November has been a very busy month. It’s been very challenging trying to sort many problems and the weather in November certainly didn’t help matters.
At the start of the month I received a call regarding a fallen tree that had totally blocked the bottom of Westfield Road coming from Hopshill Lane. I contacted the relevant department at Pembrokeshire County Council, and the tree was cut up and removed within three hours. I would personally like to thank all those involved especially as this was cleared and the road swept immediately. The weather conditions at the start of November certainly caused widespread issues right across our county.
One area that took the brunt was the steps and walkway at Glen Beach. The bottom steps were damaged which prevented safe access and the railings were also damaged. There was also considerable damage to the underside of the steps that had been pounded by the high tides and strong sea conditions for numerous days. I reported this after receiving emails from concerned residents and went to see the damage for myself. I photographed all the issues and sent them directly to the correct team at PCC to deal with. The path was closed for three days while they conducted the repairs. The PCC team also completed extensive drainage works to the side of the path during the time the path was temporary closed. I did question the damage to the underside of the path and asked if this was safe for public use, as this is part of the Pembrokeshire Costal path. I was informed that an engineer did survey the reported damage and his reply was as follows: “The masonry is in good condition, but there is significant erosion to the section of cliff to which it ties into. Whilst I do not think this is dangerous at present, a repair will be required at some point if the erosion continues. If the erosion continues, this will result in the loss of access to the beach”. I’m also waiting on a tree survey of an Oak tree that is in close proximity to the access onto the beach. I have also asked the question regarding funds to prevent this erosion. Currently there isn’t a budget for this work but I’m sure they will certainly need to look at increasing the budget for works of this nature.
As a County Councillor I was honoured to lay a wreath at the war memorial outside St Issell’s church on Remembrance Sunday. This is in remembrance of the local residents of Saundersfoot and Amroth who gave their lives during the two world wars. I was joined by my fellow County Councillor, Alec Cormack, along with many representatives from our community. The remembrance was organised by Saundersfoot Community Council and Mr Knibbs who all did an excellent job. Leading up to this event I was contacted regarding the leaves and mud that had been washed down from the lanes leading to the church. The area was kept clean by the team at PCC and the main entrance to the church was improved. Works will have to be under taken to prevent silt and mud being washed down and then forming in front of the main gates. A simple drainage channel would adequately take this excess away from the main entrance and I will work with SCC to look at improvements.
Saundersfoot Regency Hall held its first Beat Surgery on the 15th of November. This is a surgery where residents are welcome to come and chat with the Saundersfoot PCSO. It was great to attend this with our local PCSO Ffion. This is a very good way for the Saundersfoot residents to talk about issues that they are experiencing in the community. Ffion engaged with some residents and the communication from residents is similar to what is being reported to me. Speeding motorists and the access at some areas in our village especially for Motability scooters and the disability groups who find uneven pavements, blocked access points, signs and many other hazards a daily problem on their routes in the village. The next meeting is planned for 20th December at the Regency Hall at 2pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.
I have also been liaising with Ffion regarding the reported issue of leaving the engine running outside Saundersfoot School. I have had a very positive response from the public on this and a positive conversation with Saundersfoot School. For me this is all about educating rather than enforcement. Personally this should come from the school and the children as this would certainly be listened more positively. I have asked the local PCSO to call in at the school just to remind individuals of the problems of breathing in carbon monoxide if numerous cars are idling outside school grounds. We also have to remember that the footpath backs onto the car spaces on Frances Road. I have had the Saundersfoot School logo sent to me and the school has approved signage from County Council. This is a clear sign asking for engines to be switched off and I hope that educating the small minority will work and I’ve included a brief document in my monthly report for everyone to read.
The initial works along the first section of Fan Road have been completed, with a new 150 metre length of shared use ‘path’ constructed. The verges have been reinstated along with new drainage, and signage improvements are to follow. Ecology requirements, including dormice studies and bat investigations were completed in early November. The engineering team worked closely with Kite Ecology who ensured that all the necessary site investigations were undertaken and work was able to be approved for the advancement of the scheme. The construction therefore has commenced, with instruction given to the contractors, Evan Pritchard. The current phase between Saundersfoot Railway Station and Valley Road junction having site clearances completed, ground levels reduced to formation level and the construction of the new path programmed. It is hoped to complete as much as possible of this section before the Christmas break.
Investigation works has been ongoing to locate an existing culvert that historically has allowed drainage west to east under Fan Road. The shared use path improvement required this asset to be found and reinstated to ensure that the path half way along Fan Road could be constructed adjacent to a pond. With the pond level being regulated, this will be a unique feature along the improvement. This will allow the future user to experience part of the route that engages close to nature. In order to complete the investigations, engineers and the contractors have arranged to complete excavations by Tuesday 12th of December. This much needed works will be to clear the culvert and complete the required maintenance prior to construction.
