Politics

How Ceredigion Preseli candidates will tackle the cost-of-living crisis

Published

5 months ago

July 2, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

AHEAD of the July 4 general election, Ceredigion Preseli general election hopefuls have outlined what they will do about the cost-of-living crisis.

As part of constituency changes, bits of north Pembrokeshire – including St Davids and– are joining the new Mid and South Pembrokeshire constituency.

Other parts of the north of the county are now in the new Ceredigion Preseli constituency; which extends up past Aberystwyth and also includes Cilgerran, Crymych, St Dogmaels, Fishguard and Llanrhian.

There’s now a 15-candidate battle for the two seats, eight in Mid and South Pembrokeshire and seven in Ceredigion Preseli.

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.

In the run-up to the election, all candidates were asked: “What will you do to improve the economic situation/ help tackle to cost-of-living crisis in your constituency?”

Plaid Cymru hopeful Ben Lake, previously MP for Ceredigion, said: “The cost-of-living crisis has affected every one of us. During the winter of 2022/23, the UK Government implemented a support scheme to help households pay for their energy bills but off-grid homes were initially excluded from this package.

“Ceredigion was the constituency that was most reliant on heating oil or LPG as a source of energy on mainland Britain, and as the MP, I championed my constituents’ needs and secured monthly payments of £200 for off-grid homes to help with the rising costs. I would continue to push for greater support from the Government for families and for those with the greatest needs.

“I am also an advocate for creating opportunities. Ceredigion Preseli has so much potential waiting to be unlocked but investment in core infrastructure (digital and transport) is essential to do so.”

Taghrid Al-Mawed for the Workers Party of Britain said: “I do not feel it is fair that a CEO of one of our supermarket chains earns £9.5 million pounds a year when the people working in the shops who create that wealth get a tiny, tiny fraction of that and the Welsh farmers run at a loss to provide these supermarkets with the produce they sell.

“We will stop this, we will redistribute the wealth away from the fat cats back to those who created the wealth in the first place. The constituents of Ceredigion Preseli would notice more money in their pockets, more money to go into the local economy to revitalise it, not to be hoarded by a few in offshore accounts.”

Liberal Democrat candidate Mark Williams said: “Conservative mismanagement of the economy has hit the majority of us hard, and Lib Dems are committed to provide long term help with the cost of living by cutting energy bills through a Home Energy Upgrade Programme.

“We need to tackle rising food prices through a National Food Strategy, and getting mortgage rates under control though careful economic management.

“When public finances permit, we are committed to raise tax free personal allowances – a Liberal policy which has already taken millions of people out of tax already. We will scrap the bedroom tax and increase the Carer’s Allowance.”

Green Preseli Pembrokeshire candidate Tomos Barlow said: “Introducing a Universal Basic Income will give people an opportunity to strive for better as it gives power to people in work to be able to do better for themselves generally, and also making jobs generally more secure for people.

“I also believe that we need to be heavily diversifying industries within this constituency, and we can do that by encouraging green energy and (with reform to the system) encourage green instillation schemes which can increase the amount and diversity of apprenticeships that we are desperately needing. We also want to encourage apprenticeships in agriculture, horticulture, carpentry and so much more.”

Conservative candidate Aled Thomas said: “Rural communities like Ceredigion and North Pembrokeshire can often feel left behind by both Westminster and Cardiff Bay as the dynamic of our communities is nothing like those in urban centres.

“As someone brought up on a remote farm in the countryside, I know the challenges that rural communities face and I’ll use my voice to fight this injustice in the next parliament.

“As inflation eases and the country’s economic growth returns, we now have a clear plan to cut taxes for working people to ensure they have more money in their families’ pockets to spend on what they want and need.”

Jackie Jones, Labour candidate said: “After 14 years of the Tories, people in Britain are facing soaring mortgages, sky-rocketing bills and the highest tax burden in 70 years. If Rishi Sunak is given five more years on 4 July, the average household is set to be £5,883 worse off. We cannot afford that.

“Being inside any incoming Labour government, I will have direct access to those who make decisions to drive investment to our town centres, our rural communities and our businesses: town centre regeneration, good, well-paying jobs, a better childcare offer, help for higher and further education, more teachers, help for farming, creation of GB energy and better transport. These measures will bring down your bills: food, mortgages and much more without higher taxes.”

All candidates were contacted and asked to respond.

The candidates have also been contacted for further responses on subjects to come, the next being agriculture/the countryside.

Education

Pembrokeshire free school transport call to be heard at County Hall

Published

30 mins ago

November 22, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to allow school pupils from Johnston and Tiers Cross access to free school transport to the nearby Haverfordwest high school is to be heard by councillors next week.

Due to a change in catchment areas the pupils are no longer able to access free transport to Haverfordwest, instead coming under the Milford Haven catchment area.

A petition calling for the reinstatement of the former catchment area to access free transport for pupils to Haverfordwest was recently started in the county.

The e-petition, which ran from September 18-November 1 on the council’s own website, attracted 351 signatures, meeting the threshold for a debate at the relevant Pembrokeshire County Council overview and scrutiny committee, in this case the Schools And Learning Overview And Scrutiny Committee meeting of November 28.

