THE DEMOCRACY and Boundary Commission Cymru has published its Final Recommendations for the future community arrangements for Pembrokeshire.

The recommendations follow two periods of public engagement, which saw many representations made on Pembrokeshire’s community arrangements.

These include the number of community and town councils, their boundaries, and the number of councillors within each community.

The overriding aim of the review was to ensure effective and convenient local government. 

Part of this is to ensure that representation on town and community councils is, as far as is practicable, similar across all councils in Pembrokeshire.

The Final Recommendations Report contains all of the Commission’s recommendations for Pembrokeshire.  Where it has made changes to the existing arrangements a description of the change, the representations received, the reasons for change and a map of the recommendations are contained in the report.

The Final Recommendations Report has been submitted to Welsh Government Ministers, and it is now for Welsh Government to decide how to proceed. Usually they will make an Order.

Any changes included in the Order will come into effect at the next Local Government elections in 2027.

County Councillor Neil Prior, Cabinet Member for Communities, Corporate Improvement, and the Well-being of Future Generations said:

“We would like to thank the Commission for the thorough and balanced work undertaken throughout the review.  We would also like to thank the organisations and individuals who took the time to make representations during both periods of consultation.

“As the Welsh Government take the next steps, changes will be implemented in 2027 for the next round of local elections.”

The Pembrokeshire Community Review’s final recommendations propose specific changes to community boundaries and electoral arrangements to better reflect local identities and improve governance. Key proposed changes include:

• Amalgamation of Communities: The communities of Ambleston and Spittal are recommended to merge into a single community named “Spittal,” comprising two wards: Ambleston and Spittal.
• Boundary Adjustments: Several communities, including Clydau, Crymych, Eglwyswrw, and Boncath, are proposed to have boundary modifications to better align with local identities and improve electoral parity.
• Community Ward Changes: In the community of Fishguard and Goodwick, it’s recommended to replace the existing Fishguard North East and Fishguard North West wards with a single “Fishguard” ward, and to rename the Goodwick ward to “Goodwick and Harbour.”
• Councillor Representation: Adjustments in the number of councillors are proposed for various communities to ensure fair representation. For instance, the new Spittal community would have a total of 12 councillors, with 5 representing the Ambleston ward and 7 representing the Spittal ward.

These recommendations aim to ensure effective and convenient local governance, reflecting the evolving needs and identities of Pembrokeshire’s communities.

The Final Recommendations can be found on the Commission’s website: https://www.dbcc.gov.wales/reviews/01-25/pembrokeshire-community-review-final-recommendations

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has announced the introduction of an All-Wales Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) following a rise in cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) across Great Britain.

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies MS, said that while no cases have been confirmed in poultry or kept birds in Wales this outbreak season, the growing number of infections elsewhere has heightened the risk of transmission from wild birds.

The decision to implement the AIPZ, which comes into force at 12:01am on Thursday (Jan 30), follows advice from the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales. The move aligns with similar measures introduced in England and Scotland on January 25.

The restrictions will remain in place until the risk level decreases. Officials will continue to review the situation.

Mandatory biosecurity measures
Under the AIPZ, all poultry and captive bird keepers, regardless of flock size, must take strict biosecurity precautions, including:

Making enclosures unattractive to wild birds by netting ponds and removing food sources.
Feeding and watering birds in enclosed areas to discourage wild bird contact.
Minimising human movement in and out of bird enclosures.
Cleaning and disinfecting footwear before entering enclosures.
Reducing contamination by cleansing concrete areas and fencing off wet or boggy spaces.
Keeping domestic ducks and geese separate from other poultry.
Ensuring wild game birds caught during the open season remain in place for at least 21 days, as per declaration conditions.
Completing a mandatory biosecurity self-assessment checklist within seven days.
Farms with more than 500 birds must restrict access to non-essential personnel, ensure staff change clothing and footwear before entering enclosures, and disinfect vehicles.

Protecting Wales’ poultry industry
Mr Irranca-Davies said: “These enhanced biosecurity measures are proportionate to the current risk level of avian influenza in Wales. We all have a responsibility to protect our national flock and prevent the spread of disease.”

Poultry keepers must remain vigilant for signs of avian influenza, a notifiable disease, and report any suspected cases immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) on 0300 303 8268.