Works to Valley Road/Incline junction are well advanced. Further works at the Fan Road/Ridgeway junction will continue with an access point being constructed to allow a safer crossing onto the Ridgeway. There will be construction works, including the carriageway surface being renewed under the evening programme works. This work will commence on January 8th and will last a week. There will be continuing works programmed by Welsh Water diversion works for the resetting of covers to their apparatus. WW will also look at resetting their covers north of Bonville’s Court Caravan Park.
It was scheduled that installing two disabled bays on Milford Street would start at the end of November. Works are now scheduled to be programmed to be undertaken from the week commencing 11th of December. These improvements are to install two limited timed disabled parking bays. Within these alterations the existing street furniture will be repositioned along Milford Street. The three current planters will be placed alongside the two bins, and the benches to be relocated within the Saundersfoot area will be confirmed by Saundersfoot Community Council. I feel having two timed disabled bays will give greater scope for all disability groups to have movement through the day whilst parking on the flat in the village centre.
You’re all aware of the fly tipping that I’ve highlighted every month since I’ve become a county councillor back in May 2022. During November I have had 5 occasions to report issues to Pembrokeshire County Council. These properties are holiday & commercial units in the village who continue to dispose of their rubbish in the bins situated in the village. I explained the process to all the individuals who had no idea they were breaking the law. I then passed on their property details to PCC team so they could work with the properties to find a solution to their waste that they were all happy with. The message is quite clear regarding waste. If a property is a second home and is used by the family and doesn’t charge rental at any time and they pay 100% council tax, then they are allowed to put their waste out for a kerb side collection. If they have a holiday home or second home for rental, then they have to have a waste management agreement in place with a licenced business to take away rubbish from the property. Having reported these incidents in November, I had a walk about meeting with the enforcement team to check on the properties reported. They have assured me that these will be looked at and followed up to make sure that all the agreements are in place.
During November I had a meeting with Mr Thomas Head of Infrastructure and Environmental along with Ms Edwards Environmental services and Councillor Sinnett. The meeting was about working together and sharing knowledge in helping to put things in place for April 2024. From this date all properties will have to make sure that they adhere to recycling requirements from Welsh Government through the Workplace Recycling Regulations and ensuring that properties which are managed by companies have the relevant trade waste agreements or disposal arrangements in place. Since my previous meeting and communication I would like to say that there has been an awful amount of work going on behind the scenes. Pembrokeshire County Council has held meetings with four major holiday let businesses in Saundersfoot. A trade waste Compliance initiative fund had been successful back in September. Since this time, they have had to a new recruit member to the team and all the letters and documents are being reviewed by the trade waste and legal team ready to trial in Saundersfoot. As you can all imagine, this is a complex project which we want to get right so ensuring all the information is correct and procedures are in place is vital to the success of this new initiative. During our September meeting, PCC have undertaken numerous investigations based on reports from myself and other areas of our county. This has resulted in the majority of businesses questioned putting the required arrangements in place, meeting their duty of care requirements and providing the Control Waste Transfer Notes – required evidence to demonstrate compliance with the existing legislation. PCC have also been working with numerous waste collectors in the Saundersfoot area to ensure they are following the current regulations correctly and planning for the recycling changes which are required from April. Since I have raised this issue, a significant amount of work has been undertaken since September, surrounding the points raised by myself to fly tipping. This has led to an increased understanding and compliance amongst holiday let owners and commercial waste collectors, which the introduction of the workplace regulations supported by enforcement regulation by NRW will mean enhanced recycling and compliance next season. All this work and lessons learnt are being fed into the literature and model being prepared for dissemination to businesses in Saundersfoot over the next few months. Personally I’m very pleased with the progress made and the fact that Saundersfoot will trial this new procedure before its rolled out across our county. I’m led to believe a letter will be sent out to all relevant properties in Saundersfoot with detailed information. These waste issues aren’t just contained to Saundersfoot, this is happening in every town and village in Pembrokeshire. Saundersfoot has made some significant changes and we are certainly in a better position after working closely with the Environmental team at PCC. I must also stress that the issues of fly tipping are connected to a very small minority of holiday home owners who haven’t taken their responsibilities on board. These are the same holiday owners who don’t provide any recycling facilities and then this subsequently impacts our village.
