THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has extended the Help to Buy – Wales scheme until September 2026, offering new opportunities for buyers to secure a property at the Augustus Grange development in Haverfordwest with financial assistance.

The scheme enables eligible buyers to purchase a new-build home valued up to £300,000 with just a five per cent deposit. The remaining amount is covered by a 75 per cent mortgage and a 20 per cent shared equity loan, which is interest-free for the first five years.

Five-star housebuilder Lovell Homes, which is delivering the development in partnership with Pobl Group, is encouraging potential buyers to explore the scheme’s benefits. Located off St David’s Road, Augustus Grange comprises 115 two and three-bedroom homes and lies just six miles from the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Unlike some support schemes, Help to Buy – Wales is open not only to first-time buyers but also to existing homeowners looking to move.

A number of three-bedroom properties are currently available at the site, including the popular Lambourne and Lansdown designs.

Suzie Hewitt, regional sales director at Lovell Homes, said: “Help to Buy – Wales is a brilliant initiative and we’re delighted that it has been extended to 2026. For many, buying a home is the biggest financial step they’ll take, and this scheme makes that step more accessible.

“We’re offering a range of high-quality homes under £300,000 at Augustus Grange – perfect for first-time buyers, growing families, and those looking to rightsize. We encourage anyone interested to contact our sales team.”

Haverfordwest, the historic county town of Pembrokeshire, offers a mix of heritage and modern amenities. With its 12th-century castle, riverside walks along the Western Cleddau, a selection of shops and restaurants, and good transport links, it’s an attractive location for both families and commuters.

The Augustus Grange marketing suite is open daily from 10:00am to 5:00pm. For further information, visit newhomes.lovell.co.uk/developments/augustus-grange-haverfordwest or call 01437 468024.

Terms and conditions apply. Full details on the Help to Buy – Wales scheme can be found at lovell.co.uk/offers/help-to-buy-wales.

Lovell Homes recently received a Gold award for customer service from In-house Research, with 93.6 per cent of South Wales and West customers saying they would recommend the company to friends and family.

Follow Lovell Homes:

• Facebook: facebook.com/lovellhomes
• Instagram: @lovell_homes
• LinkedIn: @LovellPartnershipsLtd

NEARLY 900 DRUG FINDS, 17 DEATHS IN A YEAR, AND INMATES LOCKED UP FOR 21 HOURS A DAY

A DAMNING inspection report into one of the UK’s largest prisons has revealed a shocking collapse in standards at HMP Parc in Bridgend, where widespread drug use, soaring violence, and 17 inmate deaths defined a year of crisis.

The prison is the nearest long term jail to Pembrokeshire with hundreds of inmates there from our local area.

The unannounced inspection in January 2025 uncovered nearly 900 incidents of drug finds in 2024 alone, with half of prisoners saying it was easy to get drugs inside. On the prison’s A and B wings, 70% of inmates said drugs were easy to obtain, and 34% admitted developing a drug or alcohol problem after arriving.

The prison, privately run by G4S, was once hailed as a flagship establishment. But the report by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons lays bare the reality of a facility overwhelmed by addiction, violence, and staff turnover, all following a change in management contract and the departure of the respected long-time governor Janet Wallsgrove.

“The prison had become far too violent,” the report states, with a 60% rise in recorded self-harm since the last inspection. Between February and May 2024 alone, eight inmates died from suspected drug-related causes, many linked to synthetic opioids like nitazenes.

SHOCKING FINDINGS

894 drug finds in a year—more than any other similar prison

17 inmate deaths in 2024, including multiple overdoses

30% of all drug tests were positive

Up to 21 hours a day in cells for many prisoners

Self-harm incidents up 60% since 2022

41% of inmates reported being bullied by other prisoners

Inspectors found that many prisoners were left idle, with poor access to work, education or training. Nearly a fifth were unemployed and locked up for most of the day. Even those motivated to work or learn were trapped by delays in allocation.

“The regime was inconsistent and left many inmates bored, frustrated and hungry,” the report adds. Food was deemed inadequate by the majority of prisoners, with meagre portions and little fresh produce. The prison shop lacked healthy options, and fruit and vegetables were scarce.

