Politics

Haverfordwest interchange scrutiny call fails but project will cost millions less

Published

7 months ago

May 9, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL for Haverfordwest’s transport interchange to come under the scrutiny of full council was defeated by just one vote, but the project as a whole will see a cheaper version built, to the tune of more than £10m.

The second stage of building Haverfordwest’s transport interchange was backed by Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet last month, with members hearing it could cost the council more to not support it.

The transport interchange, which includes an integrated bus station and construction of a new multi-storey car park, is part of a wider series of regeneration projects in the county town.

The total cost of the Welsh Government grant-supported scheme in the approved budget is £18.881m, £1.987m coming from Pembrokeshire County Council.

At the April Cabinet meeting, a report for members warned that if the scheme was not backed then Welsh government could withdraw its grant funding, with some £3.376m spent on the project to date, which could be reclaimed.

After that meeting, a successful ‘call-in’ for the matter to be discussed at the council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting of May 7 was made by the council’s Welsh Conservative group, led by Cllr Di Clements.

It asked for “full and proper scrutiny” of the decision, saying the Cabinet decision had “little discussion on how the ‘value engineering’ of this project will affect the project overall”.

At the May 7 meeting, deputy leader Cllr Paul Miller labelled the ‘call-in’ politically motivated, saying: “The council had a car park that wasn’t very good, and we’re building a better one,” adding: “Cabinet didn’t vote for something they didn’t understand, every member in that room knew what they were voting for.

“It’s going to cost a lot more not to do this project than to do it; I think this is a purely political exercise, nonsense really, if Pembrokeshire County Council can’t rebuild a knackered carpark in its county town centre what is going on?”

Following a successful call by Cllr Aled Thomas for some confidential details of the ‘value engineering’ reductions in costs were made public; the cost of the overall project reduced by some £10m-plus, from an early estimate figure of £25m for the original scheme highlighted in the now-public documents.

The ‘value engineering’ includes a reduction in size of the scheme, from 320 to 290 larger parking spaces, including the removal of a ‘green roof’ and other infrastructure.

“I struggle to see how you can take £10m off a project and it fundamentally be the same project,” Cllr Thomas said.

Cllr Miller told members: “This has been an exercise in cutting our cloth, but we think we found the right balance.”

Councillor Tony Wilcox said: “We’re getting basically the same scheme for £10m less, virtually like-for-like, it’s good all round; I only wish it was in Pembroke Dock.”

The issue of the changed figures drew the ire of former council leader Cllr Jamie Adams, who said: “Part of the scandal surrounding the project is the figures [over time] have been so wildly fluctuating, £8m then £18m, we never really had an explanation as to why that was; then up to £25m, and now down to £14.5m.

“The public are rightly asking ‘what an earth is going on?’.”

He added: “We’ve had a fait accompli and such wildly conflicting reports about how much it’s going to cost; you would struggle to find 10 per cent of the people I’ve spoken to say they were in support of this scheme.

“We’re simply reflecting the views we’re being given; we’ve become a bit of a laughing-stock because the costs of this have gone up and down, up and down.”

Cllr Miller finished by saying: “Here we are, half way down the road to building this car park, it’s £1.9m to deliver, if we don’t deliver we’ll have to spend much more to have a gravel car park we have now.”

A call was made by Cllr Thomas for the scheme to return to full council, along with potential revisions to the scheme.

“The issue here isn’t the car park in itself, it’s the way it’s been handled; the fact is the Cabinet meeting was done and dusted in 10 minutes.”

He formally proposed: “Given the significance of this project, the committee wish for full council to provide full scrutiny of this project at a council level before returning its recommendation to the cabinet.

“The committee request that Cllr Miller engage with the Welsh Government as to whether it is possible for a revision to be made to this project and its funding as a result of town centres changing drastically post Covid-19, and that should also be discussed at the council meeting.”

That call was defeated by seven votes to six, the original Cabinet decision standing.

Education

Pembrokeshire free school transport call to be heard at County Hall

Published

12 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to allow school pupils from Johnston and Tiers Cross access to free school transport to the nearby Haverfordwest high school is to be heard by councillors next week.

Due to a change in catchment areas the pupils are no longer able to access free transport to Haverfordwest, instead coming under the Milford Haven catchment area.

A petition calling for the reinstatement of the former catchment area to access free transport for pupils to Haverfordwest was recently started in the county.

The e-petition, which ran from September 18-November 1 on the council’s own website, attracted 351 signatures, meeting the threshold for a debate at the relevant Pembrokeshire County Council overview and scrutiny committee, in this case the Schools And Learning Overview And Scrutiny Committee meeting of November 28.

The petition, started by Kirsty Coaker, reads: “We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to change Johnston and Tiers Cross School Catchment back to Haverfordwest.

“Children of Johnston and Tiers Cross are now ineligible for free school transport to Haverfordwest High due to the areas no longer being in ‘catchment’.

