Community
Milford Haven Town Council discusses key issues at July meeting
MILFORD HAVEN TOWN COUNCIL convened on Monday, July 22, at the Sea Cadets Milford Haven Unit in Havens Head Business Park. The meeting, chaired by the Mayor, Councillor W. D. Elliott BA QTS, was attended by several councillors and the Town Clerk, Mrs B. J. Fitzgerald. Apologies were noted from Deputy Mayor Councillor E. A. Davies, along with other councillors who were unable to attend due to various reasons, including illness, work commitments, and holidays.
During the session, Councillor G. Woodham MBA (Open) LL.B (Hons) declared personal interests in two agenda items. His involvement with the Milford Haven Town Band as President and his role in presenting the Anti-Racist Action Plan (ARAP) at Pembrokeshire County Council necessitated these declarations.
Mayor Elliott began by thanking councillors who participated in the Civic Service and Dinner on 13th July, reporting positively on the progress of his Charity Fund. He also praised the Milford Haven Town Band’s 50th Anniversary Concert held at the Torch Theatre on 20th July, describing the event as a resounding success that highlighted Milford Haven’s unique cultural offerings. The Mayor also took a moment to extend birthday wishes to Councillor Miss K. F. Gray, who celebrated her 60th birthday on 23rd July.
The Council reviewed and adopted the minutes from recent committee meetings, including those of the Social Media Group and Estates Group. Membership changes were also discussed, with Councillors L. Bridges, C. Jones, and D. Abbott taking on new roles in various working groups. Councillor G. Woodham stepped down from the Paddling Pool Working Group, with Councillors N. Harteveld BSc (Hons) GMBPsS and Mrs L. McSparron stepping in to fill the gap.
A discussion on maintaining openness and transparency within the Council took place, with an emphasis on the importance of councillors declaring any personal or prejudicial interests. It was agreed that any potential breaches should be reported to the Monitoring Officer.
The Anti-Racist Action Plan (ARAP) was also a key topic, with Councillor Woodham recommending that Councillor R. Thomas-Turner from Haverfordwest Town Council be invited to a future meeting to provide further information. The Council received additional details on the ARAP from Pembrokeshire County Council but decided to seek more guidance before taking any action.
The Council received the minutes from the Milford Haven Multi-Agency Working Group (MAWG) meeting held on 20th June 2024, noting concerns about the need for increased patrols at the Old Mining Depot, which will be followed up by the relevant authorities.
Financial discussions were thorough, focusing on the Schedule of Accounts for June 2024, which totalled £33,228.99. Councillors requested that the Town Clerk verify whether the Cemetery is eligible for rate exemptions and ensure the accuracy of staff tax codes with HMRC. The Statement of Accounts and Summary of Expenditure for the first quarter of the financial year were also reviewed and approved.
The meeting highlighted the Council’s dedication to addressing the needs of the community, from financial oversight to public safety. Discussions on committee memberships, transparency, and anti-racism initiatives underscored the Council’s commitment to fair and inclusive governance.
The Milford Haven Town Council will continue its work in upcoming meetings, ensuring that it remains responsive to the concerns and needs of its residents.
Business
Derelict Cilgerran house to be transformed into cafe
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.
Community
Emergency call outage affected Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire
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.
Community
Police and council in collaborative effort to tackle fly grazing
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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