LEADERSHIP TURMOIL AND DRONE DELIVERIES

After Wallsgrove’s departure in 2023, her replacement lasted less than a year. The management vacuum coincided with a new contract awarded to G4S, a transition that “destabilised the prison” and saw violence and drug use spiral.

Despite an impressive effort from security teams—who intercepted 894 drugs packages—illicit substances continued to pour in. Parc became a prime example of drone-facilitated trafficking, with deliveries often targeting vulnerable windows in cells.

The prison had no enhanced gate security for staff, and the rollout of secure windows was still ongoing at the time of the inspection. Drug-detection tech developed with Bath University was one of the few bright spots, but inspectors said it was not enough to stem the tide.

The disciplinary system was also in disarray. In 2024, over 5,000 adjudications were recorded, a quarter of which were abandoned or delayed. There were also over 800 incidents involving use of force by staff, yet bodycam footage was only available in 54% of cases.

HOPE UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP

There were signs of hope. Since new director Will Styles took over in June 2024, no further drug-related or self-inflicted deaths had occurred. Staff morale, recruitment and retention were improving.

Styles introduced a two-year recovery plan and stabilised the leadership team. Inspectors praised his honest self-assessment and noted the beginnings of a cultural shift. Enhanced collaboration with the education provider and initiatives like ‘Parc Tank’ (a business incubator for inmates) were flagged as positive steps.

MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE FAILURES

Healthcare services, transferred from G4S to NHS Wales in 2023, were still under-resourced. Dental care was so limited that routine treatments were unavailable, with prisoners encouraged to report pain just to get seen. Mental health services were swamped, and one inmate had waited over two months for a hospital transfer.

The report highlighted 1,962 self-harm incidents in the previous 12 months, and found the mental health referral process overly complex and underperforming. Over 500 prisoners had been referred to the mental health team in the past three months alone.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND PATH AHEAD

Inspectors issued 14 key concerns—eight of them requiring urgent action. These include high violence, poor mental health provision, weak offender management, inadequate food, and lack of work or training opportunities.

Despite G4S’s claims of “solid progress,” the inspectorate made it clear that major reforms are still needed. If the current director remains and receives the backing he needs, the report says Parc “may begin to recover.”

A spokesperson for G4S said: “We are encouraged that HMIP recognises that we are making progress. We are determined to ensure the men in our care are safe, supported and can feel optimistic about their futures.”

But with more than 1,700 men inside and nearly 900 drug finds in a single year, the question remains: how did one of Britain’s most successful prisons fall so far, so fast?

IF YOU farm in Pembrokeshire and can demonstrate your farm’s use of the latest technological methods to promote progressive, sustainable agriculture then the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society encourage you to enter the prestigious Baron de Rutzen Award.

Tim Johns, Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s President, said, “We are looking for local Pembrokeshire farmers, under the age of 45, who can demonstrate their farm’s use of the latest technological methods to promote progressive, sustainable agriculture. They also need to show consideration for the environment and habitat sensitivity on their farm as well as present an aesthetically pleasing example of farming in the county. The competition welcomes all those in the livestock and arable sectors to enter.”

Last year’s winners of the Award were Andrew and Jane Phillips of Windsor Farm, Lamphey. They farm 1,100 acres, with 3,000 breeding sheep and lambs. A herd of British Blue cross Limousin suckler cows sired by a Limousin bull and all calves are sold as weaned. The arable side of the business includes 80 acres of winter and spring barley which is mostly used for stock consumption. The surplus is sold. They grow 150 acres of maize which is used in a Totally Mixed Ration (TMR) for their sheep. Again, the surplus is sold to dairy farms. Some land is rented out for growing potatoes and leeks. The autumn season sees the general public invited in to buy some of the six acres of Pumpkins they grow for the Halloween market. Besides this, they are also involved with the holiday business by renting out two shepherd’s huts for visitors.

Baron John Fredrick De Rutzen was President of Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society in 1936 and the Baron de Rutzen Trophy was produced in his memory. The third Baron served in the Welsh Guards and tragically died, aged 36, in 1944.

This year’s entrants must be fully practising farmers within the county of Pembrokeshire and were under the age of 45 years on 1 January 2025. Entries can either be by nomination or direct application online on the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society website. Click here to apply: Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society Baron de Rutzen Award 2025

The closing date for nominations and applications is at noon on Monday, 30 June 2025.