A SOCIAL-MEDIA post by the clerk of Neyland Town Council has sparked concern over professionalism and conduct within the authority, as tribunal hearings arising from complaints against several Neyland councillors are due to take place early next year.

Clerk Libby Matthews posted publicly on Friday (Dec 5): “F*** you, see you at your tribunals in January lads,” accompanied by the hashtag “if you know you know”. The remark appeared to refer to Local Government Ombudsman tribunal hearings scheduled for the new year.

The Herald understands that the January hearings relate to complaints lodged against a number of Neyland councillors, which have progressed through the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales and are now due to be considered by a tribunal panel.

The latest post adds to a period of turbulence for Neyland Town Council, which has experienced persistent internal disputes, a high volume of conduct complaints, resignations and repeated public disagreements over the past two years. Earlier Herald reports have detailed strained relations between the clerk and several councillors, with both sides accusing the other of inappropriate behaviour.

Concerns about Ms Matthews’ public engagement intensified this autumn when she accused a Herald journalist of “bullying” after receiving a routine request for comment. The request, sent at 00:41 on 6 October, sought clarification on material already in the public domain. At 08:55, Ms Matthews replied stating that she felt “harassed” and asked to be left alone. The Herald published its story only after the right of reply had been declined.

Later that day, Neyland Town Council issued a corporate statement claiming the newspaper’s coverage was “targeted” and “bullying”. No evidence was provided, and no clarification has been offered since. In response, the Herald’s Editor lodged a formal complaint with the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales on 8 October, arguing that both the council’s statement and the clerk’s public comments were unsupported and potentially damaging to press freedom.

In his complaint, the Editor suggested the council’s handling of the matter was inconsistent with expected standards of respect, integrity and openness, and described a pattern in which legitimate questions were sometimes met with personal allegations rather than substantive responses. The Ombudsman is considering the complaint.

The tribunal proceedings are expected to begin in January. The Herald will continue to report developments.

PEMBROKESHIRE County Council, in partnership with the Henry Tudor Trust, has secured a £249,813 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the creation of the new Henry Tudor Centre at South Quay, Pembroke.

The Centre will bring to life the largely untold story of Henry Tudor – the son of Pembroke who carried the Welsh language to the English court and ultimately claimed the greatest prize of all: the crowns of Wales and England. His victory in 1485 established the Tudor dynasty, one of the most influential in British history.

The new attraction will explore Henry’s Welsh heritage, his formative years in Pembroke, and his lasting impact on the national story, Welsh identity and wider British culture.

Funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will help develop the Centre ahead of its opening in Spring 2027. The grant will also support a one-year Community Programme Coordinator role to deliver an events programme, establish a volunteering scheme, and create educational resources for local schools.

The Henry Tudor Centre forms part of the wider regeneration of South Quay, which also includes a new library, community café, and an integrated healthcare, social services and supported employment hub in the adjoining buildings.

Cllr Paul Miller, Deputy Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, said:
“Thanks to National Lottery players, these prominent listed buildings beside the magnificent Pembroke Castle have been rescued from dereliction and given a new purpose. The new centre will celebrate Henry Tudor’s deep connection to Pembroke and will be a major draw for visitors. It is a key element of our wider regeneration of Pembroke town centre.”

Andrew White, Director for Wales at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:
“We’re proud to support Pembrokeshire County Council and the Henry Tudor Trust in bringing the story of Henry Tudor to life. Thanks to National Lottery players, this project will not only shine a light on Wales’ rich heritage and cultural identity, but also create a vibrant hub for learning, volunteering and community engagement in the heart of Pembroke.”

A PEMBROKESHIRE farmer “jumped the gun” in his enthusiasm to build a new cattle shed which includes ‘robot slurry scrapers’ that have been causing a noise nuisance for neighbours, county planners heard.

In a retrospective application recommended for approval at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Aled Jenkins sought permission for a replacement cattle housing and silage clamp at Upper Ty Rhos, Wolfscastle.

An officer report said Upper Ty Rhos consists of a herd of 630 youngstock beef cattle, the applicant seeking permission for the replacement 100-metre-long cattle housing building.

It said the building benefits from a robotic scraping system to internally clean it to improve animal welfare and efficiency.

However, the slurry scraper system in operation has been found to constitute a statutory noise nuisance.

“The introduction of the slurry scraper system has resulted in a new noise source to the locality that is having a significant detrimental impact upon local amenity.  The nuisance noise is directly associated with the extended hours of operation of the slurry scraper system and the noise created by the two motors powering the system including the drive mechanism that moves the scraper through the building to remove slurry produced by the housed cattle.

“To further exacerbate the situation, the building has open voids to the eastern gable end, which is within close proximity to the neighbouring property resulting in the building being acoustically weak.

“An acoustic report has been submitted with mitigation methods provided including relocating motors and associated equipment into external enclosures, reduction of noise egress through openings by installing hit-and-miss louvres and/or PVC strip curtains and consideration of blocking the gap between roof pitches along the ridge of the building.”

Three letters of concern were received from members of the public raising concerns including visual and environmental impact, noise issues and a potential for the herd size to increase.

Speaking at the meeting, neighbour Dr Andrew Williams, who stressed he was not seeking to have the shed removed, raised concerns about the noise from the ‘robot scrapers,’ exacerbated by cattle being concentrated in the immediate area from the wider farm complex.

Agent Wyn Harries addressed concerns about the retrospective nature was a result of over-enthusiasm by his client who “jumped the gun”.

He said there was now a scheme that was “fully worked through,” dealing with noise and other issues.

Members backed approval, which includes noise mitigation to address the impact of the robot scrapers; one member, Cllr Tony Wilcox, abstaining on the grounds of the retrospective native of the building “the size of a football field”.