The petition, started by Kirsty Coaker, reads: “We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to change Johnston and Tiers Cross School Catchment back to Haverfordwest.

“Children of Johnston and Tiers Cross are now ineligible for free school transport to Haverfordwest High due to the areas no longer being in ‘catchment’.

“Both Johnston and Tiers Cross are Haverfordwest postal codes and are classed as Haverfordwest, yet the school catchment is Milford Haven.

“Please help our children access suitable transport to and from secondary school.”

The e-petition will now be considered at the November 28 meeting.

Climate

Pembrokeshire group plans for larger community wind turbine

Published

51 mins ago

November 22, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A NORTH Pembrokeshire group which has raised more than £76,000 from its community wind turbine for local projects is hoping to expand with a bigger turbine.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Abergwaun Community Turbine Ltd, through agent Machynlleth-based Dulas Ltd is hoping to get permission for a larger turbine to replace the existing Abergwaun Community Turbine.

The proposed turbine, in a pasture field at Trebover Farm, to the south of Fishguard, would be 67m tall, the existing 2015 one being 45 metres.

In supporting statements, parent company Transition Bro Gwaun said: “The Community Climate Fund (CCF) is the mechanism by which Transition Bro Gwaun (TBG) is fulfilling our ambition of funding projects in Fishguard, Goodwick and across North Pembrokeshire, using income from the community wind turbine.

“The core themes for grants are climate change mitigation and adaptation, enhancement of biodiversity and improvements to community resilience through promotion of community engagement and resource sharing.”

In 2015, TBG raised its 50 per cent share of capital funding for the project by means of loans from 28 local individuals and four community groups, contributing a total of £286,500, the other 50 per cent contributed by landowners Parc-y-Morfa Farms Ltd.

The statement added: “Profit generated by sale of electricity from the turbine is split 50:50 between TBG and Parcy-Morfa Farms Ltd through the jointly owned trading arm, Abergwaun Community Turbine. By the end of 2022, all loans had been repaid, allowing the launch of TBG’s Community Climate Fund. This year we have awarded our third round of grants bringing the total amount granted to £76,036.”

In 2022, £15,274 was awarded to seven projects, including Fishguard Sports AFC to install solar panels on their clubhouse as part of their Tregroes Park development, Ysgol Bro Gwaun for their Increasing Biodiversity and Bees project, and Nevern Valley Veg / Llysiau Cwm Nyfer to install a solar powered vegetable irrigation scheme.

In 2023, £39,85 was made available for seven projects, including Sea Trust Wales to part fund the installation of solar panels on the Ocean Lab roof and to produce a display on solar technology, Letterston Memorial Hall to part fund the installation of an air source heat pump heating system, and Fishguard and Goodwick Rugby Club to install solar panels on their clubhouse.

2024 awards of £20,917 were made to six projects, including Theatr Gwaun to insulate their loft to reduce heating loss, Parc Cerrig Growers for developing a rainwater harvesting system with a pond to irrigate their allotments, Caerhys Organic Community Agriculture for an electric cargo bike for delivering organic vegetables in the Fishguard and St Davids areas, and Nevern Valley Veg to develop wildlife ponds and rainwater harvesting for food production.

The supporting documentation concludes: “The repowering of the existing turbine at Trebover would require a limited increase in turbine size which would result in a very limited change in landscape and visual effects in comparison to the existing Trebover turbine.”

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

Business

Call to end ‘fad’ of ‘school dogs’ in Pembrokeshire

Published

6 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to end the ‘fad’ of permanent ‘school dogs’ in Pembrokeshire for their benefit and the befit of the schools, instead using visiting ‘therapy dogs’ is to be heard next week.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Schools And Learning Overview And Scrutiny Committee meeting of November 28 will consider a public submission by Robert Thomas – who works with therapy dogs – on the subject of school dogs.

The submission reads: “My definition of a school dog is one that spends long periods in the school and is managed and owned by school employees not outside assessed and insured visiting therapy dogs who stay for an hour with a competent handler.

“The welfare of many dogs in schools in Pembrokeshire has been compromised over the last few years and we are concerned that the rise in the popularity of school-owned or teacher-owned dogs is an animal welfare issue.

“I can think of several school dogs in Pembrokeshire where it has gone wrong for the animal.”

He cites examples of ‘school dogs’ the county, where he says they have had to be removed, with the animals being unsettled, barking and even nipping on occasions, showing “a lack of understanding of animal welfare”.

His submission adds: “We have done some work with the Animal Welfare team at the Welsh Government around licensing this field, a consultation was completed in March 2023, currently awaiting the outcome.

“It has become a fad across the country and many dogs spend all day in schools supported by staff members who have another job to do. It feels like PCC does not have a policy overarching animal welfare policy in schools to protect dogs from being seen as staff members and there purely for human benefit, not the dogs.

“Dogs need to rest and sleep during the day and not in school. The visiting therapy dog model works best as the impact is greatest and the welfare of the dog is managed externally. If the dog is there all the time that can diminish the impact, and the novelty can wear off for the pupils.

“In my experience schools should concentrate on teaching and leave the therapy dog introduction to those that have the expertise in animal welfare.”

The submission will be considered by committee members at the November 28 meeting.