AN APPLICATION to demolish a Pembrokeshire supermarket, replacing it with a more modern facility, has been submitted to county planners.

Lidl Great Britain Limited is seeking to demolish the existing Lidl foodstore and adjoining properties at Great North Road, Milford Haven, building a new Lidl foodstore with associated works.

A supporting statement through agent CarneySweeney says: “The existing Lidl store is small and of an early generation format. Owing to Lidl’s well-established and growing local customer base, Lidl has outgrown its existing premises which no longer meets modern shopper requirements, and a larger store is sought to better serve local customer demand.

“In addition, the existing store is inefficient with regards to warehouse operations. The proposal for a new store aims to alleviate the problems presented by the existing store.”

It adds: “The development is suitably scaled to be no larger than necessary to address identified storage and staff needs and improve the existing store. Moreover, the new store will be better equipped to meet Lidl’s operational requirements, modern day staff requirements and better serve local shopping needs.

“The proposed sales floor space is modest and is not anticipated to lead to any material change in existing shopping patterns. The store will continue to trade on a like for like basis with other large food stores; the majority of which lie out of centre. Based on a quantitative assessment of trading effects no significant adverse impact on in centre turnover and trade is anticipated.”

The application says the development would create up to 40 jobs.

It concludes: “The proposed new Lidl store strives to reduce environmental impact, both through design and through the commitment of Lidl to follow best practice to reduce pollution during the construction phase.”

The application will be considered by Pembrokeshire County council planners at a later date.

A PALESTINE support group-organised general elections hustings saw only four of Ceredigion’s seven candidates offering to attend, and just two able to do so on the day.

Ceredigion Palestine Solidarity Campaign, with Heddwch Ar Waith, had organised the June 25 hustings to take place at Cardigan Guildhall, saying: “This General Election has been called at a moment when Palestinians are confronting the darkest moment in their struggle for liberation. Climate concerns, war in Europe, and the more than 100 armed conflicts across the world further endanger global stability and our economy.

“These are core electoral concerns for many Ceredigion Preseli constituents.

“This hustings is an opportunity for you to put your questions on these core issues to our General Election candidates.”

With a July 4 date set for the general election, candidates for the new Ceredigion Preseli seat are: Ben Lake for Plaid Cymru, Liberal Democrat Mark Williams, Welsh Labour’s Jackie Jones, Conservative Aled Thomas, Tomos Barlow for the Green Party, Karl Robert Pollard for Reform UK, and Taghrid Al-Mawed for the Workers Party of Britain.

The hustings, saw just four of the seven confirmed candidates agreeing to attend: Taghrid Al-Mawed, Ben Lake, Tomos Barlow, and Mark Williams.

On the eve of the meeting, this was reduced down to Mr Barlow and Mr Lake, with the other two candidates unable to attend, for work and health reasons, leading to it being cancelled at the eleventh hour.

Dinah Mulholland, chair of Ceredigion Palestine Solidarity Campaign, a former Labour general election candidate, said the decision was taken not to hold a hustings after the number of candidates was reduced to two.

“The whole issue of Palestine has been completely wiped off the news during the election; nearly all the candidates are avoiding the issue,” said Dinah, adding: “Local democracy has been undermined over this.”

She added: “I really would’ve liked to have done something, even if it was recorded answers with the candidates.

“There’s such a strong history here [in Ceredigion] of radical movements, they’ve got a really strong radical base; all of these people are the same people who have an innate support for the Palestinians. These voters are not hearing any debate about this issue, and not hearing the candidates’ views.

“When I was candidate in 2017 and 2019 I would attend every hustings, that’s what you do here, you go to all the hustings, it’s a really valuable way for people to get to know you and see you under pressure.

“If you can’t cope with the hustings you can’t cope with Westminster.”

THE LABOUR PARTY has suspended one of its Senedd members after a photograph emerged showing their vehicle with fake number plates.

Rhianon Passmore, the MS for Islwyn, has been “administratively suspended” from the Labour group for fourteen days while an internal investigation takes place.

A Labour Party statement says, “The Labour Party takes the conduct of our elected representatives extremely seriously, and all complaints are investigated in accordance with the Party’s complaints procedures.”

A photograph taken in the Senedd car park shows Ms Passmore’s vehicle with a number plate hanging off the front with a second, and different, number plate exposed underneath.

The loose number plate fell off when Ms Passmore drove out of the Senedd car park. When she returned, her vehicle displayed different number plates on its front and rear.
One of the number plates is unregistered. The second is for an untaxed vehicle.

While the Labour Party conducts its investigation, the allegations against Ms Passmore constitute a criminal offence that the Police may also want to investigate.

Rhianon Passmore was first elected to the Welsh Parliament in 2016.

In 2018, she was suspended from the Senedd for fourteen days for failing to provide a breath sample after being stopped for suspected drinking and driving. She pleaded guilty to the offence of failing to supply a breath test.

There are different number plate offences, the approach to which depends on the Police and prosecutors’ approach and the circumstances of any alleged offence.

Drivers using non-compliant number plates or failing to display number plates are subject to a fine of up to £1,000. However, drivers can also be charged with a more serious offence of fraud and forgery under s44 of the relevant law for using fake plates.

An entirely innocent explanation for the number plate row is also possible, whereby Ms Passmore placed a personalised plate over the car’s original registration mark. While that would not address the failure to tax the vehicle or possibly register the changed registration mark, it places the allegations firmly into cock up rather than conspiracy.