News

New school approved, despite concerns

Published

8 years ago

January 29, 2016

County Hall: Members attend the Extraordinary meeting yesterday (Jan 13)

A NEW school will be built in the Angle peninsula despite concerns over the proposed location.

The proposal will see the closure of Angle VC, Orielton CP and Stackpole VC Schools and a new 3-11 VC school established. At Thursday’s (Jan 14) Extraordinary Meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, it was revealed that a proposed new school on a site in Hundleton was the preferred option. However, concerns were raised over Hundleton’s proximity to Monkton School which some councillors felt might lead to a drop in pupil numbers. There were also suggestions to keep the Stackpole School open because of its size and to put the new school there.

After a lengthy debate a majority voted in favour of the plans for the new school on a site in Hundleton. Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sue Perkins said: “There is a strong level of support for these proposals. A federation was considered but the legislations does not allow for this to happen. “It should be acknowledged that meeting all the needs of the Angle peninsula is a difficult challenge. “The new school will have 120 pupils which is hardly a large school and the proposal is the most sensible and equitable solution.”

Hundleton Cllr John Allen- Mirehouse said: “These have been three difficult years for the schools. All of the schools achieve well, there reports are excellent. One thing that has come out of the reports from the inspector is the ethos of the schools. “These are small rural friendly schools but finance has made it very difficult for Stackpole and Hundleton and the reason for that is the falling numbers of pupils. “People on the peninsula would very much like to keep the status quo but there is a universal agreement that the first choice is not an option. “The new school would be on one of two sites and the preferred site is at Hundleton. “There have been many consultations and there is a minority group that would like to retain Stackpole but that is really not an option. “The future, if an option is not taken up, looks grim for all three schools. It is a difficult choice but a majority want the new school and that will offer what the other three cannot offer of a first class facility. “We are looking at the education of a minority and this will bring educational benefits that will occur for generations to come”

Cllr Tony Wilcox said: “This is a sign of the times and everybody would welcome the new school but it is the location I have a problem with. Most of the children go to the Stackpole School. We own the site and we would only have to use the one bus to get children to and from the school. “We would have to buy land in Orielton and the location may cause problems for Monkton.” Council Leader Jamie Adams said that the council had to be mindful of the roads around Stackpole and that although Stackpole is the largest school, it was about where people travel from to attend the school.

Cllr Viv Stoddart was also concerned about the new location and added that there was no mention of the preferred site in the recommendation. Cllr Adams said that the preferred option was the Orielton site. Cllr Jacob Williams said: “I agree with the concerns. The site at Hundleton would be within two miles of Monkton and I don’t think that is ideal. The Monkton School is too close to this site. “The site at Stackpole is bigger, it has playing fields and is in Pembrokeshire County Council Ownership. The case has not been made that the site needs to be at Hundleton. Why spend extra money on new land at Hundleton?”

Cllr Daphne Bush said: “Travelling from Angle to Hundleton is far better and you cant expect Angle children to travel to Stackpole and Hundleton is a super alternative. Cllr Mike John said it would not be fair to expect children from Angle to travel to the Stackpole School and added that the new school needed to be in a central location. Cllr Tessa Hodgson said she was unhappy with the recommendation as she felt it should include the possibility of looking at the Stackpole site as an alternative. The plans were approved by a majority vote.

Crime

Unanimous verdict in Ceredigion sexual assault case

Published

1 day ago

May 3, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A CEREDIGION man has been convicted to three years and six months in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in her own bed after the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict.

27-year-old Suroj Bk, from Llangrannog, was sentenced this week following a week-long trial at Swansea Crown Court (May 1).

On 7 October 2023, Dyfed-Powys Police received a report that Bk entered the victim’s home and sexually assaulted her while she lay in her bed.

When the victim realised what was happening, she kicked Bk out of her bed and called the police.

Upon receiving the report, officers quickly attended the victim’s home and conducted a thorough search of the surrounding area using police dogs and scenes of crime officers.

Evidence gathered from scene, together with extensive local enquiries, led officers to arrest Suroj Bk the next day (8 October).

While Bk was in custody, detectives, crime scene investigators, and digital forensic officers worked tirelessly to uncover the evidence that ultimately placed Suroj Bk at the scene.

After hearing the evidence, the jury took less than two hours to agree a unanimous guilty verdict.

The detective in charge of the case has praised the victim for her ‘tremendous courage’ in reporting the assault to police.

“Incidents of this nature are thankfully very rare within Ceredigion, and I’d like to reassure the community that this was an isolated incident, and that the identification and arrest of suspect was done quickly and efficiently,” said Detective Inspector Sam Gregory.

“The victim in this case demonstrated tremendous courage in reporting to police, and while this investigation was not straightforward in its nature, it was through the expertise and tenacity of forensic officers, working together with the investigation team, and the victim, that led to this successful prosecution.

“I hope the sentence given to Suroj Bk sends a clear and strong message that Dyfed-Powys Police takes reports of sexual offences seriously.

“We will listen to you, and we will work tirelessly to get justice.”

On Wednesday, 1 May 2024, Saroj Bk was sentenced to three years and six months in prison and a five-year restraining order, and he will be on the sex offenders register for life.

If you have been a victim of a crime such as this, report it to Dyfed-Powys Police either through a direct message on social media, online at: https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.

In an emergency, always call 999.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.

News

Body recovered confirmed to be Luke Stephenson, say police

Published

1 day ago

May 3, 2024

Tom Sinclair

DYFED-POWYS police have said today that the body found on Wednesday, May 1, has been confirmed to be Luke Stephenson, who was reported missing from the Pembroke Dock area on April 14.

A spokesperson for the force said: “We will continue to support the family and will assist with issuing a tribute publicly if the family wish to do so.”

In a statement, his family said: “Luke was a joyful and funny young man and always wanted to help others. He was a loving son, brother, grandson and uncle, and will be forever missed.
“We have lost a huge part of our family, and our loss is shared by his many friends who also loved him dearly.
“We would like to thank the local community for the overwhelming support we have received.”

Business

Port of Milford Haven now official ‘a great place to work’

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE PORT of Milford Haven has been officially accredited as a Great Place to Work-Certified™ organisation. As the first Port Authority in Britain to secure this Certification™, it is a significant achievement.

“We are very proud to be Great Place to Work-Certified™,” said Vidette Swales, HR Director at the Port of Milford Haven. “It means so much that our employees have reported a consistently positive experience with their colleagues, their leaders and their jobs. Offering a positive employee experience is not only beneficial for the people who work with us but is also key for our continued business success.”

Tom Sawyer, CEO at the Port of Milford Haven added: “Our team is operating the UK’s leading energy port, and it is of the utmost importance that we do that safely, responsibly and effectively. We’re striving for excellence and aim to provide a world class service to our customers as well as supporting sustainable coastal communities for the prosperity of future generations. Our employees are clearly at the centre of this which is why I’m delighted that they feel supported in their role. I’m especially proud that this Certification™ demonstrates our core values of Safety, Excellence, Collaboration and Sustainability so perfectly.”

“We congratulate the Port of Milford Haven on achieving their Certification™,” said Benedict Gautrey, Managing Director of Great Place to Work® UK. “Organisations which put the employee experience at the heart of their business gain their employees’ trust and, in turn, are truly able to build a great workplace culture that delivers outstanding business results.”

Find out more about careers at the Port of Milford Haven here: www.mhpa.co.uk/about/careers-at-the-port/.