bargains on July 8 while on Hallowe’en of this year he entered the Farm Foods store, and stole 12 food items valued at £80.61.
His solicitor, Michael Kellher, said that the offences were committed after Ashby relocated to Pembrokeshire from London, where he was employed as a bricklayer.
“He’s always been in employment, but since moving to Pembrokeshire he hasn’t been able to find a job,” he said. “He hasn’t signed on for Universal Credit with the result that he stole the foodstuffs out of necessity.”
Meanwhile probation officer Julie Norman said that Ashby’s Halloween theft was committed after the defendant had been placed on a Community Order, imposed on September 24, for a previous shoplifting conviction.
“Having said that, he’s attended all appointments with the probation service,” she said. “The Community Order was given following his first ever conviction, so he doesn’t trouble the courts on a regular basis.”
After asking to address the magistrates, Ashby apologised to the court for his behaviour.
“I’m not a bad person,” he said. “I’ve worked since the age of 16, but I’m not excusing my behaviour.”
Ashby was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 surcharge. He must also pay £80.61 compensation to Farm Foods and £22 compensation to B&M.
Crime
Internet dating app relationship turns sour for Pembrokeshire couple
AN internet dating app relationship has resulted in a four-figure fine for a Pembrokeshire man after he refused to accept that a two-month relationship was over.
Gareth Thomas, 51, met Rachel Blundell on an unknown dating app in January of this year.
“The relationship lasted for seven or eight weeks, they had meals out together and the defendant stayed over at her property on a few occasions,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.
“The relationship came to an end for whatever reason, but the defendant chose to continue sending her texts which were persistent and unwanted.”
In a victim impact statement read out to the court, Ms Blundell said that Thomas’s persistence left her feeling anxious.
“I’m unsure why he feels the need to contact me, because the relationship is over,” she said.
“He knows where I live and I’m afraid he’ll start causing issues with me. I just want him to accept that the relationship is over and he’ll leave me alone because it makes me feel alarmed, harassed and distressed. I’m scared about what he might do in the future.”
Thomas, of Gatehouse View, Pembroke, pleaded guilty to a charge of harassment without violence. He was represented in court by Mr Michael Kelleher.
“He agrees that there was repeated contact with Ms Blundell, but there were no threats nor violence.”
Mr Kelleher went on to say that Thomas was confused following Ms Blundell’s decision to terminate the relationship.
“She claimed that her father had been taken ill, but then went onto another dating site, and my client couldn’t quite understand why. He was confused, he didn’t know why it happened, and he was even optimistic that she’d have second thoughts and they could sort things out. He was never once told not to contact her.”
Meanwhile probation officer Charmaine Fox said that Thomas believed the way in which Ms Blundell ended the relationship was ‘a lie’.
“In the past he’s been able to rekindle a relationship, and he thought this may happen again. But things are very different in modern society, and the way people contact each other is now very different.”
Thomas was fined £833 and ordered to pay a £114 surcharge and £85 costs. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order during which he must carry out 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He must also adhere to a 12-month restraining order preventing him from approaching and entering any address which Ms Blundell may reside in and not to enter any electronic data that refers directly to Ms Blundell.
Crime
Trainee plumber admits damaging vehicle whilst on a bender
A TRAINEE plumber who consumed so much alcohol that ‘he didn’t know what he was doing’ has appeared before magistrates charged with interfering with two cars parked in Pembroke town centre.
In the early hours of October 6, police officers saw Ethan Pender, 20, sitting inside a Ford Fiesta parked in Main Street.
“The interior lights were on, so this naturally attracted the officers’ attention,” Crown Prosecution Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.
When the officers questioned Pender about what he was doing, he told them it was his parent’s vehicle, however a subsequent vehicle check confirmed it belonged to someone else residing in the area.
Pender, who is currently enrolled on a plumbing course at Pembrokeshire College, pleaded guilty to a similar charge of entering a parked BMW.
“The contents of a First Aid box were strewn all over the seats and the lock on the central console was broken,” continued Ms Vaughan. She confirmed that no items had been stolen from either vehicle.
However Pender’s solicitor Tom Lloyd, claimed the offences were committed following a drinking spree.
“He was extremely intoxicated and had got to the state where he couldn’t remember what he was doing,” he said. “There was no targeting of any vehicles, and no damage was caused to them.”
But the magistrates failed to be swayed by Mr Lloyd’s mitigation.
“You’re claiming you were so drunk that you don’t remember what was going on, but we don’t buy that at all,” said the presiding magistrate.
As a result, magistrates requested an oral probation report prior to sentencing, however chief probation officer Julie Norman requested an adjournment as a result of Pender’s history of court orders and cautions.
“We consider him to be at high risk of reoffending,” said Ms Norman.
Sentencing was adjourned to November 26 and Pender was released on conditional bail, the conditions being that he obeys a daily curfew between 8pm and 7am and he lives and sleeps at his home address at Central Court, Milford Haven.
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