News
Cabinet ignore councillor’s request
CABINET members discussed the possibility of merging Hakin and Hubberston schools into one, but ignored a request from another councillor at a Cabinet meeting on Monday.
Councillor Vivien Stoddart’s request for a second option to be considered was ignored. Cllr Stoddart asked that the director consult on a second option to maintain the status quo but only one option was discussed.
This was in contrast to the next item on the Cabinet agenda which gave nine options to be considered for Ysgol Dewi Sant in St David’s. Councillor James Adams even added a tenth option to that list after rushing through the solitary option on the previous item.
Cllr Stoddart gave a copy of an e-mail to the Herald which she had sent to all the cabinet members in the hope they would discuss it. Her
message reads:
“Two years ago, Hakin infants and Junior Schools joined together to create Hakin Community School. This amalgamation was based on the promise of a new school, but they continue to operate on two sites. This is not satisfactory. Hakin needs and deserved a new school. This is not
in doubt, and a new school will be welcomed by everyone.
“I read that you are being recommended, with regard to Ysgol Dewi Sant, that the director consult on options for the future. One of the options is to keep the status quo. The focus of the initial consultations for the future of Hakin and Hubberston schools was the question: ‘Should Hubberston VC School join with Hakin Community School?’
“It was this question that was at the heart of the early summer consultation with parents, staff and governors of both schools. The response of the overwhelming majority of the school community in Hubberston was to decline the invitation to join with Hakin. They wish to maintain the status quo.”
At the meeting on Monday, councillors gave their opinions but the email from Cllr Stoddart was not even mentioned. Councillor Ken Rowlands
said:
“We must consider the benefits that will come to the area.”
Councillor James Adams added:
“What must be remembered is that this is an investment in children, other areas have delivered first class schools.
“Both schools are doing well at the moment and there is nothing to suggest that a larger school wouldn’t continue that success”.
After the meeting Cllr Vivien Stoddart said:
“I was disappointed that Cabinet on Monday ignored my request for a second option with regard to the possible amalgamation of Hakin and Hubberston schools.
“I emailed all Cabinet members last week asking that, in addition to the recommendation before them, that ‘consultations be held on merging the
two schools to provide a single all-through English medium Church in Wales voluntary controlled primary school,’ they also consider consulting on a second option of retaining the status quo.
“My request was not even mentioned when Cabinet approved the single recommendation on the table before them. My suggestion had disappeared in to a County Hall black hole of silence.
“This was a discourtesy to all those of Hubberston school’s community, who took the trouble to attend consultation meetings, and the 30-plus parents who wrote to the director of education expressing their opposition to the merger.”
In the report put before the council
it says:
“The provision of a high quality new school would enable the two schools to pool their range of expertise and experience to provide educational experiences of the highest quality and effectively meet the broad range of individual needs of all pupils currently”.
A consultation period will now begin but the plans are likely to come under strong opposition.
News
Welsh Lib Dems urge First Minister to return dodgy donation
THIS week in the Senedd, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have urged the First Minister to return the £200,000 donation he received from a company linked to environmental crimes.
Speaking to the Senedd on Wednesday, party leader Jane Dodds MS urged FM Vaughan Gething to return money donated to his campaign by Dauson Environmental, a refuse and recycling business owned by David John Neal.
Mr Neal received a 3-month suspended prison sentence in 2013 for illegally dumping waste at a conservation site on the Gwent levels.
His companies Atlantic Recycling and Neal Soil Suppliers were also prosecuted and given fines and costs of £202,000.
Then in 2017, Mr Neal was given another suspended sentence of 18 weeks, with fines and costs of £230,000 after failing to remove the waste.
The Welsh Lib Dems have called on the FM to return the donation, as part of wider calls for a shift away from the influence of “big money” in Welsh politics.
Commenting, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said:
“This entire episode has casted a dark shadow upon Welsh democracy and has rightfully led to many questioning the integrity of Vaughan Gething’s leadership campaign and the way our democracy works here in Wales.
Unfortunately for many of us this is hardly surprising, as our political system has been broken for quite some time now.
A system that empowers the elite donor class whilst simultaneously shutting out the voice of the voter is a perversion of democracy itself.
This is why our wider goal must be to remove the influence of ‘big money’ from Welsh politics once and for all.
We cannot have another government that prioritises the interests of its financial benefactors over those of the Welsh people.
We need to take a firm stance in rooting out the influence of cash in Welsh politics, for the sake of our communities we must start prioritising their interests and needs instead of having more self-serving politicians.”
News
Council seeking legal advice to address Withyhedge enforcement
PEMBROKESHIRE County Council says it has sought legal advice and is contemplating legal proceedings against Withyhedge Landfill operators RML, in regards to the ongoing odour issues at the site.
The Council intends to ask the Court for an injunction requiring RML to abate the public nuisance odour arising from the landfill. Failure to comply with the injunction would be contempt of court, which carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment and unlimited fine.
Following significant work undertaken by RML the Authority is disappointed that the problem has not been resolved and residents continue to be impacted by the odour.
Working in collaboration with Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Public Health Wales (PHW), we fully appreciate that the communities affected cannot tolerate this any longer.
NRW announced that the first set of deadlines for the completion of actions to tackle the ongoing odour issues at Withyhedge Landfill have been met, one week on following the issuing of further enforcement action on 18th April.
This will be closely monitored by NRW to ensure the operator complies with all the actions set out in Notice by 14 May.
It was deemed appropriate to wait until the operator had carried out mitigation to comply with the enforcement requirements by NRW prior to considering this additional action.
To that end, on 26th April 2024, the Council served RML with a letter of claim and invited them to give legally binding undertakings to abate the odour nuisance or face legal proceedings. The Council also asked for disclosure of documents relevant to the proceedings, including records of waste brought in or removed from the landfill.
The Council has given RML until 14th May 2024 to respond to its letter of claim. This aligns with the current deadline set by NRW under its enforcement notice.
Pembrokeshire County Council Chief Executive Will Bramble welcomed the move. He said: “We are extremely disappointed that RML has not delivered the necessary action to stop the completely unacceptable smells from the site.
“We fully support the additional enforcement action being taken by NRW and continue to work closely with them to do all in our power to correct the situation.
“Our intention to ask the Court for an injunction requiring RML to stop the odour nuisance arising from the landfill, is another part of our collaborative approach. The smell from Withyhedge is having a major impact on residents and visitors. This situation has gone on too long and it is unacceptable.”
News
Beautiful, funny and lovely: Family pay tribute to Sian Batchelor
THE family of a woman has paid tribute to a “beautiful, funny, lovely person.”
Sian Batchelor, aged 32, was found on a beach near Pennar, Pembroke Dock on Tuesday evening, April 30th, 2024.
Her family has issued a statement to say: ‘We are devastated by our loss. Sian was a beautiful, funny, loving person. We will treasure the good times we had with her.
“We would now like time to grieve and would ask to be given privacy in which to do so.”
The circumstances surrounding Sian’s death are being investigated and police would like to hear from anyone with information, sightings of Sian or contact from Sian, between Thursday April 25 to Tuesday April 30.
Police can be contacted either online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908.
Quote reference: DP-20240430-284
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