News

Major events strategy

Published

10 years ago

June 2, 2014

AFTER surviving a vote of no confidence arising from his misuse of Council IT, on Monday disgraced IPPG Chair and Council Deputy Leader Rob Lewis presented a major paper to his Cabinet colleagues regarding the County Council’s approach to encouraging, planning and staging major events in Pembrokeshire.

Cllr Rob Lewis said: “We have been fortunate to secure a five year agreement with Ironman which is also supported by the Welsh Government. “The Welsh Government requires us to have an event strategy and it is crucial that our strategy supports theirs. “Many of these events were well supported on a local basis and it is important that we take high class opportunities to publicise our county to a wider audience. “In the past Pembrokeshire wasn’t recognised as a location for major events. It is now and there discussions ongoing about future events.” Cllr David Pugh added that hotels were booked up with athletes doing training for future events such as Ironman Wales. Pembrokeshire County Council are also Core partners on the Destination Pembrokeshire Partnership. This partnership has been established to deliver strategic improvements in tourism. The Core Group of the partnership is drawn from the key organisations involved in tourism in Pembrokeshire, namely Pembrokeshire County Council, Pembrokeshire Tourism, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, PLANED and the South West Wales Tourism Partnership. The Partnership has developed a comprehensive Destination Management Plan to drive incremental development and growth, particularly outside the peak summer months. The Plan’s objective is to “Develop and support a sustainable events programme” Events, if of significant size, format and stature, are considered as playing an important role in stimulating year round tourism. The Destination Management Plan identifies a number of examples of how this can be achieved, including: • Supporting applications for major events funding for strategically important events held in Pembrokeshire; • Focussing on events relevant to local product strengths e.g. food, environment, outdoor activities, heritage and culture; • Identify a point of contact for event organisers to consult local authorities and conservation organisations to identify the best location and dates; • Develop Pembrokeshire as a destination for high-end sports events. While the strategy focuses on major events, IPPG leader Jamie Adams stressed the importance to support smaller community events and said that the policy should not overburden them. Agreeing with his leader, Cllr Elwyn Morse expressed the hope that the new strategy would support Sport Pembrokeshire when they organise community based events.

Crime

Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property

Published

9 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKE DOCK resident is due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court later today (Nov 25) for multiple alleged breaches of a community protection notice.

Sheena Deacon, of 13 Wavell Crescent, Pembroke Dock, faces charges under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which carries a maximum penalty of a Level 4 fine.

The charges stem from allegations that Deacon failed to remove accumulated household waste from her property on several occasions. According to court documents, the breaches occurred on September 19, September 26, October 2, October 9, and October 17 this year.

The charges indicate that Deacon, despite being issued with a community protection notice, did not comply with the requirements to clear and appropriately dispose of refuse and household waste from her address.

The Herald will bring updates on the case as it progresses.

News

Welsh Conservatives urge Labour to scrap ‘family farm tax’

Published

10 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have announced plans to bring forward a Senedd debate next week (Nov 27) calling on the UK Labour Government to abandon its proposed “family farm tax.”

The tax, introduced by the UK Labour Government, is being criticised as a move that will harm Welsh farming, threaten food security, and increase food prices. Alongside the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme and perceived “anti-farming agenda,” critics argue this new tax amounts to a coordinated effort to undermine the future of agriculture in Wales.

Shadow Minister warns of consequences
Ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, James Evans MS, condemned the proposal, stating:
“Labour’s family farm tax will put family farms out of business, threaten our food security, and lead to food prices rising. Only the Welsh Conservatives will stand up for our farmers, and that’s why we’re bringing forward a Senedd motion calling on Labour to reverse this decision. No farmers, no food.”

NFU Cymru expresses alarm
NFU Cymru President, Aled Jones, echoed these concerns, highlighting the widespread opposition from the farming community. Speaking about the impact of the tax on Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, Jones said:
“Earlier this week, hundreds of farmers from across Wales journeyed to London to meet with their MPs and register their deeply held concerns about these misguided and ill-thought-out reforms.

“The proposals unveiled by the Treasury last month to introduce a tax on the passing on of our family farms to the next generation are a massive added burden. They will leave many farmers without the means, confidence, or incentive to invest in the future of their business.

“NFU Cymru reiterates its call for the UK Government to halt these changes.”

The motion to be debated
The motion, set to be debated in the Senedd, reads:
“To propose that the Senedd:
Calls on the UK Labour Government to reverse its decision to impose a family farm tax on agricultural businesses.”

This debate is expected to attract significant attention, with Welsh farmers and rural communities keenly watching for the outcome.

Community

Internet outage for two villages after exchange box destroyed

Published

12 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS of Clunderwen and Llandissilio have been left without internet access following the destruction of an Openreach exchange box just outside Llandissilio village.

The incident occurred yesterday (Nov 23) when the box was reportedly demolished by a vehicle. The damage has resulted in a complete loss of internet services for the two villages, with repairs expected to take at least a couple of days.

Local residents have expressed frustration over the disruption, as the outage affects home businesses, remote workers, and households relying on internet connectivity for day-to-day tasks.

Openreach engineers have cordoned off the site, and work is ongoing to assess the extent of the damage. A spokesperson for Openreach has been contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.

The vehicle involved in the incident has not yet been identified. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact the local police.

With repair timelines unclear, affected residents have called for increased communication from service providers to manage expectations during the outage.

“Bringing the community back online is a priority,” a local resident said. “We’re hoping Openreach can resolve the issue quickly and ensure it doesn’t happen again in future.”