News

St Clears railway station project derailed

Published

2 years ago

October 26, 2023

Plans to reopen the long-defunct railway station have been thrown into disarray. The much-anticipated revival, backed by a £4.7 million commitment from the UK Government, has hit a financial brick wall, with the Welsh Government conceding its inability to match the necessary funds for the project’s completion.

The station, which closed in 1964, was slated for a grand revival, promising enhanced connectivity and economic opportunities for the region. Initial optimism had permeated the community when groundwork and surveying commenced in early 2022. However, the dream of a bustling transport hub now seems distant, as the project faces an unforeseen hurdle – a financial shortfall of nearly £6 million.

The crisis came to light during discussions in the Senedd this week. Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters, revealed that the original cost estimate of £6 million had doubled due to complications arising from changes in signalling systems. “There’s an assumption in this scheme that the Welsh Government will match-fund and we were willing to match-fund at a lower cost but we simply do not have the funds to match-fund at the higher costs. That is the truth of the situation,” Waters somberly stated. His words laid bare the stark reality faced by the Welsh Government, caught between the community’s needs and financial constraints.

Conservative politicians for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Simon Hart MP and Samuel Kurtz MS, expressed their deep concern during a recent on-site inspection. Mr. Hart elucidated the financial intricacies, saying, “The UK Government promised nearly £5 million towards the project and the Welsh Government put in another £1.6 million – but the costs have doubled due to the price of changing the signalling and there is now a shortfall of nearly £6 million.” Their concern mirrored the sentiments of the local populace, disappointed by the project’s stagnation despite initial promises.

Further complicating matters is the Welsh Government’s approach, intertwining the railway station’s fate with a proposed new hospital in the vicinity. Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz voiced his disappointment, stating, “Despite this project being greenlit a few years ago, the Welsh Government have conflated the station build with the potential new hospital, seemingly making the station conditional on the hospital being built in St Clears. This means there has been no progress at all and, in this time, costs have risen.”

This revelation has left the residents of St Clears in a state of uncertainty, their hopes for improved transportation and economic growth hanging by a thread. The once-promising project now faces an ambiguous future, with the community eagerly awaiting decisive action from both the Welsh and UK Governments.

As the situation stands, the St Clears railway station remains a poignant symbol of unrealized potential, a reminder of the challenges faced by local communities in the pursuit of progress. The residents, alongside their representatives, remain steadfast in their desire for a resolution, hoping that the railway station will one day become more than just a fading memory, but a vibrant reality, breathing new life into their town.

An attempt to reopen the station in 1973 was made by five local authorities and organisations, together with the Department of the Environment, which jointly agreed to fund construction of a new station at a total cost of then of just £5,400 (or £25,000 in today’s money)

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

9 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include:

Intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015
Common assault
Assault by beating

No further details of the alleged incident were opened in court, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Sudbury was remanded on conditional bail, with the case listed to return to magistrates later this month.

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

10 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

10 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.