News

Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire receive council funding settlements

Published

2 years ago

December 21, 2023

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

CEREDIGION and Pembrokeshire are to receive lower than average percentage Welsh Government funding settlements for the next financial year, the lowest such in mid and west Wales.

The Welsh Government has said core revenue funding for local government will increase by 3.1 per cent on a like-for-like basis, compared to the current year, with no local authority receiving less than a two per cent increase.

While the average settlement across the 22 local authorities will see a 3.1 per cent increase, Pembrokeshire will receive 2.5 per cent and Ceredigion 2.6 per cent, ranking them 16th and 14th respectively.

In terms of money, Pembrokeshire will receive an extra £5.372m on top of the £212.626m received for the current financial year.

Ceredigion receives an extra £3.373m, on top of this year’s £129.341m.

Neighbouring local authorities have had a higher percentage increase: Carmarthenshire receives 3.3 per cent, with Powys receiving 2.8 per cent.

The highest rate is Newport, at 4.7 per cent, and the joint two lowest authorities are Gwynedd and Conwy at 2 per cent each.

Awards are made using a formula intended to take account of need and the ability of councils to raise extra funding from the council tax.

Welsh Government finance minister Rebecca Evans said it is providing £5.7bn to councils through the revenue support grant – the main funding source for local government.

This includes funding to limit increases in business rates to no more than five per cent, though rate relief is also being reduced, meaning some business will still see large rises in the amount they must pay.

Ms Evans said the Welsh Government’s overall budget isn’t “sufficient to meet all pressures” but said: “This has meant taking difficult decisions elsewhere in the budget to honour our commitment to councils last year of a 3.1 per cent rise in their funding for next year.

“I appreciate the pressures local government is facing and recognise that demand for services, along with the recent very high rates of inflation, mean local government will still need to make difficult decisions on services, efficiencies, and council tax in setting their budgets.

“We will continue to work closely together to face these shared challenges and strive to make the best use of the resources we have in order to make the most difference to the communities we serve.”

Pembrokeshire County Council and Ceredigion County Council have been contacted for a response to the announcement.

A six-week consultation on the provisional settlement has opened today, which will end on January 31.

Community

Milford Haven paddling pool open daily at 10:00am — safety reminder issued

Published

1 hour ago

July 10, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Town council urges parents to supervise children at all times

MILFORD HAVEN TOWN COUNCIL has reminded visitors to the children’s paddling pool on The Rath that the facility opens daily at 10:00am, and that children must be supervised by a responsible adult.

In a bilingual safety poster shared online, the council set out simple but essential rules to help ensure the pool remains a safe and fun space throughout the summer holidays. While the pool is popular with families, the council warns that it is not officially supervised, and users do so at their own risk.

The key rules include:

Children must be accompanied by an adult.
No running or diving in or around the pool.
No food, drink, or glass bottles in the water area.
No dogs are allowed within the paddling pool zone.
Littering is strictly prohibited.

A council spokesperson said: “Hi everyone, a polite request: we ask that all children be supervised by a responsible adult while using the pool. Thank you.”

There is no formal age limit for the pool, but younger children will be given priority, especially during busy times.

Local families have praised the pool since it reopened, with one visitor, Linda Phillips, commenting: “We’ve just spent two hours there. Great effort everyone! The youngsters are really enjoying it.”

Milford Haven Town Council thanked her for the feedback, calling it “lovely to hear.”

Opening times or access arrangements may change due to weather or maintenance — updates will be posted on the council’s official Facebook page.

Caption:

Splash safely: Milford Haven Town Council’s new bilingual poster reminds families to supervise children and follow the rules while enjoying the paddling pool on The Rath this summer (Pic: Herald).

News

Stricken boat rescued off Ramsey Island after gearbox failure

Published

6 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Off-duty RNLI crew member steps in to assist with tow to safety

ST DAVIDS RNLI all-weather lifeboat launched at 6:20pm on Wednesday (July 9) to assist a 28-foot motorboat that had suffered drive shaft failure near Ramsey Island.

The vessel, which had departed from Porthclais harbour with two people on board, was left without propulsion due to gearbox issues and was drifting dangerously close to cliffs.

The call for assistance was received at 6:09pm, and the lifeboat was launched just over 10 minutes later. Calm sea conditions allowed the volunteer crew to reach the scene swiftly. A local recreational boat from Voyages of Discovery had been standing by the stricken vessel until the lifeboat arrived.

Given the boat’s proximity to the cliffs and inability to manoeuvre, the coxswain made the decision to tow it back to Porthclais. However, the harbour is inaccessible to the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat.

Fortunately, off-duty crew member Robin was nearby on his own vessel and was able to take over the tow and bring the motorboat safely into the harbour.

The lifeboat and crew returned to station by 7:40pm.

Crime

Motorist sentenced over crash that left biker with life-changing injuries

Published

7 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE man who caused life-changing injuries to a motorcyclist in a serious crash at Merlin’s Bridge has been sentenced at Swansea Crown Court.

JAMES IAN PUTTOCK appeared before the court on Wednesday (July 2), where he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving, contrary to section 2C of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

The collision occurred on December 20, 2022, at Merlin’s Bridge, near Haverfordwest, and involved a red Suzuki Splash driven by Puttock and a motorcyclist.

The rider suffered what police described at the time as “life-changing injuries” and was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. The road was closed for several hours while crash investigators examined the scene.

Puttock had originally been due to stand trial, as previously reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald in January 2024. However, he entered a guilty plea ahead of trial.

At sentencing, the court imposed the following:

20 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months
10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days
12-month driving disqualification

The Herald understands the crash had a profound impact on the injured rider and their family, who are still dealing with the long-term consequences of the incident.