News

Porthgain Harbour parking changes will cause ‘division’

Published

2 years ago

September 8, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS for parking and traffic changes which have created “tensions and divisions” in a rural north Pembrokeshire seaside village with fears it would lead to is “complete urbanisation” have been backed by the national park.

Pembrokeshire County Council, in an application before the September 4 meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee, sought approval for a long list of changes to Porthgain Harbour, Porthgain.

It includes highway and environmental improvements, including new parking bays, a realignment of the existing Llanrhian Road carriageway, resurfacing of existing parking areas, designated pedestrian footways and crossings, and traffic calming features.

The National Park owns the land subject to the application, historically a quarry port prosperous in the early 1900s; the scheme recommended for conditional approval.

The centre is a Conservation Area and contains a number of listed buildings; the former quarry and harbour are a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The village of 260 residents is dominated by the village green and informal car parking area and high visitor numbers during peak months cause traffic congestion, parking problems, and safety issues for pedestrians and emergency vehicles, a report for planners said.

“The application notes that high visitor numbers during peak months cause traffic congestion, parking problems, and safety issues for pedestrians and emergency vehicles. The proposed development seeks to address these issues through a range of highway and environmental improvements with associated drainage infrastructure and landscape enhancements.”

It added: “A range of public responses have been received raising a number of concerns including around whether the scheme has reflected previous public engagement proposals, whether the scheme is necessary and whether it will negatively impact on the character and appearance of the historic village of Porthgain.”

Concerns raised in the report said the proposal would “change the ‘feral and free’ nature of Porthgain,” and is “a complete urbanisation of a very rural historic working harbour village” and the “natural charm of village will be ruined”.

Amongst the lengthy proposals were “road realignment, new parking bays, pedestrian footways, traffic calming measures, and improved drainage to enhance accessibility and safety,” the report said, with an informal one-way system being introduced.

Speaking at the September meeting, local county councillor Cllr Neil Prior said the issue was “probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done as a county councillor”.

He told members a residents’ group had been formed after concerns were raised about how busy the local parking situation was in what is now “a year-round problem” rather than just the summer months, with funding secured for the £350,000 project.

He said part of the traffic problem was “19th century infrastructure dealing with 21st century problems.”

He said there had been much local division over the proposals, and he had been to “numerous meetings trying to smooth things out,” adding: “There have been some strong objections, there have been village tensions, which I regret; what started as harmonious and collegiate has been quite divisive.

“There’s been a number of strong objections but a number in quiet support, who perhaps haven’t made their views because of the tensions.”

He told members: “My plea is we have to continue engagement with the residents of the village; I always say this is for the village.”

The scheme was unanimously supported by park planners.

Crime

Uxbridge motorist banned after Pembrokeshire drug-drive stop

Published

60 minutes ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Driver was heading home after visiting former girlfriend when police stopped him on the A477

A WEST London motorist has been banned after being caught driving on the A477 in Broadmoor with a cocaine metabolite and cannabis in his system.

Danny Small, 32, was stopped by police carrying out routine checks at around 11:30am on January 28.

After providing a positive roadside drug swipe, Small was taken to a police station, where blood tests showed he had 157mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 2.9mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The legal limit is 2mcg.

Small, of Little London Close, Uxbridge, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to two drug-driving offences.

Probation officer Julie Norman told the bench that Small had been visiting his former girlfriend in Pembrokeshire and was driving home to Uxbridge at the time of the offence.

Ms Norman said Small was a regular cannabis and cocaine user.

“This helps treat his undiagnosed ADHD,” she said.

“He didn’t think the drugs would still have been in his system, as he’d consumed the drugs several days earlier. But drugs can often remain in the system for several weeks.”

Small was sentenced to a 12-month community order, during which he must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was fined £80 and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs. He was disqualified from driving for 15 months.

News

Uxbridge motorist banned after Pembrokeshire drug-drive stop

Published

1 hour ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Driver was heading home after visiting former girlfriend when police stopped him on the A477

A WEST London motorist has been banned after being caught driving on the A477 in Broadmoor with a cocaine metabolite and cannabis in his system.

Danny Small, 32, was stopped by police carrying out routine checks at around 11:30am on January 28.

After providing a positive roadside drug swipe, Small was taken to a police station, where blood tests showed he had 157mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 2.9mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The legal limit is 2mcg.

Small, of Little London Close, Uxbridge, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to two drug-driving offences.

Probation officer Julie Norman told the bench that Small had been visiting his former girlfriend in Pembrokeshire and was driving home to Uxbridge at the time of the offence.

Ms Norman said Small was a regular cannabis and cocaine user.

“This helps treat his undiagnosed ADHD,” she said.

“He didn’t think the drugs would still have been in his system, as he’d consumed the drugs several days earlier. But drugs can often remain in the system for several weeks.”

Small was sentenced to a 12-month community order, during which he must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was fined £80 and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs. He was disqualified from driving for 15 months.

Crime

Carpenter banned after drug-driving in camper van

Published

1 hour ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Pembroke Dock man was five times over the cannabis limit

A PEMBROKESHIRE carpenter has been banned from driving after being caught behind the wheel of his camper van while five times over the drug-drive limit.

James Toulouse, 35, was stopped by police shortly before midnight on December 20, 2025, as he drove his white Mercedes Vito along Buttermilk Lane in Pembroke.

“There was a strong smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle and the driver, who was James Toulouse, appeared glazed, as his eyes were red and bleary,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.

A roadside drug swipe proved positive. Further tests showed Toulouse had 11mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The legal limit is 2mcg.

The court heard this was Toulouse’s second drug-driving offence in ten years.

Toulouse, of Clarence Street, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to drug-driving.

He was represented by solicitor Michael Kelleher, who said the defendant works as a carpenter.

“Obviously it’s not going to be easy for him to carry on with his work, but he’s fully intending to do so,” he said.

Toulouse was disqualified from driving for 36 months. He was fined £350 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £140 surcharge.