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No denial on Penally ‘migrant camp’ plan

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Penally camp: Soon to welcome asylum seekers?

Penally camp: Soon to welcome asylum seekers?

THE HOME OFFICE was neither able to confirm or deny information that had been obtained by The Herald that Penally Training Camp is the subject of a potential change of usage from a training centre for military personnel to a holding centre for up to 1000 migrants who are waiting to be granted asylum in the UK. 

The Herald has received information from a senior source within the Ministry of Defence (MOD) that the camp is to be used as a reception centre for illegal immigrants and asylum seekers, with the hope of housing up to 1000 people at the camp until they are granted asylum and found homes in this, or other areas of the UK.

“The camp is subject to discussions to be turned into a ‘holding centre’ for migrants who are entering the UK. This would be a non-permanent home for the residents and they would be moved on when their applications had been processed.

“I have grave concerns about this, as the camp would require a huge amount of work doing to it to be able to contain these people securely until they are granted asylum.

“In Calais at the moment they are using the ‘Ring of Steel’ that was deployed around the Celtic Manor during the NATO summit in 2014. The current security at Penally is nothing like this.”

When posed the question “Has the Army Training Camp at Penally, Pembrokeshire been subject to discussions or plans as to a change of usage to become a migrant holding centre for up to 1000 people, and if so, when would these changes take place?” the MOD was unable to comment and referred the matter to the Home Office who returned with the reply:

“No decisions have been taken about the future of this site”

The reply neither confirms nor denies that the camp is to change to a reception centre for up to 1000 migrants, and implies that it is under discussion as a potential asylum site.

If it were to be true it would be the largest asylum centre of its kind in the UK. Currently there are 11 immigration centres throughout England and Scotland but none in Wales; Harmondsworth in Middlesex is currently the biggest with a capacity of 615.

In December 2015 the government shelved plans to house up to 1,500 migrants at a huge centre near the village of Littleton-upon-Severn in Gloucestershire after a barrage of complaints from local residents, many of which were worried it could interfere with village life.

In September 2015 David Cameron announced that the UK would accept up to 20,000 refugees from Syria over the next five years saying that the UK had a ‘moral responsibility’ to those living in camps near the border of Syria. Though opposition parties claimed that the UK should do more, with France taking 24,000 refugees over the next two years, attacked the number as being insufficient.

At the time of going to press The Herald was receiving fresh information and will continue to investigate.

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4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. john langford

    March 3, 2016 at 11:20 pm

    i Drove past the Penally army camp this morning and Mod has just removed the artillery gun and missile from the front gate of the army camp. So they must be changing use of the camp. and there is now a lot of blue rubbish bins been put in to the camp. as a person how has lived in the village all his life, i want to now if the mod is going to compensate the businesses for loss of trade nor merely from the troops how support the village, but for the loss of tourism when people find out the is a camp full of migrant in the village,and as the village is manly older people who will be worried about they safety of there homes. what is the mod going to do to supervise the camp safety,

  2. Lynne Galliford

    March 4, 2016 at 2:11 pm

    In fact I am not racist at all but as I have nothing against them. What do you know about these people could they be Isis terrorist, rapist pickpockets or murderes, do they have police record etc it what we need to check very carefully. They should have ask us local people first about how we feel about them. As I do know it will effect the area.

  3. TURKS

    March 8, 2016 at 12:20 pm

    This is where my work will begin…mark my words this can only end very badly for Europe. We will see how crime statistics change in the next few yes along with other significant social statistics.

    I will be there video camera in toe…lets see how many of these people are families and how many are young single fit strong males most of which will actually be economic migrants and most likely no more Syrian than I.

    And I don’t give a feck if the liberal Arseholes encouraging this insanity want to call me racist….that tactic no longer works. My daughters future and my duty to ensure she inherits a safe place to live with an open and tolerant society, able to enjoy the customs and traditions I was lucky to experience far out ways any fears of liberal attacks of being called racist.

    Although I’m not quite sure when Islam was declared a race

  4. NIMBY

    March 18, 2016 at 10:06 am

    @ TURKS:
    typical small village mentality. no sense of sympathy or compassion for a fellow human being.

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News

Survey vessel stranded at Newgale beach prompts RNLI response

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A 24.5-METRE survey vessel, the MTS Terramare, found itself in a precarious situation after becoming stranded on Newgale Beach on Tuesday (Jan 14). The vessel, reportedly involved in cable work, sparked curiosity and concern among locals as it remained grounded throughout the day and into the evening.

The boat arrived at approximately 7:00am but by nightfall, its predicament had worsened. Witnesses reported seeing the vessel broadside onto the beach, with waves pounding its deck and flashes of electrical arcing visible on board. Concerned onlookers gathered on the shingle ridge to watch as the drama unfolded.

Rescue effort (Images from RNLI)

At 6:28pm, HM Coastguard called on St Davids RNLI for assistance. The all-weather lifeboat Norah Wortley launched at 6:40pm, navigating through the darkness to reach Newgale. Sea conditions were challenging, with three-to-five-foot surf waves crashing onto the pebble bank at high tide. Upon arrival, the lifeboat’s daughter boat was deployed to assess the situation.

The vessel, weighing 100 tonnes and suffering from an engine failure, was unable to maintain its position and had been driven onto the pebbles. With water inundating the deck, the RNLI team considered various options to assist. Efforts to use salvage pumps and set up a towline were deemed unfeasible due to the vessel’s size, weight, and the dangers posed to the lifeboats and volunteer crews.

The crew of the MTS Terramare safely disembarked onto the beach, and with no lives at risk, the RNLI teams stood down. The Norah Wortley returned to station by 8:20pm, ready for its next call-out.

