News
Senedd: Motion of Condolences was presented bilingually to King Charles III

DURING The King’s visit to Cardiff on Friday (Sept 16), The Senedd assembled to present a Motion of Condolence to the King.

A Motion of Condolence is a public expression of sympathy that takes place after the death of an important figure.
During an extraordinary session of the Senedd on Sunday, September 11th, MSs agreed the following motion of condolence without a vote:
“That this Senedd expresses its deep sadness at the death of Her Majesty The Queen and offers its sincere condolences to His Majesty The King and other Members of the Royal Family. We recognise Her Majesty’s enduring commitment to public service and duty, including her support for many Welsh charities and organisations, and her lifelong association with Wales and its people.”
The speech was delivered bilingually with this English interpretation provided by the Senedd, along with the images above and below.
The Llywydd of the Senedd, The Right Hon. Elin Jones MS, said, ”
Your Majesties, Senedd Members, Guests.
On behalf of the entire Senedd, I would like to extend a warm welcome to His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen Consort on your first visit to the Senedd since the Queen’s sad passing. We extend our warmest condolences to you and your family.
We welcome your Majesties to our Senedd today and we offer our sincerest condolences on the sad death of your mother, the Queen. We know that so many of the people we represent have been saddened, even shaken, by her loss and hold you and your family in their hearts and prayers at this time.
As we meet here today to offer our motion of condolence, it is poignant for us to think that the Queen’s final visit to Wales was only 11 months ago at the official opening of our sixth Senedd. The Queen was on fine form that day. Many members shared their anecdotes of that visit when we met to pay tribute to the Queen and discussed our motion of condolence in the Senedd on Sunday. And as she left us, eleven months ago, I hope that Her Majesty carried with her the beaming smile of Ffion Gwyther, the last person she met that day in Wales, the young actor from Furnace Llanelli, who smiled broadly as she handed the Queen a posy.
The stories and tributes paid by members to the Queen when we convened on Sunday were warm and witty. As you may imagine, there were many mentions of corgis – her constant, lifelong Welsh companions. Corgi, a Welsh word. Literally small dog. And of course the members here representing Pembrokeshire were particularly keen to champion her preference for the Pembrokeshire corgi. And the member for Ceredigion, me, was silent, and ever so slightly jealous, of the Queen’s choice of the Pembrokeshire corgi over the Cardiganshire corgi.
The Queen was with us for each of the six official openings of this Senedd – and on each occasion, she noted the growth of our powers and the actions that we had taken on behalf of the people of Wales. She respected this Senedd as an expression of the democratic will of the people of Wales.
The Queen was with us in 1999 for the opening of our first fledgling Assembly. She has shared our journey of devolution. She partook in each of our 6 openings, commenting each time on the development of our powers and in becoming a ‘national parliament’ Senedd Cymru. The Queen respected this Parliament because she respected the democratic choices of the people of Wales. She saw us come of age and was interested in our next steps.
From Glyndŵr’s first Senedd of the fifteenth century in Machynlleth to the one in which we are gathered today, our story is old but our democracy is young and ambitious.
It is my sincere hope that the modern relationship between this Senedd, this country and the Royal Family will be rooted in respect and sustained by understanding.
The story of our land, our nation, is a long one, but the story of our Senedd is new and modern. Our eyes are on the future, and I am confident that our co-operation with you, the King, and with the royal family, will reflect that.
And as we remember today the Queen’s enduring commitment to our parliament, we also look forward to the King’s future association with the Senedd and our work on behalf of the people of Wales.
I now invite the First Minister to present the Motion of Condolence to His Majesty the King.
The Motion of Condolences was presented bilingually by the First Minister Mark Drakeford MS, followed by a reply from His Majesty The King in both languages.
News
Former councillor’s pub works expected to be refused

ALTERATIONS to a bar in a seaside village’s conservation area, partly owned by a former county councillor, are expected to be turned down by national park planners next week.
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s Development Management committee, meeting on June 7, is recommended to refuse an application, by Ross Barnes, to replace an existing glass balustrade with a variable height glass balustrade and the installation of two permanent parasols at Harbwr Bar and Kitchen, Wogan Terrace, Saundersfoot.
The item is being considered by the Development Management Committee as former committee member – and former county councillor – Mike Evans, who had left the authority less than 12 months prior to the application’s submission, has a material interest in its outcome.
Local community council Saundersfoot had objected to the application, stating: “Following consideration of all the information provided by the Planning Authority, Saundersfoot Community Council advise the planning officer that it is not in support of this planning application, considering that the proposed plans are not within the keeping of the surrounding buildings nor in keeping with the conservation area in which the building is situated.”
The authority’s Buildings Conservation Officer recommended refusal, stating: “The property is prominent within Saundersfoot Conservation Area, denoted as a positive building.
“Section 72 of the 1990 Act requires that when considering planning applications, special attention must be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the area.
“The scheme includes extendable glass balustrading and two permanent ‘pergolas’ (gazebos), these extending across the whole of the fascia, filling the front courtyard.
“This is my view comprises over-development that cannot reasonably be said to preserve or enhance the character of Saundersfoot.”
The officer also raised concerns about the impact on the character and appearance of the conservation area.
The plans are recommended to be refused on the grounds of visual impact, overdevelopment within the conservation area, and “The proposal does not preserve the setting of Listed Buildings within Saundersfoot.”
Image Caption: The Harbwr Bar and Kitchen, Saundersfoot
Education
Engineering learner Reuben heading for ‘pole position’

