News
Match-funding for £20m Welsh Government grants backed by councillors
A £2.2 million bid for securing transport grants of more than £20m was backed by senior Pembrokeshire councillors this week.
The April meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet received and approved a report on match funding requests for schemes contained within the WG Transport Grants 2023-24 bids.
The total 2023-24 costs of schemes are £20,435,673, made up of Welsh Government funding bids totalling £18,246,504, and Pembrokeshire County Council match funding requested of £2,124,169, subject to finalisation.
Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett told members the match-funding figure would be “the maximum exposure” to the local authority, moving approval.
A report for members said: “Cabinet approval is required to secure match funding for the schemes contained within the WG Transport Grants 2023-24 bids. A full decision on the awarding of the WG Grants is expected in late April 2023; the amounts requested are the maximum requests for each scheme.
“WG Funding has been successfully used in previous years to support transport scheme design, development and construction throughout Pembrokeshire.
“The annual awards of funds requires local authorities to submit bids each year, with an expectation of match funding (currently 11 per cent) to be included in some schemes.
“Cabinet on December 5 resolved that the development and submission of applications to Welsh Government for Transport Grant, as outlined in that report, to fund the development and delivery of a number of transport schemes and initiatives in 2023-24, be approved.
“In February 2023, PCC submitted a final set of scheme documents to WG under the Active Travel, Safer Routes in Communities, ULEZ and Local Transport Fund.
“Schemes for the Resilient Roads Schemes were submitted separately.”
Match-funding
Schemes applying for bids – and their respective match-funding – include:
- Haverfordwest public transport interchange £7,672,293, £948,261
- Milford Haven PTI £1,720,340, £220,660
- Pembroke DockPTI £2,163,368, £267,383
- Fflecsi Bus (South Expansion) £160,200, £19,800
- Bus Stop Improvements £396,050, £48,950
- Fishguard & Goodwick Rail Station £667,500, £82,500
- Newgale Coastal Adaptation £565,150, 69,850
- Saundersfoot Station to Marina £873,553, £107,967
- Stammers Road to Marina £467,250, £57,750
- Tenby Croft to Rail Station £756,500, £93,500
- Milford Haven – Steynton to Studdolph £743,150, £91,850
- Narberth SRiC £411,000, £50,798
- ULEV – Phase 6 £356,000, £44,000
Cabinet agreed, in principle, to all match funding and delegated the decision for the exact award amounts to Cabinet Member for
Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett and the Director of Resources, based on the actual final awards of grant.
An update to the Capital Programme will be provided once the final figures have been awarded.
Community
Woman rescued from coast path after ankle injury
Coastguard teams called to Dinas Island near Pwllgwaelod
A WOMAN was stretchered from the coast path near Pwllgwaelod after suffering an ankle injury.
HM Coastguard Fishguard was tasked at 5:22pm on Friday, June 27, alongside HM Coastguard Teifi, to assist the casualty on Dinas Island.
The teams attended the scene near Hendre Farm Campsite and Cottages and, with help from the landowner, were able to quickly locate the injured woman.
Her injured limb was immobilised before she was carried by stretcher to her nearby car, where family members were able to take her on to hospital.
Fishguard Coastguard thanked the landowner for their help.
Entertainment
This Ain’t Texas organisers admit Carmarthen festival ‘didn’t go exactly as planned’
ORGANISERS of a country music festival held in Carmarthen have thanked visitors for their support while admitting that parts of the event “did not go exactly as planned”.
This Ain’t Texas Festival took place at the United Counties Showground on Saturday (Jun 27), promising live country music, line dancing, American BBQ, street food, western-themed stalls and family-friendly entertainment.
The event was part of a UK-wide tour, with the Carmarthen date promoted as a Nashville-style day out for families and country music fans.
But after the event, a number of attendees took to social media to raise concerns about queues, parking, food options and the overall organisation of the day.
In a statement posted online, organisers said: “Thank you, Carmarthen. What a day.
“Firstly, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came out and made this event so special. The support, energy, and positive feedback we’ve received across the country has been incredible, and we’re truly grateful for every single one of you.
“That said, we also know that not everything went exactly as planned. We’ve received some constructive feedback from attendees, and we want you to know that we’ve listened carefully.”
Some visitors said they had enjoyed the atmosphere, music and line dancing, while others said the event had fallen short of expectations.
One attendee said the day had been “very disappointing” after booking early-bird tickets and looking forward to the festival for months.
Another visitor said the bar queue was long, adding that they had queued for more than an hour, although they still felt the ticket price had been good value.
Others called for more food choice, including vegetarian options, and said parking and space on site would need to be reviewed if the event returned on a larger scale.
There was also praise for the local line dancing element, with one attendee saying it had “definitely added to the experience”.
The festival had been advertised as a one-day country and western-themed event, with live tribute acts, dancing, food, drink, stalls and activities.
Community
Civic service brings Pembrokeshire towns together in Haverfordwest
A CIVIC service has been held at St Mary’s Church in Haverfordwest, bringing together civic leaders, councillors, cadets and community representatives from across Pembrokeshire.
The Mayor’s Civic Service took place at 11:00am on Sunday, 28 June 2026, at the historic High Street church, one of the county town’s most familiar landmarks.
The service was hosted by Haverfordwest Town Council and attended by the Sheriff of Haverfordwest, Cllr Dani Thomas-Turner, Deputy Lord Lieutenants, the mayors of Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Neyland and St Davids, members of the Guild of Freemen, the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet and the Mayoral Cadet.

St Mary’s Church has stood at the heart of Haverfordwest for more than 800 years. Built in about 1200, its size and position have made it one of the town’s dominant historic buildings.
Cllr Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner said the occasion had been “truly special and humbling”.
He said: “It was an honour to gather in one of our town’s most historic and beautiful buildings, a church that has stood at the heart of our community since the 12th century, bringing people together in faith, service and reflection.”

Cllr Thomas-Turner and the Sheriff thanked all those who attended, saying the presence of civic representatives from neighbouring towns reflected the “strong spirit of friendship and partnership across Pembrokeshire”.
They also paid tribute to fellow town councillors, the Guild of Freemen, and the cadets who supported the service.
Cllr Thomas-Turner added: “Days like today remind us that civic life is about more than titles and chains of office. It is about service, community, friendship and working together for the good of our towns and our county.”
He said the event had been a proud day for Haverfordwest, adding: “Haverfordwest truly is the Best in the West.”
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