“Both Johnston and Tiers Cross are Haverfordwest postal codes and are classed as Haverfordwest, yet the school catchment is Milford Haven.

“Please help our children access suitable transport to and from secondary school.”

The e-petition will now be considered at the November 28 meeting.

Climate

Pembrokeshire group plans for larger community wind turbine

Published

12 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A NORTH Pembrokeshire group which has raised more than £76,000 from its community wind turbine for local projects is hoping to expand with a bigger turbine.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Abergwaun Community Turbine Ltd, through agent Machynlleth-based Dulas Ltd is hoping to get permission for a larger turbine to replace the existing Abergwaun Community Turbine.

The proposed turbine, in a pasture field at Trebover Farm, to the south of Fishguard, would be 67m tall, the existing 2015 one being 45 metres.

In supporting statements, parent company Transition Bro Gwaun said: “The Community Climate Fund (CCF) is the mechanism by which Transition Bro Gwaun (TBG) is fulfilling our ambition of funding projects in Fishguard, Goodwick and across North Pembrokeshire, using income from the community wind turbine.

“The core themes for grants are climate change mitigation and adaptation, enhancement of biodiversity and improvements to community resilience through promotion of community engagement and resource sharing.”

In 2015, TBG raised its 50 per cent share of capital funding for the project by means of loans from 28 local individuals and four community groups, contributing a total of £286,500, the other 50 per cent contributed by landowners Parc-y-Morfa Farms Ltd.

The statement added: “Profit generated by sale of electricity from the turbine is split 50:50 between TBG and Parcy-Morfa Farms Ltd through the jointly owned trading arm, Abergwaun Community Turbine. By the end of 2022, all loans had been repaid, allowing the launch of TBG’s Community Climate Fund. This year we have awarded our third round of grants bringing the total amount granted to £76,036.”

In 2022, £15,274 was awarded to seven projects, including Fishguard Sports AFC to install solar panels on their clubhouse as part of their Tregroes Park development, Ysgol Bro Gwaun for their Increasing Biodiversity and Bees project, and Nevern Valley Veg / Llysiau Cwm Nyfer to install a solar powered vegetable irrigation scheme.

In 2023, £39,85 was made available for seven projects, including Sea Trust Wales to part fund the installation of solar panels on the Ocean Lab roof and to produce a display on solar technology, Letterston Memorial Hall to part fund the installation of an air source heat pump heating system, and Fishguard and Goodwick Rugby Club to install solar panels on their clubhouse.

2024 awards of £20,917 were made to six projects, including Theatr Gwaun to insulate their loft to reduce heating loss, Parc Cerrig Growers for developing a rainwater harvesting system with a pond to irrigate their allotments, Caerhys Organic Community Agriculture for an electric cargo bike for delivering organic vegetables in the Fishguard and St Davids areas, and Nevern Valley Veg to develop wildlife ponds and rainwater harvesting for food production.

The supporting documentation concludes: “The repowering of the existing turbine at Trebover would require a limited increase in turbine size which would result in a very limited change in landscape and visual effects in comparison to the existing Trebover turbine.”

The application will be considered by planners at a later date.

Business

Call to end ‘fad’ of ‘school dogs’ in Pembrokeshire

Published

17 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to end the ‘fad’ of permanent ‘school dogs’ in Pembrokeshire for their benefit and the befit of the schools, instead using visiting ‘therapy dogs’ is to be heard next week.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Schools And Learning Overview And Scrutiny Committee meeting of November 28 will consider a public submission by Robert Thomas – who works with therapy dogs – on the subject of school dogs.

The submission reads: “My definition of a school dog is one that spends long periods in the school and is managed and owned by school employees not outside assessed and insured visiting therapy dogs who stay for an hour with a competent handler.

“The welfare of many dogs in schools in Pembrokeshire has been compromised over the last few years and we are concerned that the rise in the popularity of school-owned or teacher-owned dogs is an animal welfare issue.

“I can think of several school dogs in Pembrokeshire where it has gone wrong for the animal.”

He cites examples of ‘school dogs’ the county, where he says they have had to be removed, with the animals being unsettled, barking and even nipping on occasions, showing “a lack of understanding of animal welfare”.

His submission adds: “We have done some work with the Animal Welfare team at the Welsh Government around licensing this field, a consultation was completed in March 2023, currently awaiting the outcome.

“It has become a fad across the country and many dogs spend all day in schools supported by staff members who have another job to do. It feels like PCC does not have a policy overarching animal welfare policy in schools to protect dogs from being seen as staff members and there purely for human benefit, not the dogs.

“Dogs need to rest and sleep during the day and not in school. The visiting therapy dog model works best as the impact is greatest and the welfare of the dog is managed externally. If the dog is there all the time that can diminish the impact, and the novelty can wear off for the pupils.

“In my experience schools should concentrate on teaching and leave the therapy dog introduction to those that have the expertise in animal welfare.”

The submission will be considered by committee members at the November 28 meeting.