News
County mourns those taken from us in Great War
THE CITIZENS of Pembrokeshire pride themselves on the bravery of the soldiers from this county, and emotionally honour these fallen war heroes every year.
However, this year the remembrance services in Pembrokeshire will be unlike any other, because this year marks one hundred years since World War One began. From the brave gunners to the chivalrous fighter pilots, Pembrokeshire will remember them all. This year marks 100 years since The Great War began, a war that claimed 1,300 Pembrokeshire lives. But World War One didn’t only take the lives of many Pembrokeshire citizens – it also affected the political, technological, and cultural aspects of life in the county. All across the county, citizens and organisations are hosting events to commemorate those taken from us in World War One. In St Davids, there was a production called ‘Oh What A Lovely War’. This unique play was performed in the open air in the ruins of St David Bishop’s Place. Told by a lively Pierrot group with their theatre band, the play presented the story of the First World War in all its heartbreak and bravery, through drama, dance, comedy and music. Ceredigion hosted an exhibition, commemorating those from Aberaeron and the surrounding area who served in World War One. This exhibition also looked at life in Aberaeron during the war. On August 4, citizens of Pembrokeshire participated in a UK-wide initiative, named ‘Lights Out’, in which participants turned off all of their lights and left a single candle aflame in a symbolic act of reflection. Welsh Government buildings, the Senedd and Cadw sites at Caernarfon Castle and Castell Coch also participated. The First Minister, Carwyn Jones, has spoken of the importance in pausing to remember a defining moment in history, as Wales prepares to mark the centenary of the First World War. The First Minister said: “The events that took place following August 4, 1914 had monumental consequences that rippled throughout our history.” “Commemorative events are happening across Wales this week, and they serve to ensure we never forget a moment that would have affected the lives of every person living in Wales.” “These events are about taking a moment to remember the sacrifices of ordinary men and women from communities across Wales and to remember the cost of a terrible war and the impact that has reverberated through our nation and shaped the Wales we know today.” Throughout 2014, we will commemorate the centenary of World War One, which claimed many lives, but also brought change and improvement to Pembrokeshire life. One hundred years on, Pembrokeshire will honour and remember them.
News
Welsh Lib Dems urge First Minister to return dodgy donation
THIS week in the Senedd, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have urged the First Minister to return the £200,000 donation he received from a company linked to environmental crimes.
Speaking to the Senedd on Wednesday, party leader Jane Dodds MS urged FM Vaughan Gething to return money donated to his campaign by Dauson Environmental, a refuse and recycling business owned by David John Neal.
Mr Neal received a 3-month suspended prison sentence in 2013 for illegally dumping waste at a conservation site on the Gwent levels.
His companies Atlantic Recycling and Neal Soil Suppliers were also prosecuted and given fines and costs of £202,000.
Then in 2017, Mr Neal was given another suspended sentence of 18 weeks, with fines and costs of £230,000 after failing to remove the waste.
The Welsh Lib Dems have called on the FM to return the donation, as part of wider calls for a shift away from the influence of “big money” in Welsh politics.
Commenting, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said:
“This entire episode has casted a dark shadow upon Welsh democracy and has rightfully led to many questioning the integrity of Vaughan Gething’s leadership campaign and the way our democracy works here in Wales.
Unfortunately for many of us this is hardly surprising, as our political system has been broken for quite some time now.
A system that empowers the elite donor class whilst simultaneously shutting out the voice of the voter is a perversion of democracy itself.
This is why our wider goal must be to remove the influence of ‘big money’ from Welsh politics once and for all.
We cannot have another government that prioritises the interests of its financial benefactors over those of the Welsh people.
We need to take a firm stance in rooting out the influence of cash in Welsh politics, for the sake of our communities we must start prioritising their interests and needs instead of having more self-serving politicians.”
News
Council seeking legal advice to address Withyhedge enforcement
PEMBROKESHIRE County Council says it has sought legal advice and is contemplating legal proceedings against Withyhedge Landfill operators RML, in regards to the ongoing odour issues at the site.
The Council intends to ask the Court for an injunction requiring RML to abate the public nuisance odour arising from the landfill. Failure to comply with the injunction would be contempt of court, which carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment and unlimited fine.
Following significant work undertaken by RML the Authority is disappointed that the problem has not been resolved and residents continue to be impacted by the odour.
Working in collaboration with Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Public Health Wales (PHW), we fully appreciate that the communities affected cannot tolerate this any longer.
NRW announced that the first set of deadlines for the completion of actions to tackle the ongoing odour issues at Withyhedge Landfill have been met, one week on following the issuing of further enforcement action on 18th April.
This will be closely monitored by NRW to ensure the operator complies with all the actions set out in Notice by 14 May.
It was deemed appropriate to wait until the operator had carried out mitigation to comply with the enforcement requirements by NRW prior to considering this additional action.
To that end, on 26th April 2024, the Council served RML with a letter of claim and invited them to give legally binding undertakings to abate the odour nuisance or face legal proceedings. The Council also asked for disclosure of documents relevant to the proceedings, including records of waste brought in or removed from the landfill.
The Council has given RML until 14th May 2024 to respond to its letter of claim. This aligns with the current deadline set by NRW under its enforcement notice.
Pembrokeshire County Council Chief Executive Will Bramble welcomed the move. He said: “We are extremely disappointed that RML has not delivered the necessary action to stop the completely unacceptable smells from the site.
“We fully support the additional enforcement action being taken by NRW and continue to work closely with them to do all in our power to correct the situation.
“Our intention to ask the Court for an injunction requiring RML to stop the odour nuisance arising from the landfill, is another part of our collaborative approach. The smell from Withyhedge is having a major impact on residents and visitors. This situation has gone on too long and it is unacceptable.”
News
Beautiful, funny and lovely: Family pay tribute to Sian Batchelor
THE family of a woman has paid tribute to a “beautiful, funny, lovely person.”
Sian Batchelor, aged 32, was found on a beach near Pennar, Pembroke Dock on Tuesday evening, April 30th, 2024.
Her family has issued a statement to say: ‘We are devastated by our loss. Sian was a beautiful, funny, loving person. We will treasure the good times we had with her.
“We would now like time to grieve and would ask to be given privacy in which to do so.”
The circumstances surrounding Sian’s death are being investigated and police would like to hear from anyone with information, sightings of Sian or contact from Sian, between Thursday April 25 to Tuesday April 30.
Police can be contacted either online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908.
Quote reference: DP-20240430-284
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