In November I held a meeting with Mr Owen [Public Realm Manager], and his team in Saundersfoot. This was to discuss the New Year’s Day Swim and other events that happen in our community. Part of the discussions were around the road closure of the Strand due to the safety concerns of the numbers attending the village to either participate or just watch. Part of the process of organising any event is the detail in how you carry out various tasks, such as an event plan, risk assessment, insurances and public liability, communication with relevant organisations etc. There also has to be a contingency plan for the event in case of unforeseen circumstances. All successful events have to go through rigorous organising with Health & Safety being our number one priority.
I will briefly discuss the recent conversation on line due to the fact that there are limited Christmas lights in the village and no fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately the Chamber for Tourism finished back at the start of the year and no group has come forward this year to take responsibility to put up all the lights and organise the fireworks. The chamber did an incredible job for over twenty years and I feel they didn’t get enough support recently when membership numbers dropped along with volunteers who helped out with various events through the year. It’s disappointing that the village won’t be lit up like previous years, but it’s heartening to see all positive comments on line in offering support and how this can be achieved in the future. I’m also well aware that there is support to introduce the fireworks this New Year’s Eve and I wish them every success.
I had already arranged an EVENTS meeting at the end of January for all the groups who organise events to come forward to look at ways of sharing ideas, equipment, knowledge and costs. I’ve also invited various land owners to this meeting to look at ways of spreading events throughout the year and keeping the main school summer holidays clear. With the Chamber finishing in February 2023 , there were many events which they organised which have now finished. These are New Year’s Eve Fireworks, Christmas Market, Christmas Lights, Halloween Trail, Cawl Trail and Lantern parade. The purpose of the meeting is to look at a calendar of events all year round and who takes responsibility for organising them.
Also during November, I’ve been contacted by residents who are looking for other/suitable properties in Saundersfoot, through the council. Also, residents who are in rented accommodation and are looking for a bigger property for their growing family. This is an ongoing challenge in Saundersfoot, I do feel that there are a limited numbers of properties available for long term rental. Over recent years and especially during Covid, property owners changed from long term rental to holiday lets. This has unfortunately caused many problems locally, especially for young growing families and individuals looking for smaller properties to rent as they are unable to get on the property ladder.
I’ve confirmed with PCC the choice of bin that will now be placed on the Strand opposite Beach Court Flats. This was removed last year due to fly tipping from a minority living on the Strand. Also from owners/guests leaving their property after bin collection and not wanting the waste left at their property. This was then placed behind the bin that then resulted in the pest control team eradicating the rodent issue in the undergrowth. A small waste bin will be placed in the same area mainly for dog walkers to dispose of their waste correctly. PCC have informed me that if this new bin gets abused with bags of rubbish then they won’t hesitate in removing the bin again. Whilst on the subject of dogs, I have received emails and had conversations with locals who have expressed their disappointment that a few individuals don’t pick up after their dog. Whilst out walking recently on the beach I counted over 30 dogs with their owners and observed that there weren’t any issues in the time I was present. There are other times whilst I’ve been out and there has been dog mess left on pavements that isn’t acceptable. Two of the emails I received were from dog owners themselves concerned with what they had seen recently. The problem is not the dog, it’s the owner that has no respect for our village or beaches. I would expect dog owners to clean up after their dog as its their responsibility to do so. These individuals certainly shouldn’t impact on the 95% of dog owners who clean up after their dog and on residents who don’t own a dog. Hopefully we can work on educating the very small minority of individuals and make sure that when they take their dog out that they have sufficient poo bags. I’m sure I will be kept updated on this and hopefully we can work on the 5% through education and then enforcement if they continue to disrespect the rules.
I reported in October the issues of fallen leaves, and this has now been signed off with the works completed. The machine started at the bottom end of Westfield Road, clearing the gullies at the lower end of Hopshill Lane. They also cleared at St Bride’s Lane, the Glen and Bevelin Hall Lane off Sandyhill Road. If there are any outstanding lanes/areas then please let me know.
I also attended a meeting regarding Tenby Swimming pool, where we discussed the short/medium/long term prospects of the current pool. The leisure centre is prospering and the whole centre is very busy. Many of the residents in Saundersfoot use this fantastic Leisure centre and they should be kept updated on facilities they use on a regular basis. It was commented on that the trustees over the last 50 years have done an incredible job for Tenby and its neighbours who also use the facility.
At the start of the month I organised a litter pick, which mainly concentrated on the arteries driving into the village of Saundersfoot. There was an excellent turnout on a cold and wet Sunday morning of over 20 individuals who came along for a chat/walk and pick up litter ‘en route.’ This proved to be very successful as we filled over 20 bags in a short space of time. Thanks go to the PCC waste collection team who came out midmorning to take the waste away.
