A PEMBROKESHIRE school’s woodland area has been targeted by vandals in a spate of criminal damage and anti-social behaviour.

The incident occurred in the woodland behind Ysgol Hafan y Môr on Heywood Lane, Tenby. Dyfed-Powys Police have been informed, and a joint patrol with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has since taken place.

Tracey Davies, from the fire service’s arson reduction team, and PCSO Ffion Thomas visited the site earlier this week to assess the situation and reassure the community.

Posting on the Tenby, Saundersfoot and Narberth Police Facebook page, they said: “ASB and criminal damage will not be tolerated in this area, and we will be taking positive action regarding this.”

They urged members of the public to report any further incidents to Dyfed-Powys Police using the following contact methods:

| https://orlo.uk/KxdYo
| 101@dyfed-powys.police.uk
| 101

A PEMBROKESHIRE nursery which received a council grant for a covered play area has been given the go-ahead by planners to be allowed keep it; the applicants not realising it needed official permission to build.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council planners, Victoria Christie sought retrospective permission for a covered external play area, built last year, at ABC Pre-School Nursery, Castle High, Haverfordwest.

A supporting statement through agent Ian Bartlett Planning and Architectural Services said: “Children are always supervised. Prior to the erection of the timber structure as a covering to part of the play area, this area was open and its use weather dependant.  It is understood that current guidelines are that covered play areas should be provided to cater for children’s needs.

“The applicant had erected the timber structure with grant assistance from Pembrokeshire County Council but had not appreciated that planning permission was required.”

It added the timber covered area allowed children a chance “to play in a safe and secure environment and enjoy some of messier play experiences in a covered area”.

It finished: “The proposed development is considered to comply with all relevant Local Development Plan policies. The granting of consent will allow the nursery to fulfil its obligations in terms of childcare guidance and will continue to enhance the experience for children using the facility.  It has been demonstrated that no adverse issues are raised by this proposal, and it is policy compliant.”

An officer report, recommending conditional approval, said: “The siting of the covered play area has benefited the economy by providing work within the construction industry and generate income for materials suppliers and distributors,” adding: “There are no adverse environmental impacts associated with the siting of the covered play area”.

It went on to say: “Whilst the pre-school grounds lie adjacent to existing residential development, the covered play area is located 11.6 metres external wall to external wall, from any residential dwelling.

“As such, there is no detrimental impact on the privacy or amenity of neighbouring properties,” finishing: “It is considered that the application would comply with the policies of the Pembrokeshire Local Development Plan and that planning permission shall be granted.”

TWO PEMBROKESHIRE libraries are to see their opening hours cut as part of a council budget saving target of £250,000.

At the March meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet, members were asked to make changes to library service provision in parts of the county, as part of steps to reduce service costs, following recent a public consultation and the Library Needs Assessment.

The proposals, initially for changes to three county libraries, Pembroke, Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven, are part of wider changes to generate a total saving of £250,000 per annum, based on a 20 per cent savings target for the service as part of the agreed 2025-’26 budget.

It was proposed to make changes at Pembroke library, for a saving of £6,800, Pembroke Dock library (£12,000), and Milford Haven library (£13,000).

Pembroke library will see its hours reduced by eight per week, adopting the timetable which had the highest community support, by closing on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1pm.

Pembroke Dock library is to lose seven hours, closing at 1pm on Thursdays and at 4pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

A formal consultation exercise ran between January and February, with the reductions in hours proposed at Pembroke and Pembroke Dock, and, in the case of Milford, the proposal was either to relocate the library to a smaller/cheaper premises or establish a Community Managed Partnership at the current library.

The situation at Milford Haven is to remain unchanged in the short term after the Port of Milford Haven and Milford Haven Town Council came forward with a combined financial support package of £13,000 for the 2025/26 year, with works ongoing to find a longer term financially sustainable solutions for the library.

Presenting the report to Cabinet members, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett, who moved the recommendations, said Milford differed from the other two libraries due to the additional short-term funding received.

“Milford haven town Council and the Port of Milford Haven stepped forward to fill that gap, in effect it buys us some time to look at the options going forward; in Milford what we’ve done in effect is to buy a year’s grace.”

Members heard the near-£32,000 savings outlined were a small part of the hoped-for overall savings for the service.

Seconding approval, Leader Cllr Jon Harvey highlighted the importance of libraries “not just for lending books,” but for providing ‘warm spaces’ and locations for other community facilities.

The proposals were unanimously supported by Cabinet members.