Campaigners call for delay amid Welsh language investigation and rising pupil numbers

PARENTS and campaigners have urged Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet not to recommend the closure of Ysgol Llansteffan when members meet on Monday (Feb 23).

The appeal comes ahead of a proposed decision that could see the village’s Welsh-medium primary school close in August this year.

The Ysgol Llansteffan Parents and Teachers Association (PTA), supported by Cymdeithas yr Iaith, has written to councillors calling for the process to be halted, arguing that key evidence remains incomplete and that the case for closure is flawed.

Among their concerns is an ongoing investigation by the Welsh Language Commissioner into the language impact assessment used to support the closure proposal. Campaigners say it would be inappropriate for the council to make a final decision before the investigation is concluded.

They also claim no council decision-makers have visited the school to verify the information used in the proposal, despite significant changes in circumstances, including a rise in pupil numbers to 17 as of January 2026.

The PTA argues that this increase undermines earlier projections and raises questions about the reliability of longer-term forecasts used to justify closure.

Financial concerns have also been raised. While council documents suggest annual savings of around £112,000, campaigners say transport costs of approximately £50,000 per year and inflationary pressures have not been clearly accounted for, potentially overstating the net benefit.

Parents say closure would remove parental choice and risk damaging Welsh-medium education in the area by forcing some children to travel further or potentially move into English-medium provision.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith has backed the PTA’s call, warning that the council’s objection report failed to properly address concerns that insufficient school capacity elsewhere could push pupils out of Welsh-medium education altogether.

Campaigners have also criticised what they describe as factual inconsistencies in the council’s reports, including outdated enrolment figures and conflicting capacity estimates for neighbouring schools.

The PTA has asked the council to defer any decision until updated data is available, the Commissioner’s findings are published, and alternative options for sustaining the school have been fully explored.

In their letter, parents stressed they remain willing to work constructively with the council to develop a long-term solution that would allow the school to remain open as a sustainable Welsh-medium provision for the community.

Carmarthenshire County Council has previously said the proposal is intended to address falling pupil numbers, high surplus places and financial pressures at the school. Cabinet members were told earlier in the process that neighbouring Ysgol Llangain would have sufficient capacity to accommodate pupils if the closure proceeds, and that transferring learners would provide access to improved facilities and help ensure long-term sustainability of education provision in the area.

The final decision is expected to be taken by full council in March following the Cabinet’s recommendation.

Live country music night promises fun for all at village hall

A NIGHT of country music, dancing and Western-style fun is coming to Broad Haven next month as the Havens Hoedown rolls into the village hall.

The event, taking place on Friday, March 20, will feature live music from local band Red Skies, along with line dancing and a relaxed, social atmosphere aimed at bringing the community together.

Doors open at 7:00pm, with music starting at 8:00pm. Organisers are encouraging attendees to embrace the theme, with cowboy hats and boots very much welcome on the night.

As well as the live entertainment, honky tonk shots will be available to purchase, and the evening will follow a bring-your-own format for other drinks.

Tickets are priced at £12.50 and are available from Broad Haven Post Office, or by contacting the organisers via email or Facebook.

Event organisers said the hoedown is designed to be a fun, inclusive night out for residents across the Havens and surrounding communities.

They added: “We wanted to create something a bit different — a lively evening where people can enjoy great music, have a dance, and spend time together locally without needing to travel far.”

The Havens Hoedown is expected to be popular, and early ticket purchase is advised.

Aberystwyth University researcher’s documentary recognised at Amsterdam festival

A DOCUMENTARY telling the personal stories of migrants living in Istanbul has won an international film award ahead of its official release later this year.

‘HOPE: In the Shadows of the Bosphorus’, directed and produced by Aberystwyth University research fellow Dr Latif Tas, explores the experiences of internal and international migrants alongside long-standing residents in Turkey’s largest city, which has a population of around 16 million.

The film has received the Best Jury Choice Award at the ARFF International Amsterdam Film Festival and has also been shortlisted for recognition at the Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival 2026.

Turkey hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, including around 3.1 million people displaced by the war in Syria. The country has also experienced significant migration flows linked to conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Ukraine.

As a former resident of Istanbul and an academic researching migration in both Turkey and the UK, Dr Tas said many of the tensions and dynamics seen in the city mirror those experienced in other global urban centres such as London, Paris, Berlin and New York.

Reacting to the award, Dr Tas, from the Department of Law and Criminology at Aberystwyth University, said: “It is a great honour for me to win and for migrants’ stories to be heard and recognised internationally, especially after putting so much time and effort into this limited-budget project with a small but dedicated team.

“This film is not designed to make a political statement or be propaganda. It simply tells real people’s stories in their own words. I remain silent throughout the film, allowing different characters — both hosts and migrants — to express their perspectives within their own environments.”

Giving an insight into the documentary, he added: “We hear people complaining about migrants taking jobs, but we also hear stories of migrants living in unbearable conditions. We have residents who welcome newcomers and migrants who carry their roots wherever they go.

“Some migrants would face persecution or even the death penalty if they returned to Iran, Afghanistan or Syria. I hope the documentary will help people reflect on how we manage these changes and challenges and how we can better understand one another’s experiences.”

Dr Tas said Istanbul’s history as a crossroads of cultures made it an ideal setting to explore migration.

“Istanbul is a city that belongs to everybody but also nobody,” he said. “For centuries it has been a hub for people across the world, from Romans to Ottomans. In modern Turkey, there are millions who have moved internally, particularly from Kurdish regions, as well as millions arriving from neighbouring countries affected by conflict.

“While migration levels may be higher because of Turkey’s proximity to war-torn regions, this is not just a story about Istanbul — it is a story shared by many major cities around the world.”

An Aberystwyth University 150th Anniversary Award winner, Dr Tas has published two books on informal justice in migrant communities and minority life under authoritarian regimes. His academic career has included positions at the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study and a Marie Curie Global Fellowship.

He has interviewed hundreds of migrants across a wide range of settings, including refugee camps, transit zones, safe houses, police stations and affluent neighbourhoods.

“My interviews for academic work always had deadlines, angles and word counts,” he said. “I was often left with the uneasy feeling that I had captured a fact, not a person. This film is, in part, a response to that limitation.

“My worldview is shaped by both scientific inquiry and creative empathy. From journalism and science, I bring a commitment to truth and systems-thinking. From the arts, I have learned to slow down and sit with uncertainty. Migrants are not case studies in this film — they are narrators, authors and co-creators of their own stories.”

Supported by Aberystwyth University’s Impact Fund, ‘HOPE: In the Shadows of the Bosphorus’ will be officially released in April 2026.