I also had to report a sheep that was caught in a wire fence that backed onto a house in Whitlow. I reported the matter to the land owner who came out to untangle the animal.
I had also been approached regarding the memory tree that is erected on Saundersfoot Harbour every year, I can confirm the tree will be in place by the end of this coming week situated outside the old coal office building.
In my October report I highlighted the WALKTALKWALK initiative looking at the possibility of setting up this group from Saundersfoot Surgery. This will be a weekly walking group where you will be able to talk and walk in a safe and confidential space. This will be a gentle approx. 1 hour walk that is accessible to all levels of ability. We will walk as slow as the slowest walker and no one gets left behind. This group is not just promoting physical health but also nurturing mental and emotional wellbeing in the community.
I can also confirm that since I posted this initiative back in November I have held two meeting with the doctors surgery, with a view to start the WALKTALKWALK group in January. The surgery are extremely supportive and will have dedicated staff to join the first meeting which will be on Friday 12th of January at 1pm starting at the surgery. Please download the Heylo app prior to the event to register your interest. The staff at the surgery will be joined by myself along with councillor Rhys Jordan the mental and wellbeing champion at Pembrokeshire County Council. Councillor Jordan and I are looking forward to see how this group develops going forward, I have been very pleased with the comments made to me regarding the initial possibility of starting this group.
I want to encourage residents and the wider communities to be involved in any capacity that they feel they are comfortable with. The Regency Hall have also come forward and provided a space and a hot drink after the first meeting in January. This is really positive that the surgery and Regency among many others who are throwing their support behind this new venture. If you have any questions you can email the surgery or myself. Please contact Judith.linton2@wales.nhs.uk or cllr.chris.williams@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
I attended two meetings with the surgery in November. The first meeting was to discuss the issues of patients receiving a car parking ticket whilst visiting the surgery. I had explained that I had received numerous emails and calls from concerned patients who had received a fine from the firm running the doctors car park. Thankfully I was able to speak with the practice manager and those fines will be rescinded. I must stress that over the years the car park has been abused and the reasoning behind the enforcement procedures is to protect the patients that need to visit the surgery and park without fear. The manager has informed me that the surgery doesn’t open till 8am for the nurses and the Doctors at 8.30am and patients had been coming in long before that. It would appear that the patients don’t need to park up before 7.50am, the surgery feel this is ample time to park up before the doors open at 8am. All patients must register their car details if they are concerned that their time will exceed whilst in the surgery.
November has been an extremely busy time at the surgery. They administrated 773 covid jabs, 240 flu jabs, 5355 appointments, 154 patients in care homes which still need to seen to, 60 patients who are housebound, 57 new patients enrolled in the surgery, 49 transferred out, 28,410 prescriptions were dealt with, a disappointing 215 ‘no shows’ and the biggest concern is that the number of patients is now 9958.
The surgery is trying to get across to their patients that if you are really unwell then the safest place to go would be A&E. There has been a myth that if you visit the surgery then you are most likely to be seen or they can get an ambulance when they want it. This simply isn’t true. The surgery is classed as a safe place due to all the equipment and staff on hand to deal with most emergencies. The fact is that they are least likely to have an Ambulance due to those mitigating facts. There has been an issue with residents going on holiday and forgetting to order their repeat prescription. The surgery provides dispensing for extra tablets if you’re going to be away for a period of time and you can email this through quite easily if you’re able to. The surgery is operating a zero tolerance policy as behaviour to the staff by a very small minority has escalated. This behaviour isn’t tolerated in any workplace or environment and I would state that all the staff are trying to do their best in challenging circumstances. If you have any concerns with the surgery you should go through the correct channels or email me directly so I can arrange a meeting to discuss your concerns. The surgery website is up and running and the feedback given to the surgery has been positive. This directs the patients to the correct care that they require. The surgery has also expressed disappointment that they have set up a C.O.P.D – a self-help group for patients who are struggling with this. The surgery stated that they currently have 400 patients suffering from this but only 9 have signed up to the group. I hope this has raised awareness and more are able to join in the future. The surgery is really pleased with the current telephone system. Yes, in the past, there have been problems with the system and over the months this has improved. All Doctors’ surgeries across the country are facing difficulties on a day to day basis, I do feel that the staff in Saundersfoot are doing an excellent job with the resources available. They like any other business or any organisation are facing many challenges in balancing their books. As a partnership the surgery have taken the decision that they will not accept registrations for anyone outside of our area as they feel this is detrimental to the NHS services that person can access and the support available to them. These include, but are not limited to home visits and urgent care from your GP, out of hours care and community services, such as physiotherapy or District nurse support. In addition, accepting out of area registrations would compromise our capacity to care for the patients who do live in our area. In an ideal world we would like the surgery to be capped to 5000 patients, and have extra and Doctors available. In reality, this isn’t going to happen. I’m here to support the surgery in any way I can and fully support the local residents. If you feel that you have an issue that isn’t being resolved I’m happy to take that up with the surgery.
