News

Welsh Government plans to introduce road-charging

Published

2 years ago

November 21, 2023

MARK DRAKEFORD’s claim that the Welsh Government had no plans to introduce road charging has been shot down in flames by … the Welsh Government.

New legislation introduced by the Welsh Government makes a mockery of reassurances about road charging the First Minister gave in October.

Following the controversy over his administration’s introduction of a default 20mph speed limit across Wales, Mr Drakeford answered questions in the Senedd on October 3.
One of the Conservative frontbench team, Janet Finch-Saunders, asked Mark Drakeford if his government planned to introduce road charging.

The First Minister answered: “The UK Secretary of State holds powers to implement universal road charging and to retain revenues for Transport.

“Welsh Ministers can provide powers to local authorities to implement local schemes. There are no plans to introduce charges for motorists on Welsh Government-managed trunk roads.”

Smelling a rat, Mrs Finch-Saunders pressed the First Minister further.

Mr Drakeford doubled down.

“Let me repeat the answer so that the Member can ensure she is telling people who contact her the truthful position.

“There are no plans—here’s the answer; this is what you need to tell people should they ask you. There are no plans – no plans – to introduce charges for motorists on Welsh Government-managed trunk roads. That should put the rumours to bed.”

This week, the Welsh Government published a bill to address air quality and noise pollution in Wales.
Sections 19-21 of the Bill and one of its schedules refer directly to the introduction of road charging and set out the mechanisms by which it could be imposed.

Among the options available to explain Mark Drakeford’s responses in the Senedd, apart from the obvious one, are that he forgot or didn’t know what was in the legislation (unlikely since Janet Finch-Saunders referred directly to it) or that the Welsh Government seeks powers it has no intention of using (in which case, they should not be in the Bill).

Both are unlikely.

When he appeared before the Senedd’s Climate Change Committee to discuss the Bill, Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters said he was “very attracted by the principle” of using money raised through road charging to improve active travel infrastructure.

However, he said separating the revenue raised from other income would be “problematic for a whole host of other knock-on consequences”.

Of course, Mr Drakeford could simply refer to the absence of current plans. Future plans are another thing altogether.
It’s better to be disingenuous than an outright liar.
To establish the truth, The Herald asked the Welsh Government
how the Bill’s content was compatible with the First Minister’s clear ruling out road charging to the Senedd on October 3.

A Welsh Government spokesperson told us: “The Transport Act 2000 provides Welsh Ministers with powers to introduce trunk road charging schemes on Welsh roads under limited circumstances.

“The provisions at sections 21 and 22, and Schedule 2, of the Bill (as amended at Stage 2), create additional circumstances which would enable Welsh Ministers to introduce schemes to reduce or limit air pollution in the vicinity of a trunk road.

“These powers, if carried by the Senedd, will provide a tool of last resort to tackle persistent air pollution hot spots should this be necessary in the future.”

In the present, Mr Drakeford’s attempt at intellectually dishonest wordplay stands revealed for what it is.

News

BBC apologises to Herald’s editor for inaccurate story

Published

53 minutes ago

December 4, 2025

Staff Writer

THE BBC has issued a formal apology and amended a six-year-old article written by BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas after its Executive Complaints Unit ruled that the original headline and wording gave an “incorrect impression” that Herald editor Tom Sinclair was personally liable for tens of thousands of pounds in debt.

The 2019 report, originally headlined “Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts”, has now been changed.

The ECU found: “The wording of the article and its headline could have led readers to form the incorrect impression that the debt was Mr Sinclair’s personal responsibility… In that respect the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy.”

Mr Sinclair said: “I’m grateful to the ECU for the apology and for correcting the personal-liability impression that caused real harm for six years. However, the article still links the debts to ‘the group which publishes The Herald’ when in fact they related to printing companies that were dissolved two years before the Herald was founded in 2013. I have asked the BBC to add that final clarification so the record is completely accurate.”

A formal apology and correction of this kind from the BBC is extremely rare, especially for a story more than six years old.

Business

First wind turbine components arrive as LNG project moves ahead

Published

4 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE FIRST ship carrying major components for Dragon LNG’s new onshore wind turbines
docked at Pembroke Port yesterday afternoon last week, marking the start of physical
deliveries for the multi-million-pound renewable energy project.

The Maltese-registered general cargo vessel Peak Bergen berthed at Pembroke Dock on
shortly after 4pm on Wednesday 26th November, bringing tower sections and other heavy
components for the three Enercon turbines that will eventually stand on land adjacent to the
existing gas terminal at Waterston.

A second vessel, the Irish-flagged Wilson Flex IV, has arrived in Pembroke Port today is
due to arrive in the early hours of this morning (Thursday) carrying the giant rotor blades.
The deliveries follow a successful trial convoy on 25 November, when police-escorted low-
loader trailers carried dummy loads along the planned route from the port through
Pembroke, past Waterloo roundabout and up the A477 to the Dragon LNG site.

Dragon LNG’s Community and Social Performance Officer, Lynette Round, confirmed the
latest movements in emails to the Herald.

“The Peak Bergen arrived last week yesterday with the first components,” she said. “We are
expecting another delivery tomorrow (Thursday) onboard the Wilson Flex IV. This will be
blades and is currently showing an ETA of approximately 03:30.”

The £14.3 million project, approved by Welsh Ministers last year, will see three turbines with
a combined capacity of up to 13.5 MW erected on company-owned land next to the LNG
terminal. Once operational – expected in late 2026 – they will generate enough electricity to
power the entire site, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

Port of Milford Haven shipping movements showed the Peak Bergen approaching the Haven
throughout Wednesday morning before finally tying up at the cargo berth in Pembroke Dock.

Cranes began unloading operations yesterday evening.

The Weather conditions are currently were favourable for this morning’s the arrival of
the Wilson Flex IV, which was tracking south of the Smalls at midnight.

The abnormal-load convoys carrying the components from the port to Waterston are
expected to begin early next year, subject to final police and highway approvals.

A community benefit fund linked to the project will provide training opportunities and energy-
bill support for residents in nearby Waterston, Llanstadwell and Neyland.
Further updates will be issued by Dragon LNG as the Port of Milford Haven as the delivery
programme continues.

Photo: Martin Cavaney

Crime

Banned for 40 months after driving with cocaine breakdown product in blood

Published

4 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been handed a lengthy driving ban after admitting driving with a controlled drug in her system more than ten times over the legal limit.

SENTENCED AT HAVERFORDWEST

Sally Allen, 43, of Wentworth Close, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Dec 4) for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on November 25 to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that Allen was stopped on August 25 on the Old Hakin Road at Tiers Cross while driving an Audi A3. Blood analysis showed 509µg/l of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50µg/l.

COMMUNITY ORDER AND REHABILITATION

Magistrates imposed a 40-month driving ban, backdated to her interim disqualification which began on November 25.

Allen was also handed a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as directed by the Probation Service.

She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. Her financial penalties will be paid in £25 monthly instalments from January 1, 2026.

The bench—Mrs H Roberts, Mr M Shankland and Mrs J Morris—said her guilty plea had been taken into account when passing sentence.