The vessel early on Wednesday Morning – January, 15, 2024 (Image: Carrie Garner)

RNLI Coxswain Will Chant explained the decision to leave the vessel: “The RNLI mission is to save lives at sea, and we endeavour to save boats if possible. However, it is beyond our remit to salvage. In this instance, the size of the vessel and its position broadside to the beach compromised a tow. Once assured the crew were safe ashore, there was nothing further our lifeboats could do.”

The MTS Terramare has taken a battering overnight (Image: Carrie Garner)

The incident has drawn attention from the local community, with a dozen spectators gathering to witness the stranded vessel. Questions remain about how the MTS Terramare will be recovered and what led to its grounding.

The Herald will continue to provide updates on this developing story.

Brave effort: St Davids RNLI battled challenging conditions to assist the stranded vessel (Pic: The Pembrokeshire Herald).

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Crime

Fire, more violence and assault of prison officer at crisis-hit Parc Prison

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FRESH allegations have surfaced about Bridgend’s Parc Prison, with claims of widespread mismanagement and failures in inmate care sparking renewed outrage. The facility, already under intense scrutiny, is now at the centre of a series of alarming events.

Over the weekend, a suicide attempt was reportedly made by a prisoner who had previously suffered a violent beating. According to sources, the inmate was transferred to a wing where threats against his life had been made, prompting questions about the prison’s decision-making processes and duty of care.

Separate incidents also highlighted the deteriorating conditions within the jail. On Saturday, a fire was deliberately set in a cell, prompting emergency services to attend as a precaution. G4S, the private firm that operates the prison, downplayed the event, describing it as a “small fire” that was quickly extinguished.

The prison also saw another inmate rushed to hospital after a suspected drug overdose, though he was later returned to custody. Meanwhile, South Wales Police confirmed they are investigating an alleged assault on a female officer, with reports suggesting that tensions among inmates and staff are escalating.

Parc Prison has become a lightning rod for criticism, with recent years marked by disturbing trends. Staff assaults reportedly rose by over 100% last year, and the prison has recorded 17 deaths in an 11-month period, including suicides and unexplained fatalities.

A G4S spokesperson addressed concerns about visitor safety after an incident on Saturday, where a family member experiencing a panic attack was allegedly left locked in a room for an hour. The firm defended its practices, stating: “Parc is a prison. We aim to provide a positive visiting experience but acknowledge that being in a secure environment can be difficult for some visitors.”

These incidents come on the heels of damning revelations about the prison’s operations. Sources allege that senior management instructed staff to falsify welfare checks in an effort to conceal procedural failures linked to an inmate’s death. Campaigners have branded this as symptomatic of a toxic culture within Parc, accusing G4S of prioritising damage control over meaningful reform.

Calls for accountability have intensified, with campaigners urging authorities to take immediate action to address the systemic issues plaguing the facility. While G4S insists it is committed to the welfare of inmates and staff, critics argue that these assurances are falling short in the face of mounting evidence of neglect and mismanagement.

With pressure mounting, Parc Prison is rapidly becoming a symbol of the challenges facing the UK’s privatized prison system. As investigations continue, the spotlight remains firmly on Bridgend’s embattled facility.

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News

Pembrokeshire town set to be rejuvenated as £12m investment approved

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SENIOR Pembrokeshire councillors have backed a near-£12m ‘levelling up’ project to rejuvenate parts of Pembroke, with £1.2m of council funds.

At the January 13 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet members backed the signing of a memorandum of understanding for a UK Government Levelling Up Fund 3 award for the £11,715,141 Pembroke town Westgate to Eastgate project.

The project attracted a grant award of £10,543,627, with a commitment of £1,171,514 match-funding from the council to comply with the grant offer requirements, some 10 per cent.

Applications for ‘levelling-up’ funding for this part of Pembroke have a history going back several years, with a June 2022 bid for the second round of levelling up funding unsuccessful; a third-round bid based on an amended version of that scheme getting the thumbs-up last year.

The project delivery period is planned to run from April 2025 until March 2028, consisting of three works packages, Cabinet members heard in a presentation by Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Miller.

The three planned works packages consist of, firstly, connecting The Commons to Westgate and Main Street, including an improved pedestrian connection into the town centre running from Common Road, via the Parade to Long Entry and exiting onto Westgate Hill and public realm improvements, improved lighting and public art.

The second package, Eastgate, is described as “both the principal investment and the critical path to the overall programme,” with the works seeing “selective demolition and making good to the elements of the school building, which encroach, onto [a] projected highway corridor, and for construction new retaining walls as necessary,” along with “An enabling contract to ready East End School for development to shell and core, readied for development for currently undetermined use”.

The third work  package, ‘Connecting Townscape, Landscape and Soundscape’ includes: “Pembroke’s network of public realm and green infrastructure will be enhanced along Main Street and connect through underused route ways to its flanking green space of The Commons and the Upper and Lower Mill Pond”.

Cllr Miller warned that inflationary pressures since the original proposal would lead to some adaptions to the scheme, the value of the funding being less than it was in 2022.

Seconding Cllr Miller’s proposal the scheme be backed, Leader Cllr Jon Harvey, county councillor for the Pembroke St Mary North ward, said: “I’m extremely pleased about the levelling-up money coming into this town; Pembroke is a wonderful town, but it is underperforming, with businesses struggling.”

He stressed a need for collaborative work on the project: “Community ‘buy-in’ is very important, we need to work closely with the community and the town.”

Members backed a recommendation to approve the scheme and the match-funding element, along with the signing of the memorandum.

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