CARMARTHENSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL failed to properly assess the Welsh-language impact of plans to close Ysgol Llansteffan before moving to publish a statutory closure notice, the Welsh Language Commissioner has found.

The adjudication follows a complaint by Cymdeithas yr Iaith over the council’s handling of the future of the Welsh-medium school, which is due to close formally on August 31, 2026.

In correspondence with Cymdeithas yr Iaith, the Commissioner said the council had accepted that its original Welsh Language Impact Assessment was insufficient.

The Commissioner did not uphold every part of the complaint. Cymdeithas had argued that there was insufficient capacity in other Welsh-medium schools in the Carmarthen town area, and that some pupils could be pushed out of Welsh-medium education. However, the Commissioner said it was not within her powers to investigate school-place data in that way.

But she did find that the council’s original assessment failed to deal “conscientiously” with the effect that closing the school would have on the community of Llansteffan.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith had argued that it was unreasonable for the council to describe the language impact of closing what it called the most important Welsh-medium institution in the village as “neutral”. The group said the decision ran counter to efforts to strengthen rural Welsh-speaking communities.

The Commissioner found that Carmarthenshire County Council had failed to comply with Welsh Language Standards 88, 89 and 90, which require public bodies to assess the impact of policy decisions on the Welsh language.

Her adjudication says the council later revised its Language Impact Assessment during the course of the investigation. However, the Commissioner made clear that such consideration should have formed part of the decision-making process from the outset.

The Commissioner said: “To comply with the standards, it is essential that consideration of Welsh language effects forms an integral part of the policy-making process from the outset, rather than being separate from the decision itself or addressed at the end of the process.”

She added that the council’s process flow chart should include a clear requirement for the Welsh-language effect of a proposed school closure to be considered from the very start.

The Commissioner does not have the statutory power to overturn the school closure decision itself. Her role is to determine whether the council complied with the Welsh Language Standards and to require future compliance.

Speaking on behalf of Cymdeithas yr Iaith in Carmarthenshire, Ffred Ffransis said the decision confirmed that the council’s process had been flawed.

He said: “The simple truth of the matter is that the Cabinet of Carmarthenshire County Council in November 2025 took the decision to issue a Statutory Closure Notice for Ysgol Llansteffan based on a defective Language Impact Assessment.

“The fact that they took later steps to amend and mitigate does not compensate for the harm done by this injustice to the pupils and the local community.

“We have already been informed that one young family has put their house on the market to move to an area which has a school.

“We shall be drawing the attention of the Chief Executive Officer, Wendy Walters, to the lack of a strategic approach across departments.

“There is an application to build affordable homes in the village, but attempts to revive the community by attracting young families are being undermined by the closure of the school by another council department.”

The council’s Cabinet decided on November 17, 2025, to issue a closure notice for Ysgol Llansteffan using the shortened process available for schools with fewer than ten pupils. Cymdeithas says the number of pupils had risen from eight to 17 during the process.

The full council later agreed to close the school after considering the objections report at the beginning of March 2026. Cymdeithas says councillors were not told at that meeting that a complaint had been made about the original Language Impact Assessment.

Parents have already had to register their children at other schools for the next academic year.

A legal challenge to the closure decision is understood to be due to be heard in August, shortly before the school’s formal closure date.

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL is asking residents, property owners and stakeholders to have their say on the future level of Council Tax premiums for second homes and long-term empty properties.

The consultation will help shape the council’s approach for the 2027-28 financial year, with any agreed changes due to take effect from April 1, 2027.

Council Tax premiums are additional charges placed on top of standard Council Tax bills, which also include the precepts set by Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner and town and community councils.

The council says the consultation will gather views on what level the premiums should be set at in future, as well as how any income raised should be used to support local priorities in Pembrokeshire.

Cllr Jon Harvey, Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies, said: “We want to hear from as many people as possible on this important issue.

“By taking part in the consultation, residents and stakeholders can help shape future decisions and ensure that a wide range of views are considered before any recommendations are made.

“Please have your say by the closing date of Monday, August 10, 2026.”

The consultation includes background information on Council Tax premiums, the current position in Pembrokeshire and the legal framework within which the authority must operate.

Residents can take part online through the Pembrokeshire County Council website.

Paper copies are also available by calling 01437 764551 or emailing [email protected].

A final decision on the options, including how any funding raised through the premiums will be used, is expected to be made by full council at its meeting on October 15, 2026.

Any decision agreed at that meeting will come into effect from April 1, 2027.

A PEMBROKESHIRE smallholding plan involving guinea pigs, rabbits and pigeons being reared for food has been criticised by animal welfare campaigners.

The scheme, at Walnut Grove near Jeffreyston, was approved by Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee last month (Jun 30) as part of a One Planet Development.

The proposal is not for a commercial guinea pig meat farm. The animals would be reared for the applicants’ own household consumption as part of a self-sufficient, low-impact lifestyle.

There is also a cultural divide. In parts of South America, especially Peru, guinea pigs are known as cuy and have been eaten for centuries. They are still served as a traditional dish, particularly in the Andean region around Cusco.

Travel and food accounts from Peru often describe cuy as being served whole, sometimes in a traditional presentation, before being cut up and eaten by hand because of the small bones. The meat is commonly compared to a cross between chicken and rabbit.

That context may explain why the proposal has provoked such a strong reaction in Britain. What many people here see as a family pet is regarded elsewhere as a normal source of food.

Animal Aid has said the idea raises serious questions about animal welfare and what should be considered sustainable living.

In a letter to The Herald, Elizabeth Davenport, Senior Campaign Manager at Animal Aid, said: “I’m sure your readers have already heard about the off-grid couple in Pembrokeshire planning to breed, kill, and eat guinea pigs, rabbits, and pigeons as part of a so-called sustainable living project.

“Aside from the obvious concerns, who will ensure that welfare laws are followed? It’s clear that if this is what sustainability looks like, we have truly lost our way.”

Guinea pigs are widely kept as pets in the UK, which has made this part of the proposal especially controversial.

Animal Aid says the issue is not simply whether guinea pigs are eaten elsewhere, but whether breeding and killing animals should be promoted as part of a sustainable future.

Ms Davenport said: “These One Planet Developments are built on the simple truth that we only have one Earth and must live within its limits. But recognising this should mean respecting our fellow animals, not expanding the menu of those we exploit.

“Too often, individuals get lost amongst the sustainability argument. Guinea pigs, like cows, experience bursts of excitement and hop and skip in the air; pigeons, just like chickens, are devoted parents. We lose so much when we reduce them to the latest sustainability fads and trends.”

The One Planet Development policy is intended to support low-impact rural living, where people meet a significant proportion of their basic needs from the land.

In this case, the applicants’ plans include food production from the land, including fruit, vegetables and other produce, alongside small-scale livestock for personal use.

Animal Aid argues that a genuinely sustainable future should involve reducing reliance on animal farming rather than adding new species to the menu.

Ms Davenport added: “If we are serious about protecting the planet, the evidence is clear: reducing our dependence on all animal farming and embracing a plant-based food system offers far greater sustainability benefits.

“I urge local residents to contact Pembrokeshire County Council. Decisions made in the name of our shared future should be for everyone, including animals.”

Pembrokeshire County Council approved the application subject to conditions.