King Charles relinquishes lease on Welsh estate in Carmarthenshire

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KING CHARLES has made the decision to terminate the lease on his Welsh estate, located near the picturesque village of Myddfai.

The enchanting Llwynywermod estate, comprising the former coach house and farm buildings, is nestled amidst 192 acres of idyllic rolling countryside. It was acquired by the Duchy of Cornwall estate on behalf of the then prince in March 2007, following a 40-year quest to find the perfect location.

According to The Telegraph, since the Duchy of Cornwall was passed to Prince William, the King has been paying rent for his tenure at Llwynywermod. However, Buckingham Palace has now confirmed that earlier this year, the King issued notice to the Duchy expressing his intention to relinquish the lease, which is set to expire later this summer.

Royal sources cited by The Telegraph reveal that while the King remains "passionate" about Wales, he has decided to part ways with the property as it is "unlikely" that he will be able to utilize it in the same manner as before.

With historical ties dating back to the 13th or 14th century, Llwynywermod was originally owned by William Williams, a relative of Anne Boleyn.

Welsh craftsmen diligently restored the old house, as well as the deteriorating concrete and corrugated iron farm buildings, employing traditional techniques and local materials. Furthermore, King Charles adorned the walls with climbing plants, including Albertine roses, jasmine, and honeysuckle. Notably, six English field maples, which had formed an enchanting avenue of trees at the wedding of William and Kate in 2011, were later relocated to the Welsh retreat, at the behest of the King and with the approval of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. These trees were lovingly planted in the soil at the front of the house, accompanied by a charming rustic wooden fence.

In 2013, Clarence House tweeted, "The trees from the Royal Wedding at Westminster Abbey are thriving at Llwynywermod."

The prince has often expressed his admiration for the enduring landscape of Wales, emphasizing how its mountains, patchwork fields, woods, coastline, castles, villages, and market towns play a pivotal role in attracting visitors. During an interaction with Visit Wales, he reminisced, "It certainly cast its spell on me a long time ago."

Prince William inherited an annual income of £23 million from the Duchy of Cornwall. As the heir to the throne, he is entitled to the yearly surplus generated by the Duchy's extensive portfolio of land, buildings, and financial investments. Additionally, he has assumed the responsibility of overseeing the management of the estate.

For the fiscal year 2021-2022, the Duchy's annual income amounted to £23 million for Charles, then known as the Prince of Wales and now ascended to the throne as King.

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Satirical ‘Secret Tory MP’ unmasked as Pembrokeshire environmental campaigner

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ANDREW LYE has resigned from his positions as a Town Councillor and as Town Mayor of Neyland following allegations of racial hatred. The controversy erupted during a recent meeting of the Neyland Town Council and has since garnered significant attention and public outcry.

The incident came to light when Councillor Rothero accused Lye of espousing anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic sentiments. The allegations, which were met with fervent denial by Lye, sent shockwaves throughout the council chambers. The inflammatory nature of the remarks reportedly transformed the meeting into a toxic and confrontational environment.

While the specific details of the alleged comments remain undisclosed, the severity of the accusations prompted Lye's swift resignation. In an email addressed to members of the local press on Tuesday evening (Jun 6), Lye expressed his willingness to address the allegations and clear his name. He vehemently denied any affiliation with racial hatred, stating, "The last thing I am is anti-Semitic or anti-Islamic."

The controversy surrounding Lye's resignation has deeply unsettled the community of Neyland. Concerns over the stability and reputation of the local government have been raised, as residents grapple with the fallout from this unprecedented turn of events. The resignation has left a void in the leadership of the town, requiring the Neyland Town Council to promptly initiate the process of finding a suitable replacement for the mayoral position.

The local media has been closely following the developments surrounding Lye's resignation. Reports indicate that an investigation into the allegations of racial hatred has been launched, with the objective of uncovering the truth behind the claims made by Councillor Rothero. The investigation aims to shed light on the events that transpired during the contentious council meeting.

