News
Schools to open for children of keyworkers
PEMBROKESHIRE schools will remain open next week but only to provide childcare for essential workers, the County Council has confirmed.
Welsh Education Minister Kirsty Williams announced on Wednesday (March 18) that all school would close for normal education provision today (Friday), to help slow the spread of coronavirus in communities but that they would be used to support key workers.
Therefore, all Pembrokeshire schools will re-open on Monday to the children of parents/guardians who are defined as keyworkers in the guidance issued by the UK Government.
That is, children of parents/guardians employed in:
- Health and social care sectors
- Education and childcare
- Key public services
- Local and national government: The occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response or delivering essential public services
- Food and other necessary goods: Those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery
- Public safety and national security: Including police and support staff, fire and rescue service employees, including support staff and prison and probation staff
- Transport: Includes those keeping the road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating and transport systems through which supply chains operate.
Parents/guardians employed in the keyworker occupations will not need to register for this provision.
Children can be brought to school as normal and school transport will continue to operate next week.
Catering will be delivered as normal in every school and meals will be free to all children attending and all staff who are working for the next week at least.
Normal school opening and closing times, Monday-Friday will operate.
The Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr David Simpson, said: “To fight coronavirus effectively it is essential that keyworkers can continue to carry out their roles.
“We are making provision to ensure that those staff can go about their work without worrying about childcare.
“I’m sure everyone would agree that we are living in unprecedented times and things are moving extremely quickly so these measures will be monitored carefully and, if any changes are required, we will communicate them as soon as possible.
“For now it is important to underline that if you are a keyworker you can bring your child or children to their school on Monday and they will be looked after.
“I’d also like to add my thanks to all Authority staff, including headteachers and teaching staff who have worked extremely hard to organise this provision so quickly.”
Crime
Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property
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’
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
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.”
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