Politics
Pembrokeshire heads to the polls

THE ELECTIONS to the Welsh Parliament/Senedd Cymru take place today, Thursday (May 6).
Over the last few weeks, we’ve published a guide to the manifestos of each of Wales’ principal parties.
Next today is the crunch and after that comes the business of forming a government.
But first, voting.
HOW TO VOTE
Wales has a combination of voting systems.On Thursday, May 6, you will have two ballot papers for the Senedd. One for your constituency, the other for your region.X in the box against your candidate for the constituency.X in the box for the party you want on the regional list.Forty constituency seats, with the same boundaries as the Westminster election constituencies, elect one member each through first past the post.
The winners of constituency seats don’t need most of the votes, only one more than the candidate in second place.
Twenty further Members of the Senedd are elected on a regional list system.
Wales is divided into five regions, each of which returns four Senedd members.The regions are: Mid & West Wales; North Wales; South Wales Central; South Wales East; South Wales West.
The parties prepare a list of candidates in their own order of preference.
The system supposedly balances the risk of a one-party state by balancing constituency success against votes cast for parties.
THE REGIONAL LIST
If a party is electorally successful in the constituency vote, it starts with a handicap in the regional count.
The formula is complex, but it basically divides the total number of regional votes by one plus the number of constituencies won. Successive rounds of counting then divide the regional vote by one plus the number of constituencies plus any regional seat won in the preceding round.
After four rounds of counting, you have four Senedd Members for the region.
Labour had two regional seats in Mid and West Wales after the 2016 election only because it performed dismally in Mid and West Wales’ constituencies.
If the Labour vote collapses in Mid and West Wales, after this election it might return only one MS to Cardiff. In that case, the lucky winner would be Eluned Morgan.
Ironically, if Plaid Cymru wins Llanelli it will almost certainly lose its regional seat – unless other parties’ regional vote falls and Plaid’s significantly increases.
The Liberal Democrats held one seat in Mid and West Wales last time out, Brecon and Radnor. That success cost William Powell (number one on the candidate list for the LibDems in 2016) a seat. The Liberal Democrats were in poll position for a second seat after the regional votes were counted.
However, in the final round of counting, UKIP’s abject failure in Mid and West Wales’ constituencies combined with regional votes from Pembrokeshire gifted Cardiff Bay with Neil Hamilton’s contrarian presence.
That fact underlines the regional votes’ importance.
FIRST TIME VOTERS
The unknown in this election is the number of first-time voters since the franchise’s expansion to sixteen and seventeen-year-olds. Younger voters tend to be less tribal and more single-issue driven.
If young voters turn out in numbers, there could be a significant swing towards parties that address issues of importance to them in a way that appeals to younger voters.
The likely beneficiaries would be parties closely connected to environmental issues – or at least those who claim to be.
At this point, young voter turnout could be disappointingly low. The last school year was meant to educate prospective young voters about the coming election. Thanks to the pandemic, that fell by the wayside.
In the future, Civics’ presence in the school curriculum is vital. Schools must give students an understanding of how government works, the importance of democracy and citizens’ duty to engage with it.
WHERE WILL UKIP VOTES GO?
The second question is where UKIP’s votes will end up. The Party’s membership, support, and electoral profile have withered along with its momentary political relevance.
Although Pembrokeshire might again buck the regional trend, it’s unlikely UKIP will cross the threshold to get a seat in Mid and West Wales.
Abolish the Assembly (sic.) superficially appears the most attractive party for those who backed UKIP on the regional list last time out. However, the longer the campaign has gone on, the more Abolish has faded. An ITV interview with its leader, Richard Suchorzewski, was truly cringe-inducing.
After saying he respected Wales as a country, Mr Suchorzewski didn’t have an answer when asked to name another country without a parliament.
It was embarrassing to watch and, whether you feel Wales needs/deserves a separate Parliament or not, dire.
With Andrew RT Davies in charge, the Conservatives have burnished their ‘BluKip’ credentials. However, their campaign is endangered by the impression that a Welsh Conservative government would be operated from Westminster and not Wales, with Simon Hart as de facto Governor-General.
It’s a tricky line for the Conservatives to tread. However, if the Conservatives pick up UKIP votes, as well as get their existing regional voter base to turn out -as they did in December 2019 – Tomos Dafydd could pick up a Mid and West regional seat for the Party.
VOTING IS WHAT COUNTS
There are plenty of opportunities to vote on the regional and constituency lists to register what’s called ‘a protest vote’.
Protesting in silence on election day by not voting and complaining for the next five years is an empty and futile gesture.
It’s objectively more important TO vote than HOW you vote.
Voting is what counts.
Nothing else matters in an election.
It’s a few minutes out of your lives and can change Wales.
News
Iconic Tenby seafront hotel renovation to take place

