Welsh Water urges customers to conserve water after record-breaking dry spring
Traffic lights installed by Wales & West Utilities at the junction have reportedly allowed only minimal vehicles through at a time, leading to significant tailbacks and lengthy delays throughout Monday.
Wales & West Utilities Programme Controller for Pembroke, Adam Smith, said: 'We are working in the Well Hill area of Pembroke, to upgrade the gas network. This work is essential to keep the gas flowing safely to heat and power local homes and businesses and to make sure the gas network is ready to transport greener gas.
'In agreement with Pembrokeshire County Council and in order to keep the local community, road users and our colleagues safe while we work, four-way traffic lights are in place along Well Hill at its junction with Holyland Road, Main Street and Station Road.
'These lights are manned during peak traffic hours; however, we are now increasing the number of traffic officers to try and improve the flow of traffic. While this should help us minimise disruption, we would still encourage people to leave more time for travel and to take alternative routes if at all possible.
'Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we expect to complete our work on Well Hill and remove these lights by 21 July.
'Before our work started, we wrote to homes and businesses in the area letting them know what to expect and held a community drop-in session where people could learn more about the plans. We would like to thank the local community for their patience during these works. We appreciate that working on roads like this is not ideal, and we're sorry for the disruption our work is causing, but it really is essential to keep the gas flowing and to make sure the network is fit for the future.'
Jonathan Grimes, County Councillor for Pembroke St Mary South & Monkton, expressed deep concern about the disruption, stating he had spoken directly to Wales & West Utilities and was liaising with Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC).
Residents voiced their frustration online, highlighting journeys normally taking ten minutes were lasting up to an hour and a half. Local business owner Peter Chesmore described the situation as a 'damn disgrace,' saying it took him 45 minutes to make a short journey to work. Chesmore further demanded night-time works to reduce disruption or financial compensation for affected businesses through rate relief.
School runs were particularly affected, with Anne Braithwaite noting she was 40 minutes late picking up her grandson from nursery. Commuters like Amanda Jane Mcknight and Margaret Powell shared similar stories of extensive delays, suggesting traffic management should mirror arrangements made during Pembroke Fair, using alternative routes or two-way systems to ease congestion.
Concerns were also raised about emergency service accessibility, with locals noting a potential risk if ambulances or fire engines needed rapid passage through the area.
Residents including Virginia Billing described feeling 'imprisoned' in Monkton due to continuous traffic disruptions in recent months, further exacerbating frustration and calls for urgent action.
Councillor Grimes acknowledged a failure in initial traffic management, revealing traffic signals had not been adequately manned initially by Wales & West Utilities. He confirmed that PCC had intervened to address the issues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
DWP confirms Winter Fuel Payment dates and exact amount pensioners can get
THE DWP has confirmed key dates for the Winter Fuel Payment including the exact amounts pensioners can get. The website has been updated with eligibility criteria and how much people will receive based on their circumstances. 1 The up to £300 payment was axed for millions of pensioners last winter and only those on certain benefits qualified. But this winter it will be paid to individuals with a taxable income over £35,000 following pubic outcry. The U-turn means nine million pensioners will get a Winter Fuel Payment this year. But there is still eligibility criteria to meet including your age and where you live. Who is eligible? You can get a Winter Fuel Payment if you were born before September 22, 1959, and live in England and Wales. The amount you will receive is based on when you were born and your circumstances between September 15 and September 21 this year. This is known as the "qualifying week". If you live alone or no one you live with is eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment you will get either: £200, if you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959 £300, if you were born before 22 September 1945 If you live with someone else who's eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment and are not on benefits you will get a payment of: Keir Starmer confirms huge winter fuel payment U-turn £100, if you and the person you live with were both born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959 £100, if you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959 but the person you live with was born before 22 September 1945 £200, if you were born before 22 September 1945 but the person you live with was born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959 £150, if you and the person you live with were born before 22 September 1945 If you and your partner jointly claim one of the following benefits, you will receive a different amount: Pension Credit, Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Income Support. If you are on one of these benefits, one of you will get a payment of either: £200 if both of you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959 £300 if one or both of you were born before 22 September 1945 The payment will be made into the bank account your benefits are usually paid into. If you get any of the same above benefits, but not as part of a joint claim, you'll get a payment of either: £200 if you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959 £300 if you were born before 22 September 1945 However, in all the above cases, if your taxable income is more than £35,000, your Winter Fuel Payment will be taken back either through PAYE or through Self Assessment. If you are living in a care home will get either: £100, if you were born between 22 September 1945 and 21 September 1959 £150, if you were born before 22 September 1945 Do I need to claim? Most people eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment don't need to claim it and will receive it automatically. You do not need to claim if you get any of the following benefits: State Pension Pension Credit Universal Credit Attendance Allowance Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Carer's Allowance Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Income Support income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) awards from the War Pensions Scheme Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Incapacity Benefit Industrial Death Benefit If you do not get any of these, you need to claim if either of the following apply: you've not got the Winter Fuel Payment before you've deferred your State Pension since your last Winter Fuel Payment You can claim the payment by post from September 15, or by phone from October 13. The ultimate deadline to claim for this winter is March 31, 2026. More details on how to claim can be found via Most Winter Fuel Payments are made in November or December. If you are eligible, you should receive a letter in October or November telling you how much you're in line to get. If you don't receive one by January 28, 2026, contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160. Are you missing out on benefits? YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what you could get. Entitledto's free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit. and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data. You can use Policy in Practice's calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs. Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Oona the puffin found in Hereford garden after being blown 100 miles from seaside nest
A lost puffin is being assessed for release after being blown 110 miles inland from the coast of Pembrokeshire. A local found the bird in her Hereford garden and quickly took her to Vets for Pets, where local practice manager Elliot Goodwin nursed her back to health. She was named Oona after the main character in the animated children's TV programme Puffin Rock. She was originally due to be released on Wednesday, but the vets had concerns over the waterproofing of her feathers. Mr Goodwin drove Oona to RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre on Wednesday for specialist assessment and rehab accommodation. 'It's really important that as a seabird going back to the wild, her feathers are in really good condition,' Mr Goodwin said. RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre said: 'Huge thank you to the whole team at 'Vets for Pets Hereford' for your care towards this beautiful bird! An amazing example of what vets and local wildlife organisations can achieve.' Vets for Pets staff were initially sceptical that Oona was actually a puffin, since the seabirds rarely venture inland and Hereford is about 110 miles from their nearest coastal nesting area. But they quickly realised they were indeed treating a puffin, thought to have been blown off from a nest on Skomer or Skokholm islands off the Welsh coast. Oona was underweight and weak when she arrived, but has thrived since staff began feeding her a special formula from animal nutritionist Becky Bridges, and eventually fish. 'We were surprised, to say the least. Puffins never venture this far inland unless they're disoriented or have been blown off course. It's likely she was returning to her nesting site in west Wales and lost her way,' Mr Goodwin told The Times.
Times
20 hours ago
- Times
I am the oldest dad in the playground
By the time I had reached my mid-fifties, I had designed a life for one. I was a full-time artist, a part-time actor and my own boss. Although I had recently lost a flat, I was back on my feet and looking to the future with optimism. I'm not saying it was perfect but most of the time the perks and pitfalls affected me and me alone. I'd avoided fatherhood through a mixture of good and bad fortune, and although I'd been occasionally interested in the biological impulse to procreate, I'd always found a logical justification not to. The main one being that I'd thought I had nothing to offer aside from knowing what not to do. And then it all changed. After dating someone for a short time we unexpectedly had a baby on the way. Sadly that didn't last, but after much soul-searching we did it again. Amid all the questioning and introspection there had been a turning point for me. I had come to realise that I had something I wanted to pass on to a child: all of the lessons I had learnt, ones that came with age, not despite it. • Read more parenting advice, interviews, real-life stories and opinions I became part of what is a growing trend in this country: an older father. Babies born to men over the age of 60 went up by 14.2 per cent in 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics. According to statisticians, this 'notable jump' has helped the birth rate rise in England and Wales. My first child was born when I was 55 and my second when I was closer to 58. The biggest surprises were how naturally fatherhood came to me and the overwhelming love I felt. I quickly came to realise that my fears about coming up short weren't a sign of my age or financial status but a parent thing — at any age. Parenting is simply a risky business emotionally. And, in fact, having more life experience allowed me to be more resilient rather than less. I'm now 63, and my children are five and eight. That doesn't come without its challenges, such as going to preschool soft plays or being mistaken for grandad and watching the embarrassment on parents' faces when I correct them. Then there's the lack of sleep due to every child's sleeping whisper sounding like an alarm. Which can feel a bit shit, if I'm honest. Still, I've yet to meet a parent, regardless of age, who says any different. Giving 100 per cent of yourself at 60 is really no different to doing so at 40 or 30. Although, a bit like those football managers who take on big jobs as young men, the grey hair comes out of nowhere and takes over your whole head in what seems like an instant. • Wrinkles and nappies ― the men who became fathers at 80 I remember one time when another older dad said he'd been so happy to see me at pick-ups and drop-offs because he'd felt so out of place and self-conscious, and I said I felt the same. Then I realised that this man, who I thought was old, was in fact five years younger than me. I am indeed the oldest dad in the playground! I have moments when I wear that badge with pride and I have moments when my back hurts too much. Although the things I worried about, the clichés of not being able to play football or run around after my children, have proved to be nonsense. I'm still a much better footballer than my son and I'm faster and stronger. By the time I'm not, he'll be too old to want to play with me. Perhaps the hardest thing about being an older father hit me last year, when a good friend who was four years younger than me died after a short illness, leaving behind two children. Although I've had friends die before, I had never experienced this during fatherhood. For about three months I found it impossible to look at my own young children without feeling a great sense of sadness and pain, wondering when I'd die, how old they would be, what I could do. After that, I think I finally sacrificed the last bit of me and became determined to give them enough love, enough care and enough wisdom to be better able to deal with that loss when it comes. I resolved to make my presence felt so as to last them a lifetime. That is now my job. Every day I fear coming up short but that goes with the territory. And that is the deal.@christostolera_studio
