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Protestors rally against closure of Pembrokeshire adult day care centres

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CAMPAIGNERS demonstrating against the closure of council-run adult day care centres in Pembrokeshire have accused the local authority of “putting pounds before people”.

A demonstration was held outside County Hall in Haverfordwest, urging Pembrokeshire County Council to reconsider the proposed cutbacks affecting the Anchorage centre in Pembroke Dock, the Lee Davies Day centre in Narberth, and the Bro Preseli Day centre in Crymych.

The protest drew users of the centres and their families, many of whom voiced concerns over the impact of potential closures. Among the demonstrators was Georgina Knowles from Templeton, whose daughter Sapphire, 28, attends the Bro Preseli centre.

“She loves it there,” Ms. Knowles said. “It’s brilliant and the only centre in Pembrokeshire suitable for her, with all the equipment and qualified staff that she needs. They’ve told us it’s going to be open until April, and they’re talking about a social enterprise taking it over, but we’re keen on seeing the council continue to run it. Please don’t close it down. We’ve been very stressed.”

Pete Welsh, 73, from Pembroke Dock, whose daughter Abi, 32, has been attending the Anchorage centre for 14 years, echoed these sentiments. “Living with somebody with additional learning needs is a 24/7 job,” he said. “So it’s both a lifeline and a form of respite for us as well.”

Mr. Welsh criticised the council, claiming it was “putting pounds before people, not least vulnerable people at that who can’t speak up for themselves”. He called for the authority to reverse its decision, alleging there had been no consultation with families and service users.

Kate Scourfield, who introduced the petition to maintain day centres at the Lee Davies centre in Narberth and Crymych, expressed her “grave reservations” about possible alternative service delivery models being considered.

In response, Tessa Hodgson, the council’s cabinet member for social care, assured that no changes would be made to adult day care centres until September, when the cabinet meets to discuss the issue. She highlighted that the Anchorage centre was in a poor state of repair, requiring maintenance work totalling £370,000.

Ms. Hodgson explained that the decision to opt for a 12.5% council tax rise, rather than a 16.3% rise, necessitated savings. She noted that numbers using the Anchorage centre had declined from 35 to 22 since the Covid pandemic, and the authority was striving to maintain frontline services amidst a “dire financial picture”.

She further added that additional funding had been secured to keep the Lee Davies centre in Narberth open until next spring, while discussions were ongoing about the potential takeover of the Bro Preseli centre by a social enterprise. No final decisions will be made about the three centres until the matter is reviewed by the cabinet in December.

Council Leader Jon Harvey acknowledged the tough choices facing the authority, citing a funding gap of £32.3m for the current financial year (2024-5).

Ms. Hodgson was not available for an interview, and the council has been asked to comment on the matter.

More than 3,000 people have signed online petitions calling for services to be retained at the three sites, underscoring the community’s determination to safeguard these essential facilities.

(Cover image: BBC Wales)

Business

Derelict Cilgerran house to be transformed into cafe

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PLANS by a village shop owner to convert a house “in a state of disrepair” to a café to “improve the variety of community facilities” locally have been given the go-ahead.

Mrs Morris, through agent Harries Planning Design Management, sought permission from Pembrokeshire County Council to convert The Old Post House, High Street, Cilgerran, currently a four-bed dwelling, to a ground floor café, along with a first-floor flat.

The application received five letters of support, saying it would provide local jobs, support the community, promote Welsh and local food, and provide a local community hub, with three letters of objection, raising concerns about parking and traffic, and potential odours from the premises.

A supporting statement, through the agent, said: “The proposed site is currently a dwellinghouse, in current need of modernisations and renovations throughout. The site is under the same ownership as the neighbouring village stores Siop Y Pentre,” saying the proposal “can be read as an extension to the existing Siop Y Pentre”.

“Siop Y Pentre is a thriving local community village shop which acts as a village hub. The shop provides local residents with day-to-day necessities, with a focus on local, sustainable and minimal waste products,” the statement says, adding the dwelling it seeks to convert “is in disrepair and in need of internal works to make suitable for modern living”.

It went on to say: “The proposed café seeks to retain its focus on local and seasonal produce with minimal waste and would provide a welcomed opportunity for socialising, especially during the daytime. The café will also seek to employ local staff retaining a community feel throughout. As such, the principle of the café adjacent to the existing village store is considered acceptable. The site seeks to encourage a sustainable community, with development of an appropriate scale and nature.

“Further to this, the location of the development is within the settlement boundary and seeks to fulfil a need for day-time socialising environments currently lacking within Cilgerran.”

The application was conditionally approved by county planners.

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Community

Emergency call outage affected Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire

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RESIDENTS in parts of Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire faced difficulties contacting emergency services via the 999 landline number on Sunday (Dec 17) due to a temporary outage.

Dyfed-Powys Police issued alerts on social media, warning residents of potential issues when trying to dial 999 from landlines in affected areas. Locations impacted included Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew, and surrounding areas.

In a statement, police advised: “You may have faced problems calling 999 from a landline in the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire area. Places likely to have been affected were Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew. Please try calling from a mobile phone as mobile networks may have been working normally. Normal service will be restored as soon as possible. Non-emergencies can be reported online. Please look out for further updates.”

Later in the day, an update confirmed that the 999 landline service had been restored in the Llangrannog and Llanteg areas.

The temporary disruption raised concerns about access to emergency services in rural areas, where mobile coverage can sometimes be unreliable.

Authorities urged residents to remain vigilant and use alternative communication methods in the event of future disruptions. Further updates are expected as investigations into the cause of the outage continue.

For non-emergency issues, residents can continue to report incidents via the Dyfed-Powys Police website or contact their local police station directly.

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Community

Police and council in collaborative effort to tackle fly grazing

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IT WAS confirmed this week Pembrokeshire County council is teaming up with Dyfed-Powys Police in a bid to tackle a growing problem of horses on public areas in the county.

The move comes after the County has witnessed a significant increase in incidents of horses being left on public land and highways – known as fly-grazing.

Over the Christmas period the agencies will work operationally in a collaborative effort to alleviate the issue.

This joint approach is in response to community concerns and part of a wider initiative that will enable partner agencies to effectively address with the issue.

Members of the public can report fly grazing concerns by contacting [email protected] or 01437 764551.

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