Further guidance and updates are available on the Welsh Government website.

Cast your eye over the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s alumni, and the role call is a strong one.

Leading names including Daniel Day-Lewis, Jeremy Irons, Miranda Richardson, Helen Baxendale, Pete Postlethwaite and Stephanie Cole all crossed the threshold with an unblinkered determination to do everything within their grasp to make their belief in the theatre their fundamental purpose in life.

“Being offered a place at the Bristol Old Vic was slightly surreal, to be honest, but I knew I had to accept,” explains Tim Howe, who is the senior manager for youth and community at the Torch Theatre, Milford Haven.

“I was offered quite an exclusive directing course, and thinking of all those names that had walked through the doors before me was slightly intimidating.  But the time I spent there changed my entire perspective.”

Born and raised in Northamptonshire, Tim knew from a very young age that his life was going to revolve around the theatre.

“I never had that overall defining moment when I knew that this was where I’d end up, but the theatre has always been an important part of my life,” he explains.

“I was lucky in that I had parents who believed that if I wanted to do a particular thing, then I should be allowed to give it a go.  And even though they weren’t in the least bit theatrical – mum was a nurse and dad worked in education – they supported me all the way.

“As a result I began to feel the ambition, the hope and the aspiration to make drama work.”

His aspiration was further enhanced by his drama teacher at Bishop Stopford School in Kettering.

“It was just a bog standard secondary school but our drama teacher didn’t just care about teaching but about enabling her students to experience absolutely everything in putting on a production.  And this included writing the entire show to answering letters from parents. We were never treated like kids and this went a long way in helping us believe in ourselves.”

Following A levels, Tim received an unconditional offer to study drama at Aberystwyth University.

“I didn’t visit the town until the very first day of term,” he says.

“ I remember travelling down the hill to the college thinking where in the world had I got to? And in many ways, Aberystywth is a bit like being here on Milford Haven.  You either love it or you hate it but the surroundings fitted my creativity so well.

“Sometimes I was working on five or six productions so it was pretty intense and sometimes stressful, but the way in which we were taught was exceptional.  The tutors were really good at dampening people’s egos without it ever feeling toxic and they never made us fall out of love with drama.”

As a result of his degree course at Aber, Tim applied for a place at the Old Vic.

“It was quite an exclusive course for directing, and I went along to the audition not really thinking that I’d get offered a place.”

But two days later, Tim discovered that he’d been accepted.

“It totally changed the way in which I viewed directing,” he explains.  “In a production there are lots of actors but only one director, so it’s very easy to start feeling the pressure of how to make the thing work.  I’m telling people all the time, to stop trying to be original, because this sets you up to be disappointed.  Just embrace the fact that we’re forever borrowing ideas from other people, myself included, and this is what helps us to enjoy a production and find our own sense of ownership.

“And this is what I’m finding with the young people I’m working with here at the Torch.  It’s easy to assume that young people are more self conscious than adults, but if you create the correct space for them to perform in, then they lose all sense of their inhibitions.  It’s only embarrassing if you’re embarrassed .”

Following his time at the Old Vic, Tim did some freelance directing in London before being appointed the director in residence at Eton College, Windsor.

“This was another rather surreal experience where I met some wonderful people such as the fantastic Patricia Hodge who I sat next to at dinner and King Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales.

“But being at Eton opened my eyes to how unfair it is that students at schools such as this have so many more opportunities than other children,” he said.

“Surely all children should have the right to study drama as well as all the other arts at their respective schools, but sadly the money just isn’t there.”

From Eton he spent some time at Beijing before returning to the UK and directing in St Ives and the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff.  In January 2023, he was appointed senior manager for Youth and Community at The Torch.

“It’s a wonderful theatre for children and young people as it’s a producing theatre, which is quite unique for a theatre of this size.  We produce around three of our own shows a year which gives the youngsters a wonderful insight into how an entire production is put together.  They also get the chance to share the space with professionals…people who were once like them and who had the aspiration to follow their dream.

“In many ways I feel as if I’m opening the door for these children by giving them the space, the guidance and the opportunity to talk about how they want to move forward, just like I was given the opportunity all those years ago.”

The Torch Youth Theatre meets on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and caters for children between the age of 7 and 18.  For further information, visit the Torch website.