News

Johnston: Councillors frustrated at A4076 safety risk

Published

6 years ago

October 10, 2018

COMMUNITY Councillors have expressed their continuing concern about the danger posed by a narrow pavement on the main A4076 road connecting Milford Haven and the south of Pembrokeshire with Haverfordwest.
Johnston Community Council discussed the 21-inch-wide footway located on a blind bend opposite the Church Road junction.
The pavement narrows at that point due to the presence of houses on either side of the road. There are fears that its location and the speed at which traffic goes through the village – including freight vehicles – represents an unacceptable public risk.
Despite the issue being a subject of meetings and correspondence between community councillors, county council officers and the trunk road agency for many years, the issue remains unresolved.
Community Councillor Bryan Morgan reflected the frustration of councillors when he observed that the matter appeared to have been batted around without any progress being made.
He observed that the flow of traffic through Johnston had significantly increased in recent years, meaning that the road was busy throughout the day and not only during the usual ‘rush hour’ periods. Cllr Morgan said that he was particularly concerned at the way in which drivers ignored the speed limit and that the poor pedestrian access effectively divided the southern part of the village from the rest.
Bryan Morgan continued by saying that while he appreciated the physical constraints of the road’s location with regard to widening the pavement, something had to be done. He suggested a reduction in the speed limit and enforcement to deter car users from speeding near a dangerous spot. He concluded by observing that if something was not done, and done soon, there was the potential for a serious accident which would then force action to be taken.
Responding to Bryan Morgan’s observations, Cllr Ken Rowlands said that he shared his fellow councillors’ exasperation with the saga. He also noted the layout of the road and the nearby buildings would make widening the pavement very difficult and supported the suggestion that action should be taken to at least reduce the speed limit to attempt to reduce the risk.
We spoke to Ken Rowlands following the meeting about his and the community council’s concerns.
He told us that communications had, at one time, been open between community councillors and officers of the Welsh Government regarding the problem but that had ended when Edwina Hart became responsible for roads infrastructure. At that point, Cllr Rowlands said, direct contact had stopped altogether. Despite letters to the Welsh Government and efforts by local AM Paul Davies to make progress towards a resolution, he told us, solving the problem was a long way down Cardiff Bay’s list of priorities.
Cllr Rowlands noted that although there were constraints on public spending, owing to the effects of austerity policies, he was very keen to ensure that some solution would soon be forthcoming.

Charity

NatWest Cymru encourages customers in Wales to spread Christmas cheer

Published

15 mins ago

December 23, 2024

Tom Sinclair

NATWEST has introduced a new way for its customers to support Social Bite in the fight against homelessness this festive season.

Through its mobile app based MyRewards programme, customers can now easily donate their available Rewards (over £5) to buy someone experiencing homelessness a Christmas dinner with Social Bite. NatWest has also pledged to match all donations to any of its 16 MyRewards charities, including Social Bite, up to the value of £50 until 31st December, up to a total of £150,000.

The initiative comes as part of Social Bite’s ‘Festival of Kindness’ – an annual mission that aims to provide 300,000 meals, gifts, and essential items to people who are homeless and vulnerable this Christmas.

NatWest has previously worked with the Scottish charity to open a coffee outlet for colleagues and visitors in its Royal Bank HQ in the capital Edinburgh, as well as launching a public coffee shop at its site at 440 Strand, London.

Since the launch of Festival of Kindness in 2020, Social Bite has successfully distributed 1.1 million meals, gifts, and essentials to people who are homeless during the festive period.

Jessica Shipman, Chair, NatWest Cymru Regional Board, said: “Social Bite makes a positive difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. The festive season often brings into focus the hardship so many face every day.

“We know that people want to help but don’t know how. We’re excited to support Social Bite’s inspiring ‘Festival of Kindness’ initiative, giving our customers a way to gift a homeless person a warm meal.

“We encourage everyone to join in and help make the festive season a little brighter for the most vulnerable in our society.”

Josh Littlejohn MBE, Founder of Social Bite, added: “Social Bite is proud to have had the support of NatWest for a number of years, and together, we’ve made great strides to help people break the cycle of homelessness.

“For many of us, Christmas is a period where we look forward to spending time with friends, family and loved ones. However, the reality is very different for people without a place to call home over the festive season. With homelessness rising across the UK, it’s more important than ever that we do what we can to help people affected by homelessness and food poverty.

“A big thank you to all the wonderful NatWest customers who chose to donate their rewards to Social Bite. Your contribution will make a real difference to someone in need, including a hot meal with all the trimmings in loving company on Christmas Day.”

To find out more about NatWest’s MyRewards and the other charities which are being supported, please visit: https://personal.secure1.natwest.com/app/MyRewards

Information on Social Bite’s Festival can be found: https://www.social-bite.co.uk/

Community

Emergency call outage affected Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire

Published

18 mins ago

December 23, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS in parts of Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire faced difficulties contacting emergency services via the 999 landline number on Sunday (Dec 17) due to a temporary outage.

Dyfed-Powys Police issued alerts on social media, warning residents of potential issues when trying to dial 999 from landlines in affected areas. Locations impacted included Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew, and surrounding areas.

In a statement, police advised: “You may have faced problems calling 999 from a landline in the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire area. Places likely to have been affected were Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew. Please try calling from a mobile phone as mobile networks may have been working normally. Normal service will be restored as soon as possible. Non-emergencies can be reported online. Please look out for further updates.”

Later in the day, an update confirmed that the 999 landline service had been restored in the Llangrannog and Llanteg areas.

The temporary disruption raised concerns about access to emergency services in rural areas, where mobile coverage can sometimes be unreliable.

Authorities urged residents to remain vigilant and use alternative communication methods in the event of future disruptions. Further updates are expected as investigations into the cause of the outage continue.

For non-emergency issues, residents can continue to report incidents via the Dyfed-Powys Police website or contact their local police station directly.

Community

Police and council in collaborative effort to tackle fly grazing

Published

23 mins ago

December 23, 2024

Tom Sinclair

IT WAS confirmed this week Pembrokeshire County council is teaming up with Dyfed-Powys Police in a bid to tackle a growing problem of horses on public areas in the county.

The move comes after the County has witnessed a significant increase in incidents of horses being left on public land and highways – known as fly-grazing.

Over the Christmas period the agencies will work operationally in a collaborative effort to alleviate the issue.

This joint approach is in response to community concerns and part of a wider initiative that will enable partner agencies to effectively address with the issue.

Members of the public can report fly grazing concerns by contacting [email protected] or 01437 764551.