WORKS to improve the appearance of a prominent Tenby hotel which overlooks both Caldey Island and St Catherine’s Island have been backed by the national park.
In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Martin Phillips of Clarence House Hotel, The Esplanade sought permission for to replace existing signage with “newer, less obtrusive signs,” including a change of the front signage for one incorporating the Clarence’s name and logo.
Tenby Town Council backed the proposals, saying it was a “markedly improved upgrade on the Grade-II-listed hotel, in the town’s conservation area.
An officer report recommending approval said: “There are five new signs proposed as part of this application. These will aim to replace the existing and dated signage currently present on the Clarence House Hotel.
“The Building Conservation Officer has supported the application and has stated that the designs are a clear improvement on the existing situation. The proposed signage is to replace the existing signage with a more modern design; however, this will not impact the heritage of the listed building and has a positive impact on the street scene. The designs are appropriate in terms of design, scale and positioning.
“[Policy] requires that the identity and character of the town and village is not lost. The proposed signage does not compromise the existing character of the building or the streetscape and is therefore acceptable.
“The proposal for new signage for the Clarence House Hotel will have a beneficial impact on the street scene and the conservation area of Tenby. The proposal adheres to all relevant national, regional and local legislation and policy.”
The application was approved by park planners.
Business
Huge slurry lagoon to be built in Pembrokeshire countryside

PLANS to build a new slurry lagoon at a 650-dairy herd Pembrokeshire farm have been given the go-ahead.
In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Richard Morris of Bowett Ltd sought permission for the construction of the lagoon, and associated works, at Quoits Hill Farm, Bentlass Road, Hundleton, near Pembroke.
A supporting statement through agent Cynllunio RW Planning Ltd stressed the applicant does not intend to increase livestock numbers on farm as a result of this 60 by 35 metre development.
“The Morris Family farm at Quoits Hill Farm and specialise in dairy farming. The farm is home to approximately 650 dairy cows plus followers. The herd is autumn calving with milk sold to Laprino. The home farm is grass based and extends to over 300 acres, with more off lying land utilised for growing winter forage.
“The family have invested significantly in recent years in on farm infrastructure to include a rotary milking parlour, silage clamps and covered feed yards.”
It added: “The proposed development seeks to increase the farms slurry storage capacity to above the five-month storage required by NVZ regulations. The existing slurry store and slurry handling facilities are not adequate to comply with the new regulations.”
It went on to say: “The proposed store will provide the farm with 6452 cubic meters of storage capacity (minus freeboard) which will equate to over 171 days storage. It is proposed to use the existing field slurry store as a lightly fouled water store to collect the parlour washings and reduce the size of the store required. Slurry will continue to be scrapped into the existing yard store and then pumped to the new store when required. This work will be monitored closely to reduce the risk of any leakage.”
It concluded: “The proposed development will enable slurry to be spread during the growing season rather than during more difficult weather conditions in the winter. This will be of benefit to farm efficiency and the wider environment.”
The application was conditionally approved.
News
Huge slurry lagoon to be built in Pembrokeshire countryside

PLANS to build a new slurry lagoon at a 650-dairy herd Pembrokeshire farm have been given the go-ahead.
In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Richard Morris of Bowett Ltd sought permission for the construction of the lagoon, and associated works, at Quoits Hill Farm, Bentlass Road, Hundleton, near Pembroke.
A supporting statement through agent Cynllunio RW Planning Ltd stressed the applicant does not intend to increase livestock numbers on farm as a result of this 60 by 35 metre development.
“The Morris Family farm at Quoits Hill Farm and specialise in dairy farming. The farm is home to approximately 650 dairy cows plus followers. The herd is autumn calving with milk sold to Laprino. The home farm is grass based and extends to over 300 acres, with more off lying land utilised for growing winter forage.
“The family have invested significantly in recent years in on farm infrastructure to include a rotary milking parlour, silage clamps and covered feed yards.”
It added: “The proposed development seeks to increase the farms slurry storage capacity to above the five-month storage required by NVZ regulations. The existing slurry store and slurry handling facilities are not adequate to comply with the new regulations.”
It went on to say: “The proposed store will provide the farm with 6452 cubic meters of storage capacity (minus freeboard) which will equate to over 171 days storage. It is proposed to use the existing field slurry store as a lightly fouled water store to collect the parlour washings and reduce the size of the store required. Slurry will continue to be scrapped into the existing yard store and then pumped to the new store when required. This work will be monitored closely to reduce the risk of any leakage.”
It concluded: “The proposed development will enable slurry to be spread during the growing season rather than during more difficult weather conditions in the winter. This will be of benefit to farm efficiency and the wider environment.”
The application was conditionally approved.
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