News

Keeping safe on school transport as learners return to classrooms

Published

5 years ago

March 15, 2021

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL is sharing important details on the safe operation of school transport as further learners return to schools.

Planning has been ongoing throughout the spring with all primary pupils and some year groups in secondary schools returning from today (Monday 15 th March).

In the first instance, parents and carers are still encouraged to take their own child/children to school wherever possible using active travel by walking or cycling.

If private car use is necessary, parents and carers are encouraged to park away from the school site and use active travel to travel the remaining distance.

For those planning on using school/college transport, all education transport routes will operate as normal and timetables will remain the same as before the Covid-19 situation.

Pupils/students should not travel if they are:

experiencing any Covid-19 symptoms – new and continuous cough, high temperature or loss of taste and smell
self-isolating as a result of Covid-19 symptoms or sharing a household with somebody with symptoms
clinically extremely vulnerable

As part of the measures to keep pupils/students as safe as possible, school transport operators will be continuing their increased cleaning regimes on all vehicles.

This includes the cleaning of all touch points after each passenger journey and a full deep clean of each vehicle at the end of the day.

Before boarding and when leaving the vehicle, pupils/students should use the hand sanitisers provided and should avoid touching surfaces wherever possible.

With much larger number of pupils set to return to school, please note that it will not be possible to ensure social distancing between pupils on school transport.

However, front seats of larger buses will be out of bounds to maintain social distancing between the driver and the pupils.

Drivers will also be included in the Lateral Flow Testing programme which will see them tested twice a week.

These tests assist in identifying those people who are carrying the virus but are asymptomatic and enables us to take them out of circulation in the community, thus reducing chance of transmission.

It will be mandatory for all secondary school pupils and college students to wear face coverings whilst travelling on all education transport- including taxis utilised for school transport – unless they are exempt.

For primary school pupils the wearing of face coverings is recommended and actively encouraged.

Extra dedicated education transport is being put in place for eligible pupils who normally travel on public transport but will not be able to do so due to reduced capacity on service buses.

Where pupils are not eligible for free school transport and they normally travel on public transport or a private bus, you will need to contact the bus operator to confirm the arrangements.

If parents DO NOT require School Transport for their child, please contact the Council’s Integrated Transport Unit (ITU) on 01437 775222 / 01437 776363 or: [email protected]

Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Guy Woodham, emphasised that the safety of pupils, students and transport staff has been at the heart of the process.

Cllr Woodham added: “Learners returning to schools is an important step forward and so very welcome.

“At the very forefront of our planning has been ensuring we can get learners to and from the classroom as safely as possible.

“Building on our experience from last year, Council officers have been working closely alongside school transport providers.

“I would urge all learners to follow the safety measures – maintain good hand hygiene, use the hand sanitiser, use face coverings – and I would urge all parents to reinforce the message for everyone’s benefit.”

Further information on school transport from the Spring term onwards can be found here: https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/children-and-schools-transition-to-the-new-normal/covid-19-school-transport-information

Community

New town map unveiled in Fishguard

Published

6 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW town map has been installed in the heart of Fishguard to help residents and visitors discover more of what the area has to offer.

The map, created by Visit Fishguard & Goodwick’s in-house graphic designer, has been placed on the Abergwaun Hotel tunnel, near Offshore Surfwear’s new shop.

The group said it was “incredibly proud” of the finished result and thanked the building owner for allowing the map to be installed on the premises.

Visit Fishguard & Goodwick is now hoping to create a similar map for Goodwick and is asking for help from a centrally located building owner who may be willing to host it.

Anyone who can help, or knows of a suitable location, is being asked to get in touch with Visit Fishguard & Goodwick.

Community

Tenby Summer Spectacular cancelled amid council row over harbour access

Published

11 hours ago

June 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Organisers say popular charity events cannot safely go ahead without clear powers to control crowds

TENBY ROUND TABLE has announced that this summer’s Tenby Summer Spectacular events have been cancelled until further notice amid a dispute with Pembrokeshire County Council over crowd control at the harbour.

The events, which were due to take place on Sunday, August 16 and Sunday, August 30, have been a major feature of Tenby’s summer calendar for decades, drawing large crowds to the harbour for entertainment, food, drink and fireworks.

In a statement, Tenby Round Table said the decision had been made “with enormous sadness” and claimed it had been forced on organisers because of unresolved issues over the safe management of pedestrian access.

The organisation said it needed the council’s Public Realm department to use statutory powers to temporarily restrict pedestrian access through the event area when capacity is reached.

Organisers said the matter had first been raised with the council in September 2025 and again formally in writing in May 2026.

They said volunteers had attended meetings, commissioned professional health and safety consultants and worked on Event Management Plans, but claimed the council had still not provided a clear answer.

Tenby Round Table said: “PCC’s Public Realm department has had nine months to answer one question on safe and controlled access to the harbour. It has not done so.”

The group also alleged that recent written responses from the council contained factual inaccuracies and misleading statements about the relevant legislation.

It added that the council’s legal advice was understood to be provisional and still under internal review.

The cancellation is currently described as provisional, with organisers giving the council a final deadline of June 25 to provide what they describe as a clear, accurate and legally grounded answer.

Tenby Round Table said that if this is provided, it will do everything possible to reinstate the events.

The group said the Summer Spectacular had raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities, sports teams, community groups and worthy individuals since it began.

It said the cancellation would be a devastating blow to those who benefit from the funds raised.

The statement added that organisers are still working with Dyfed-Powys Police and other relevant authorities ahead of a council licensing committee meeting in July, which is expected to consider whether the event licence should be renewed, amended or withdrawn.

The Herald has asked Pembrokeshire County Council for comment.

Charity

Sea shanties and street food bring crowds to Cardigan RNLI festival

Published

12 hours ago

June 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

SUNSHINE, sea shanties and street food helped draw hundreds of visitors to Cardigan RNLI Lifeboat Station on Saturday (Jun 20).

The station’s Sea Shanty and Street Food Festival brought together families, supporters and visitors from across the region for a day of maritime music, food and community spirit.

Traditional sea shanty groups performed throughout the event, with songs echoing around the lifeboat station, while street food vendors served a range of refreshments.

The event also gave visitors the chance to learn more about the lifesaving work carried out by the RNLI and its volunteer crews.

Cardigan RNLI thanked the performers, food vendors, volunteers, sponsors and supporters who helped make the day a success.

Bruce Harris, Launch Authority and event organiser, said: “It was wonderful to see so many people come together to support the station, enjoy the entertainment, and celebrate our maritime heritage.

“The atmosphere throughout the day was fantastic, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, performed, volunteered, and contributed to such a memorable event.”

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts.

The charity operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands.

Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved more than 146,700 lives.