New support service confirmed for young people, but exact site yet to be revealed

A NEW youth hub is set to open in Pembrokeshire as part of a major UK Government rollout aimed at helping young people into work — but officials have not yet confirmed where it will be based.

The hub is one of 12 new sites announced across Wales, designed to support 16 to 24-year-olds with access to jobs, training, mental health services and housing advice under one roof.

The Department for Work and Pensions said the hubs will bring together Jobcentre Plus, local authorities, employers and training providers to help young people who are not currently in education, employment or training.

However, while Pembrokeshire has been named as a location, no further detail has been provided on which town or building will host the service.

The Herald understands that such hubs are often based in or alongside existing Jobcentre Plus offices or council-run facilities, but at this stage no confirmation has been given for Pembrokeshire.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “Today marks a major boost for young people across Wales.

“We are delivering support in every region, connecting young people with employers and meeting them where they are so they can take the first step into work.”

The announcement also includes plans to hand more control over employment support funding to the Welsh Government, with £20 million already allocated to pilot schemes aimed at tackling economic inactivity.

Minister for Skills Jack Sargeant said the move would allow programmes to be tailored to local communities.

“Decisions about getting people back into work are made by those who know their communities best,” he said.

The new hubs form part of a wider UK-wide plan to ensure every area has access to a Youth Hub, amid concerns about rising numbers of young people not in work or education.

Further details, including the exact location of the Pembrokeshire hub and when it will open, are expected to be announced at a later date.

Samuel Kurtz warns decisions must be based on “watertight” evidence

STEPASIDE School in Kilgetty is facing uncertainty after concerns were raised that it could be under threat of closure.

South Pembrokeshire MS Samuel Kurtz has publicly questioned the data being used to assess the school’s future, warning that any decision must be based on “reliable and robust criteria.”

The local Senedd Member said he had been contacted with concerns that some of the figures used to determine whether the school should remain open “may not be entirely accurate.”

In a statement shared online, Kurtz said: “Stepaside School in Kilgetty is under threat, but should it be?

“Concerns have been raised with me that some of the data used to decide whether the school should remain open may not be entirely accurate.

“I have therefore challenged the Welsh Government to provide reassurance that the local authority is using reliable and robust criteria.

“Decisions of this importance must not be taken unless the evidence is absolutely watertight.”

The intervention follows comments made by Kurtz in the Senedd, where he highlighted that the school serves a growing local community and has maintained a stable pupil population of around 100 over the past five years.

He also pointed out that the school supports a high number of pupils with Additional Learning Needs and operates from a relatively modern building in good condition.

Kurtz questioned how Pembrokeshire County Council is calculating surplus places and whether any potential closure would comply with Welsh Government policies, including the Rural Schools Code.

Responding on behalf of the Welsh Government, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip Jane Hutt said that school organisation decisions are led by local authorities within a framework of national guidance.

She added that any proposals would emerge “in the coming weeks and months.”

No formal proposal to close Stepaside School has yet been confirmed.

However, the comments are likely to raise concern among parents and residents in the Kilgetty area, particularly amid wider debates about the future of smaller and rural schools across Wales.

50-year-old stopped near car wash after Tesco staff raised concerns

A MILFORD HAVEN man has been disqualified from driving after being convicted of his sixth drink-driving offence.

Stephen Jonathan, 50, was spotted by police officers driving his Mercedes A-Class near the car wash in Milford Haven.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard that on the afternoon of Friday (Mar 7), staff at Tesco became concerned about his behaviour.

“He’d gone into the store to buy alcohol but they refused to serve him, knowing he was under the influence,” said Crown Prosecutor Nia James.

“They alerted the police who saw him driving at the nearby car wash.”

A subsequent breathalyser test showed Jonathan had 50 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

The court was told Jonathan has a history of similar offences, including two previous failures to provide breath specimens and five drink-driving convictions, the most recent in 2019.

Jonathan, of Wellington Road, Hakin, pleaded guilty to driving whilst unfit through drink.

Representing him, Fenn Richards said he had consumed one can of alcohol that afternoon but had also been using large amounts of mouthwash following recent dental implant work.

“It’s possible this could have had an impact on his reading,” she said.

“But he didn’t think he was going to be over the limit on this occasion.”

Jonathan was disqualified from driving for 38 months. He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge.