A CALL to replace a Pembrokeshire village school classroom that had reached the end of its life with a modern facility has been given the go-ahead by county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, the local authority itself, through agent Williams-Architects Ltd, sought permission for the erection of a new modular classroom building at the site of Llandissilio’s Ysgol Brynconin Welsh Medium 3-11 school, along with the demolition of the existing modular classroom building.

A supporting statement said: “In addition to the main school building, some classroom and library facilities are located in a prefabricated hut within the school grounds constructed under the historical HORSA programme.

“Despite various upgrades over its lifespan including insulation and new windows, the building is no longer fit for purpose, and a replacement is required to ensure the school can continue to provide its pupils with modern, suitably equipped and compliant facilities that enable high quality education.”

HORSA buildings were originally designed as temporary structures, typically constructed using prefabricated concrete, timber, and steel to facilitate rapid assembly.

Although intended for short-term use, many HORSA buildings have remained in operation for decades. Over time, these structures have surpassed their intended lifespan, leading to significant structural issues, such as weakened frames, deteriorating roofs and external facades.

The statement added: “The primary use of the replacement building will remain as currently; it will include a single classroom alongside a multifunctional space which will be used as a library, staff and group room as required. It will also include an additional toilet, new accessible toilet, a cleaners’ store and formal classroom storage.

“The intention of the proposed building is to replace an existing classroom facility which is no longer fit for purpose, and whilst a simple replacement will significantly improve the day-to-day experience of the staff and pupils who currently use this building.”

An officer report recommending approval said that, while the proposed replacement building would not result in any greater impact on the visual amenity in terms of its design, scale and overall appearance, the proposal includes the demolition of an existing building which could have an impact on the local amenity during the demolition process.

It said that, since local concerns were raised, a Demolition and Construction statement has set out the proposed demolition methodology and construction process, including details of the sequence of works, hours, and anticipated timeframe, and it is considered that the proposed demolition and construction “will have no significant detrimental impact upon the locality amenity”.

The application was conditionally approved.

Back in July 2025, members of the council’s Cabinet backed approval for a new modular building at Ysgol Brynconin, members hearing that “the external structure has rapidly declined, with the render board failing and allowing water ingress into the areas of external wall insulation”.

PLANS to convert a former GP surgery in Pembrokeshire’s only city to a home and to build a holiday let in its grounds have been given the go-ahead by the national park.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Alice and Danjal Joensen, through agent Oochitecture, sought permission for a change of use of the ground floor of the former GP surgery, Eryl Mor, 36, New Street, St Davids, merging with an existing first-floor apartment to create a larger single dwelling house, along with the creation of an attached short-term holiday let.

The GP surgery is currently vacant, following its closure in October 2024 after new partners could not be secured.

A supporting statement says, prior to being a GP surgery, the two-storey element was a single dwelling house.

It adds: “The house would consist of an open plan kitchen-living space to the ground floor, along with a study, lounge and utility room. The first floor includes four double bedrooms with ensuite and main bathroom.

“The new unit of accommodation would form a holiday-let with two double bedrooms, shower room, and an open plan kitchen-living space.

“The GP surgery is currently vacant, following its closure in October 2024 after new partners could not be secured, therefore the proposed change of use will provide a viable long-term future use for the property.”

It said minimal external alterations are proposed to the property with existing entrances utilised for both the main house and holiday-let, adding: “The existing concrete ramp to the front elevation will be retained with proposed works including extending the upper level and steps to provide a connection to the front door, allowing for accessible entrance to the property.

“There will be no changes to vehicular or pedestrian access, with the site continuing to be accessed via the existing entrance from New Street. Parking will be provided for the main house and holiday-let on the existing tarmac driveway off New Street.”

An officer report recommending approval said the application included a unilateral undertaking agreement for a contribution towards off-site affordable housing.

Of the loss of the surgery itself, it said: “Given that the loss of the surgery was a high-level decision made by the Health Board, it is not considered that the current proposal would have a detrimental impact upon the community.”

The application was conditionally approved by Park planners, conditions including the affordable housing contribution.

Cardiff has the largest overall borrowing, while Wrexham records the highest debt per resident among Wales’ 22 principal councils

WELSH local authority bodies are carrying debts of almost £6.7 billion, according to new figures which have prompted warnings about the long-term burden being placed on taxpayers.

Research published by the TaxPayers’ Alliance puts total local authority debt in Wales at £6.698 billion during 2025-26.

The campaign group said that amount was equivalent to nearly 2.94 million average Welsh Band D council tax bills, based on an average annual charge of £2,283.

The figures were compiled from UK Government borrowing and investment data for the final quarter of the financial year.

Wales’ 22 county and county borough councils accounted for around £6.55 billion of the total, with additional borrowing attributed to other local authority bodies.

Cardiff Council recorded the largest debt among Welsh councils at £1.148 billion, followed by Swansea at £629.2 million and Wrexham at £542.5 million.

Carmarthenshire Council had debts of £434.1 million, while Flintshire recorded £362.3 million and Powys £361.9 million.

However, the picture changes when debt is calculated according to population.

Wrexham had the highest council debt per resident in Wales at approximately £3,924, followed by Denbighshire at £3,431 and Merthyr Tydfil at £3,049.

Cardiff’s debt was equivalent to £2,989 per resident, while Powys recorded approximately £2,680 and Swansea £2,504.

What about Pembrokehire?

In Pembrokeshire, the figures show total council debt of £201.794 million, equivalent to approximately £1,605 for every resident.

Of Pembrokeshire’s total, £170.194 million was recorded as borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board, the government body which provides loans to councils and other public organisations.

Pembrokeshire ranked 12th among Wales’ 22 principal councils for total debt and 15th when borrowing was calculated per resident.

The figures do not, however, mean that each household personally owes the amount calculated per resident.

Council borrowing is commonly used to finance long-term capital projects such as schools, council housing, roads, leisure facilities and regeneration schemes.

Under the prudential borrowing framework, Welsh councils are permitted to borrow for capital purposes provided they judge that the repayments are affordable. Welsh Government figures state that authorities can borrow without specific government consent where they can afford to service the debt.

Audit Wales has also stressed that capital spending is essential for providing services, including the construction of schools, improvements to libraries, social care equipment and the maintenance of public buildings.

However, borrowing must eventually be repaid, and interest and repayment costs can place continuing pressure on the annual budgets used to fund frontline services.

Across the UK, local authority debt reached a record £154.6 billion during 2025-26, an increase of £6 billion, or 4.1 per cent, compared with the previous year.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance said council debt had risen by £84.6 billion since 2009-10, representing a cash increase of 121 per cent.

Around £116 billion, or three quarters of the UK total, was borrowed from the Public Works Loan Board.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, described the level of local authority debt as a “ticking time bomb” and called for councils to bring their borrowing under control.

He said taxpayers ultimately risked being left responsible for obligations accumulated through borrowing, statutory service pressures and, in some parts of the UK, unsuccessful commercial investments.

The figures should nevertheless be treated as a measure of gross borrowing rather than a complete assessment of the financial health of an individual council.

They do not deduct councils’ cash balances or investments, assess the value of assets funded through borrowing, or show the interest rates, repayment dates and annual servicing costs attached to each loan.

A council with substantial borrowing may also hold valuable housing, property and infrastructure assets, while an authority with less debt can still face serious pressure because of falling reserves, rising demand or an ongoing budget deficit.

The findings are likely to increase pressure on Welsh councils to provide clearer information showing what their borrowing has funded, how much taxpayers are paying each year in interest and repayments, and whether those costs remain affordable as spending pressures continue to grow.