A RUMOUR that National Express coaches may struggle to use Haverfordwest’s new transport interchange has been denied by Pembrokeshire County Council — although the coach operator has stopped short of confirming it will definitely use the facility when it opens.

The Herald asked the council whether the new interchange, currently under construction in Haverfordwest, had sufficient height clearance for full-size long-distance coaches.

Concerns had been raised locally after published images of the scheme appeared to show a relatively low covered bus area.

Pembrokeshire County Council said the new facility had been designed to accommodate the National Express service operating within the county.

A council spokesperson said: “Pembrokeshire County Council can confirm that the new Haverfordwest Transport Interchange has been designed to accommodate the National Express service operating within Pembrokeshire.

“The facility has been constructed in line with the operational requirements identified for the local National Express route, including appropriate bay design and clearance to enable safe access for those vehicles.

“The new interchange will provide a modern, high-quality transport hub for Pembrokeshire, improving passenger experience and connectivity across the county and beyond.”

The council confirmed that the interchange bus area has a minimum clearance height of 4.1m, with an entry height of 4.280m.

However, it also said the bus area had been developed “primarily for local service buses” and that the overall build height limits some access due to planning requirements.

The facility will be signed with an access limit of 4.0m.

Asked whether National Express services would use the new interchange once operational, the council said operators would have to complete their own risk assessments to ensure both they and PCC were satisfied that services could operate safely within the interchange.

PCC also confirmed that a swept-path analysis and height assessment had been undertaken.

National Express has also responded to The Herald, but its statement leaves final use of the interchange dependent on risk assessments.

A spokesperson for National Express said: “Subject to satisfactory risk assessments, it would be our intention to use the new Haverfordwest Transport Interchange. We are continuing to engage with relevant stakeholders regarding the operational arrangements.”

The response means that while the council insists the new facility has been designed for the local National Express route, the operator has not yet given an unconditional confirmation that its coaches will use the interchange when it opens.

The new Haverfordwest Transport Interchange is intended to provide a modern hub for bus and coach services in the county town.

A CALL for a hydroelectric scheme to help power Pembrokeshire’s County Hall is to be considered as part of a wider decarbonisation report expected later this year.

At the June meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet, members considered a notice of motion from Merlins Bridge councillor John Cole, who said two potential sources of clean energy were close to County Hall.

Cllr Cole said: “Two untapped power sources, that would create 100 per cent clean energy are within very close proximity of County Hall.

“Both sources would substantially compensate County Hall’s current use of power supplied via the grid. These sources are the western Cleddau and Cartlett Brook. The first running alongside, and the other under County Hall.

“My Notice of Motion is that the council look at the feasibility of the installation of hydroelectric turbines at these sources.”

He said the proposal would support the council’s net zero policy by offsetting CO2 production and reducing County Hall’s running costs.

In a supporting statement, Cllr Cole said the scheme could provide “a major green energy project” while also protecting taxpayers from reliance on energy supplied by third-party providers.

A report to Cabinet said County Hall used 167,000 kWh of electricity in the 2025-26 financial year. The site already has a 77kWp solar canopy in the car park, generating around 65,000 kWh a year, with more than 90 per cent of that power used on site. The solar canopy is estimated to save around £13,000 a year.

The report said hydropower schemes had been considered previously, with members referring to a similar call from former councillor Ken Rowlands around two decades ago.

A 2010 study by Mann Power Consulting Ltd looked at hydropower systems that could be used at the County Hall site. It concluded that a 55kW Archimedes screw system would be the most appropriate option and could generate around 198,000 kWh, based on a 43 per cent capacity factor, at an indicative 2010 cost of around £450,000.

The report also referred to the council’s 2019 climate emergency declaration, when members voted to create an action plan to move Pembrokeshire County Council towards becoming a net zero-carbon local authority by 2030.

Cabinet members were told that a review and report on decarbonisation steps, including hydropower feasibility, is expected by the end of the year.

Members agreed to note the motion and await the wider report.

The Cabinet report stated: “Once a more detailed analysis of the Laser report has taken place a more informed, prioritised list of proposed decarbonisation measures will be presented.

“As part of that process a further review will be considered into the benefits of adopting hydroelectric turbines at the site.”

COUNCIL workers, carers and school support staff in Pembrokeshire could be drawn into a growing UK-wide pay dispute after GMB members rejected a 3.3 per cent local government pay offer.

The offer, made through the Local Government Association as part of the national NJC “Green Book” pay negotiations, covers local authority workers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, including school support staff, care workers, refuse and recycling staff, highways workers and other council employees.

GMB said almost 150,000 school staff, carers and council workers were balloted, with members voting to reject the 2026/27 offer.

The union said the deal failed to address long-running concerns over grading for school support staff working with children with special educational needs and disabilities.

That issue is particularly relevant in Wales, where councils have repeatedly warned that schools, additional learning needs and social care are among the biggest pressures on local authority budgets.

In Pembrokeshire, the dispute comes only months after the county council approved its 2026/27 budget, including extra funding of £4.7m for schools and £5.9m for social care.

Council tax in Pembrokeshire is rising by £1.46 per week for a Band D property this year, with council leaders saying the increase was needed to protect key services.

But any improved pay offer would add further pressure to council finances unless additional funding is provided by government.

Unions argue that low-paid public service workers have seen living standards squeezed by rising bills and years of pressure on local services.

GMB National Officer Kevin Brandstatter said: “GMB members have massively rejected this meagre offer.

“With international crisis leading to rising bills, hard working public servants deserve better.

“Staff are fed up with being undervalued and overstretched.

“The LGA has shown complete and utter contempt for workers doing their best to deliver services despite insufficient resource.”

UNISON has also rejected the 3.3 per cent offer and is preparing an industrial action ballot in England and Cymru/Wales between July 9 and August 6.

If strike action is eventually supported, disruption could affect schools, council offices, social care support, refuse collection, highways, libraries, leisure services and other local authority functions.

The political difficulty for Welsh councils is that they are caught between two pressures: unions demanding higher pay for essential workers, and local taxpayers already facing higher council tax bills.

Welsh Government ministers have acknowledged that councils are under significant financial pressure, particularly in education and social care.

The Welsh Local Government Association has also warned that local authorities across Wales face hundreds of millions of pounds in budget pressures, with social care, schools and additional learning needs among the most serious challenges.

For Pembrokeshire, the issue is likely to be watched closely by parents, council staff and residents who rely on frontline services.

A prolonged dispute could place further strain on schools already dealing with budget pressures, while any disruption to care or waste services would quickly become visible across the county.

GMB’s Local Government and Schools Committees are now expected to meet to decide the union’s next steps.