News
Tenby: Avenue Centre decision put on hold
AFTER months of campaigning from carers, attendees and local residents, a decision on Tenby’s Avenue Centre is to be put on hold by Pembrokeshire County Council.
A report going before Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet next week recommends that no decision is to be taken for the time being on the future of the Social Activity Centre (SAC) in Tenby.
Popularly known as The Avenue, it is one of three Council centres for people with a learning disability. A petition to keep the centre open was presented to the council last month and had been signed by more than 2500 people, with 1300 people signing the petition online at change.org and over 1200 being on paper at various locations throughout the town and the surrounding area.
Its future has been under review and it has been at the centre of a much publicised 12-week consultation period with stakeholders, including customers, their families and carers.
In a report to the Authority’s Cabinet meeting next Monday (14th March), Director of Social Services and Leisure, Pam Marsden, says: “After a great deal of consideration and taking all of this feedback into account, it is considered premature to make any recommendation at this time with regards to the future of Tenby SAC.”
Her report continues: “In order to ensure that any future recommendation is fully informed, we will continue with our plan to have up-to-date assessments on all of our service users with a learning disability.
“We will also spend time in a range of meetings with service users/carers and stakeholders over the next few months agreeing service priorities and developing a shared vision.
“We plan to undertake a further consultation in the future which will involve all three centres and be in the context of a wider review of day opportunities across Pembrokeshire.
“At the end of this period, a report will be brought back to Cabinet setting out recommendations for the future provision of this service.”
County Councillor Simon Hancock, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Well-Being and Equalities said: “I do hope that this will be recognised as the Council listening and that we can continue to work with our service users and their carers to agree the future of services within this very difficult financial climate.”
Community
Tractor run lights up Pembrokeshire and raises funds for charity
THE PEMBROKESHIRE ILLUMINATED TRACTOR RUN took place today (Dec 21), raising funds for two vital charities: the Catrin Vaughan Foundation and Wales Air Ambulance.
Starting at Clarbeston Road AFC at 6:00pm, the brightly lit convoy of nearly 200 tractors made its way through Withybush Hospital and Haverfordwest High Street before finishing at the Pembrokeshire County Showground.
The annual event has become a highlight of the festive calendar, drawing large crowds to witness the spectacle of tractors adorned with colourful lights and decorations.
Funds raised from the event will support the Catrin Vaughan Foundation, which provides crucial assistance to families facing hardship, and the Wales Air Ambulance, delivering life-saving emergency medical care across the region.
Organisers praised the dedication of local farmers and volunteers, whose commitment ensures the event’s continued success year after year.
(Image: Nia Marshall/Facebook)
Business
Ferry Terminal ‘extremely busy’ due to ongoing Holyhead closure
PEMBROKE DOCK Ferry Terminal has been experiencing significant congestion today as ferry services remain under immense pressure following the closure of Holyhead Port earlier this month.
The disruption, caused by storm damage, has rerouted ferry traffic through Pembrokeshire, leading to long queues and crowded facilities at the terminal.
The Herald can confirm that it has been very busy today with cars, lorries, and foot passengers queuing in large numbers. Staff are working tirelessly to manage the influx, directing vehicles and assisting passengers as they prepare to board the heavily booked ferries.
A spokesperson for the Port of Milford Haven said: “We are working closely with ferry operators and local authorities to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but the sheer volume of vehicles is causing unavoidable delays.”
Travelers are being urged to arrive early for their sailings and to remain patient as the terminal operates at full capacity.
Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have increased capacity on their Pembrokeshire routes, deploying larger vessels, including the Stena Adventurer and the MV James Joyce, to handle the surge in demand.
From our position at the terminal, our photographer has captured photos showing long lines of vehicles, groups of foot passengers carrying luggage, and port staff coordinating efforts to ease congestion.
Authorities are advising non-essential travelers to consider rescheduling their journeys where possible and to monitor updates from ferry operators closely.
(Photos: Martin Cavaney/Herald)
Community
Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend
ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.
In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”
Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.
Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.
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John Hudson
March 8, 2016 at 8:18 am
As this centre has been given a temporary reprieve, does the Council’s 2016/17 budget, as recommended by Cabinet, require a small adjustment, if savings from an earlier closure date had been anticipated?
Budget reductions approved by Council for 2015/16, the current year are anticipated to be grossly underachieved to the tune of some £2,000,000.
( £1m Adult Social Services, £1m across other services) This has been largely attributed to delays in implementation. However, this will be rectified when Councillors approve the new Revised Budget for 2015/16 with the Budget for 2016/17.
The unachieved savings from last year are to be rolled over into next year, with the new additional savings to be approved for 2016/217.
Somehow these non achieved savings, nodded through by both Scrutiny Committees and Cabinet can be wrapped up within an approved Revised 2015/16 Budget envelope the same as the original approved Council 2015/16 budget. Its a good trick if you can continue to keep rolling up under achieved approved savings to be delivered in the next financial year..
Is there any effective financial control or scrutiny exercised by councillors in this Council?