I mentioned back at the start of the year that I applied for a Grant from National Park for safety barriers at the King George Vth grounds through Visit Wales. This was a successful bid with the money going to Saundersfoot Community Council to undertake the works schedule. SCC also carried out work at the same time to ensure a safe environment for individuals visiting the park and facilities. SCC also installed three new speed bumps and installed a safety barrier at the rear of the Muga. I’m delighted to say that the new entrance is now installed and the gravel area has been tarmacked courtesy of SCC. My main objective was to have a barrier installed so it protected users of the park from running out onto the road. This road is exceptionally busy in the drier months due to parking on the field. I have included a picture to show how much safer this park and road now are.
A prominent question always being raised to me is, when are Saundersfoot likely to see the speed awareness cameras. This is a difficult question to answer as there is a lot of work to do to make sure that these speed indicators are in the right place. I know councillor Cormack has been dealing with this and we have to work with Pembrokeshire County Council on a plan for Saundersfoot. The highways team at PCC have surveyed several sites around the community council area and identified four locations where the devices were justified based on Highways surveys of vehicle speeds. These four sites were also considered by PCC as suitable locations on all their other criteria. PCC have also identified another area that sits outside the boundary in the St Mary Out Liberty ward. PCC highways would like to install 6 posts around the Saundersfoot community council area and have two mobile speed indicators that they can move around. This will have to be discussed by SCC and they will have their own views on what they think will be best for the village. Since the introduction of the new 20mph speed limit, the highways team have been very busy and would need to do investigation works for the 6 posts to be installed. There would also be further conversations with residents living close to the installed posts and speed indicators. This matter is being dealt with Saundersfoot Community Council and Alec and I will have an input in the decision process. I’m hoping that this will move forward in the New Year.
I wrote previously of the challenges the New Year’s Day Swim committee are facing for their ‘not for profit’ Charity Swim. I personally would like to thank all the businesses and the new businesses that have been in touch to offer their support. This year we have a registration hut on the top of the slipway to the beach. The hut is available to pick up sponsor forms or register for the swim. It’s also the location for you to pick up your swim wrist bands to enable you to receive a medal on New Year’s Day. In order to safeguard the future of the swim, we sincerely hope that everybody embraces the new changes and understands that this great community event can no longer be staged without an income stream. The committee is committed to making sure this Swim is going in another 39 years. Entry to the swim will now be made by entering on line or visiting the Hut at the top of the slip way. For entries on line visit our website www.saundersfootfestivities.co.uk/nyds or email admin@saundersfootfestivities.co.uk Adults £5 and under 16’s £3. The NYDS is a fancy dress swim and we encourage all participants to sign up well before the swim so that they will receive a medal on the day.
Wisemans Bridge to Coppet Hall Saundersfoot – Shared use path closed.
For those who are unaware this foot path will be closed for the time being. Following Storm Ciaran which hit Pembrokeshire on November 2nd, rock falls have occurred onto the shared use costal path between Wisemans bridge and Coppet Hall. This path has subsequently been closed to ensure the safety of the general public, and the rock face now needs to be made safe during the winter period. Pembrokeshire County Council is organizing a specialist to access the cliff face above the path and a geotechnical expert to review the area, in order to consider means to make the area safe. This may lead to the need for further cliff stabilization work. The path will remain closed due to the high risk of further unpredictable rock falls. PCC are asking all the users to respect the closure and use the path diversion that is in place. It is anticipated the path will be closed over Christmas and is likely to be closed while the work is taking place. I’m well aware how popular this walk is to the residents in Saundersfoot and neighboring communities. I’m hoping that the works will be completed in the early stages of 2024 as local business will certainly be affected. Safety is paramount for everyone concerned and I will keep you updated on developments.
A few spaces remain for the Senior Citizens Christmas Luncheon on Sunday 17th December. Eligibility – anyone of state pensionable age (66years and over), living in the Saundersfoot voting ward or in the welcome to Saundersfoot signs, as its been extended this year to be more inclusive. Please call into the Regency Hall or phone 01834 811700 to book your space. They will require your address and contact details.
Lastly, I would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas & New Year.
Kind Regards
Cllr Chris Williams
Saundersfoot South