ENGINEERING learner Reuben Whitehead has been turning heads with his mechanical talents when he recently designed and built his very own battery powered go-kart.
Reuben, who is a passionate Formula One fan, works part-time at West Wales Karting and decided to rebuild the kart earlier this year after they kindly donated a pre-existing kart to him.
The process involved stripping the kart down to a bare chassis and then refurbishing it. This was followed by implementing the electrical aspect of the kart and fabricating mounts for both the batteries and motor made from carbon fibre and steel.
The key components and materials used were steel for the chassis, aluminium for the rims, and an inclusion of carbon fibre for both the motor mounts and battery.
The motor produces 2.5hp and has an efficiency rate of 90% when in operation. The torque produced is 8.4-foot pounds when in operation and the motor revs 1500RPM.
Reuben explained the purpose of his project, “I built the Go-Kart because I am passionate about motorsport and enjoy karting both in local competitions and with friends so for me the opportunity to build an electric kart was exciting and something that would require me to use my skills that I have developed throughout my time at the College. I also built the project as I knew it was something that I would enjoy undertaking and be able to learn new skills along the way. Being able to get hands on with a kart and understand both the fundamentals and intricate aspects was important for my development as an aspiring motorsport engineer, hopefully one day with Formula One.”
Reuben took his first test drive in the car earlier this month using the track based up at West Wales Karting.
Reuben also discussed what inspires him to achieve his dream career.
Reuben explained, “The individuals who inspire me are my mum, for how brave and courageous she is, for always believing in me and supporting me. My late stepdad, he never gave up even at the toughest of times and always kept fighting even when the odds were against him as well as teaching me that if you work hard enough anything is achievable. Finally, Lewis Hamilton for showing that again with hard work you can achieve anything and that no dream/goal is too big, also the way in which he conducts himself after tough losses on the racetrack.”
An articulate learner, Reuben spends a large amount of time in the machine workshop whilst studying at the College where he has developed skills in working with lathes and milling machines, hand fitting tool techniques as well as CAD and precision measurement practices which has aided his knowledge into the world of car design and engineering.
Aside from Reuben’s College studies, he has self-taught himself many transferable skills.
Reuben said, “I can’t take all the credit, having been fortunate enough to have experience of refurbishing classic cars with my stepdad growing up, as well as being able to build rally cars when on work experience whilst studying in my first year of College, this has certainly helped me learn and build a skillset that can be applied in numerous engineering environments. Spending time in the workshop and learning from tutors who have real industry experience has helped me.”
Curriculum Area Manager for Engineering Will Bateman, expressed how proud the department is of Reuben, “Reuben has worked at a consistently excellent standard throughout the two-year programme. We are incredibly proud of his final project, that has showcased his skills and learning from the course. Reuben is a true engineering ambassador having spoken to numerous 14–16-year-old groups on choices post-compulsory education.”
Reuben plans on becoming a Motorsport Engineer in Formula One after his studies and this project has fuelled his motivation to show potential employers just how talented he is.
To find out more about the Engineering courses available at the College please visit: www.pembrokeshire.ac.uk/courses/mechanical-engineering-3/
News
One week to go until deadline for 20 MPH consultation, says Council

IN JULY 2022, the Senedd passed legislation to reduce the default speed limit from 30mph to 20mph on restricted roads in Wales.
The legislation will come into force across Wales, including Pembrokeshire, on 17 September 2023.
However in some places, a 20mph speed limit will not be appropriate or feasible.
In these locations, the 30mph speed limit can remain on the basis of an ‘exceptions’ process, which will be introduced by way of Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO).
Pembrokeshire County Council has proposed twenty-seven 20mph exceptions across the county’s road network, having reviewed criteria and requested local feedback.
The public consultation on the proposed exceptions opened on 17th May and closes at midnight on Wednesday, June 7.
The consultation will also seek the public’s views on proposed 20mph speed limits on those 30mph roads in Pembrokeshire which won’t automatically default to 20mph in September as they are not classified as ‘restricted roads’ (these roads are known as 30mph by order).
The proposed exceptions and proposed 20mph limits can be viewed at: View map | DataMapWales (gov.wales) or alternatively in person at County Hall reception.
How to take part in the consultation:
Online:
Members of the public will be able to take part in the consultation online until midnight on Wednesday 7th June on the Council’s website at Traffic Regulation Orders – Pembrokeshire County Council
In person:
Documents will also be available to view at County Hall in Haverfordwest until 5pm on Wednesday 7th June. A laptop has been set up in Reception and a member of the Traffic Team is available from 0900 – 1700 Monday to Thursday, and 0900 – 16:30 on Friday to assist members of the public in person if required.
- For more info on the 20mph default speed limit, please see: https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-transport/20mph-new-legislation-in-pembrokeshire-and-wales
-
Business3 days ago
A glimpse of the new ferry soon to serve Pembrokeshire as it arrives in Ireland
-
Charity4 days ago
Child swept out to sea rescued by kayakers as lifeboat launches
-
News4 days ago
Reports of a child fatality in devastating house fire near Crymych
-
News2 days ago
Homeowner prosecuted by National Park nearly £3k out of pocket
-
Crime4 days ago
Solva couple fined nearly £5,000 for unlicensed hydroelectric power scheme
-
News4 days ago
Girl, five, dies in house fire in Pontyglasier, near Crymych
-
News17 hours ago
Former councillor’s pub works expected to be refused
-
Education7 days ago
Mary Immaculate School school welcomes glowing Estyn report