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Penally Asylum Seeker Accommodation Centre close for Asylum Seekers by March 21

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PENALLY ASYLUM SEEKER ACCOMODATION CENTRE will close by March 21, the Secretary of State for Wales has confirmed.

In a letter to Penally residents, Simon Hart MP said that he was very pleased to confirm the return of Penally Camp to the Ministry of Defence “shortly”.

The letter, seen by The Herald states: “This decision has been taken following many weeks of discussions between myself, the Wales Office and the Home Office ministerial team. During those meetings and discussions (which have been taking place almost daily over the last few months) we have tried to ensure that the concerns of everybody involved have been properly and legally accounted for. The impact of flight and accommodation regulations due to Covid 19 have made this much more complicated than would normally be the case.

Police and protestors in stand off in Penally in 2020 (Pic: Herald)

“I am deeply conscious that the manner in which the use of Penally came about caused much frustration and anger. The Home Office recognises this contributed to heightened tensions but stress they had little option at the time. As a Cabinet colleague of the Home Secretary I felt the best course of action was to engage and negotiate. Also, I wanted to provide local residents with regular updates of the facts, knowing all along that for those seeking “progress” this may seem a far too neutral approach. A more visible approach not only may have been more inflammatory, but also (in my view) would have made my private negotiations much more difficult to conclude quickly.

“I am also incredibly grateful to the Police, Health Board and County Council for their efforts in maintaining a measured approach to a situation thrust upon them at short notice. That is never easy.

“I am especially grateful to the residents of Penally and the local area for doing likewise. The whole question of accommodating asylum seekers is fraught with controversy, passionate beliefs and the requirements of national and international law. Difficult situations have also been leapt upon by some with more destructive motives adding to the pressure on so many people locally.

“Despite all of this I now hope that as we emerge from the horrors of Covid thanks to the vaccine programme we can look forward to a brighter spring and summer ahead.”

Alistair Cameron Welsh Liberal Democrat Senedd Candidate for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire has welcomed the news that Penally Camp will soon be closed =

Alistair said: “It is absolutely no surprise that the Camp is to be closed following the damning report from the Independent Inspector of Borders and Immigration into the unsafe and distressing conditions for the residents at the camp.

This left the Home Office with no option but to close the Camp.

“It is now vital that the Home Office works closely with the Welsh Government in order to provide safe, secure and decent accommodation which any of us would expect if we were in a similar position.

“There have been a lot of unpleasant and nasty scenes outside the Camp due to demonstrations from the far-right who have tried to stir up hatred. However, we must remember that many local people volunteered to help the asylum seekers with clothing, language assistance and many other acts of kindness. This represents the true spirit of Pembrokeshire.

“I know this has been a distressing experience for many of the residents in the Camp and that many have suffered depression and anxiety in accommodation which was not suitable for long term use. I wish them all the best for the future and hope they can rebuild their lives for the better.

“As we move forward, the Home Office needs to act urgently to address the “fundamental failures of leadership and planning” highlighted in the Independent Inspector’s report. In particular, it must consult with local residents and service providers over its proposals and assess the impact on local services, particularly in rural areas where there are less facilities than urban areas.”

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Rugby Weekly – Tenby’s promotion push continues

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It’s crunch time for all rugby clubs around the county, whether promotion is their aim or fighting relegation or even just trying to improve their league position, it’s now or never. 

Last weekend saw an important win for Fishguard in division two west which should put any relegation fears to bed completely. James Griffiths added an impressive 18 points for the Seagulls as they defeated Nantgaredig 33-19. 

Elsewhere in the second division, Milford were beaten 32-8 by a good Lampeter outfit. The Mariners are still a little too close for comfort with the drop zone but should have enough quality to see them safe. 

At the other end of the table Tenby sit in second place and have played fewer games than leaders St Clears and third place Lampeter. They won impressively again last weekend, beating Pontyberem 64-19 at Haywood Lane. Fletcher Broadhurst impressed with two tries as did Hywel Baker who also grabbed himself a brace. Another excellent performance in an outstanding season so far in which promotion would be the absolute icing on the cake. 

In Division Three West, Pembroke were well beaten by Laugharne 74-15 in which the outstanding Liam Price and Nico Setaro both crossed the whitewash 4 teams a piece. The latter also added 7 successful conversions. 

There was a local derby at Pill Parks where Llangwm hosted Pembroke Dock Quins and it was an exciting clash. The visitors won narrowly 28-23, Craig Barnett and Gethin Bradney both scored two tries for the Quins. The Wasps battled hard and will be proud of their performance, Gethin Thomas impressed for the hosts with two tries of his own but it wasn’t enough to secure the points. 

St David’s hosted the high flying Cardigan outfit and were unable to score in reply to the visitors 20 points, with it ending 20-0. The Saints however won’t be losing too much sleep over it as they have had a great season so far. 

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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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