While the truth surrounding the racial hatred allegations remains unclear, the ongoing investigation seeks to uncover the facts and provide clarity on the situation. The outcome of this inquiry will undoubtedly shape the future direction of Neyland's local government and the steps taken to address any underlying issues within the council.

As the Neyland community grapples with the repercussions of this shocking incident, they eagerly await further updates and the opportunity to hear Lye's side of the story.

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THE MINISTER or Health and Social Services Eluned Morgan and Deputy Minister for Social Care Julie Morgan have visited South Pembrokeshire Hospital in Pembroke Dock to learn more about how partnership working helps patients in Pembrokeshire receive the best care.

The visit last week (Wednesday, 31 May) came ahead of today's announcement that Welsh Government will invest up to £30m to deliver more care at home or in the community and reduce time people spend in hospitals.

The Health Minister and Deputy Minister for Social Care have set out how they will work with local government, NHS and other partners to strengthen local care services in order to help alleviate the kind of pressure on the health and care system seen this winter.

To see this work in action, Eluned Morgan and Julie Morgan, visited the Co-ordination Centre at South Pembrokeshire Hospital to hear more about the ‘Further Faster’ initiative where the Hywel Dda University Health Board, Pembrokeshire Council and third sector work together to co-ordinate and allocate the appropriate care to people across the county.

Operating seven days week, 8am to 6pm and staffed by a team of experienced clinicians and coordinators, the Coordination Centre provides a single place for the co-ordination and triage of referrals and enquiries regarding routine and planned, urgent and intermediate care needs for the people of Pembrokeshire.

Eluned Morgan said she was impressed by the ‘Further Faster’ initiative. She said: "I think this is an example of exactly what we’re trying to achieve across Wales but we’re trying to see this supercharged so we’re seeing local authorities work with the health board to make sure that we can discharge people from the hospital much quicker.

"But we also have a real recognition that there's a lot of work we need to do in relation to prevention. And everybody working together here is absolutely key and I think, in relation to care, that is crucial as well."

Julie Morgan agreed and praised the work at the Co-ordination Centre.

She said: ""I think we’ve seen a really good example of where everybody works together in the same room in the Co-ordination Centre. It was so striking to see everybody there together and the call handlers can refer people on to specialists sitting in the same room as them. The key issue really is to try and prevent hospital admissions and to do all we possibly can to keep people in the community and I think this is a great example."

The Minister and Deputy Minister also met staff and patients at Martello House – a facility for patients who are receiving care after coming out of hospital and re-ablement care to prevent them returning to hospital and to be able to live independently at home.

Patient Paul McGrath from Pembroke Dock had an opportunity to speak to the Ministers about his experience at Martello house.

Mr McGrath underwent heart surgery earlier this year and after months of treatment and recovery in hospital, Mr McGrath was transferred to Martello House. He has been there for two weeks and is hoping to go back home in a week or so.

He said: "Because of the way Martello House works, it's made me feel much more comfortable in doing things. I’ve been able to get up and about and get moving which has helped tremendously. Certainly, being here and what I’ve been doing, just moving around and walking, doing stuff for myself has helped my mobility and my confidence.

"They encourage the walking and maintaining the physiotherapy regime that I’ve been given. Making cups of tea, cups of coffee… sorting out breakfast for yourself, that sort of thing. Just getting on with day-to-day stuff."

Mr McGrath said being at Martello house had speeded up his recovery process.

"When I first came here, I still couldn't see myself being at home – I was worried about that. But being here made me realise that I’m supposed to be at home. I can be at home, I can carry on with whatever I’m doing here. Everything I do here, I can do at home."

Jill Paterson, Director of Primary Care, Community and Long-Term Care for Hywel Dda University Health Board said: "This is a priority for us and our partner organisations. By working together to coordinate and deliver our services we can support individuals to remain at home or in their community with the right level of care and support so that they spend less time in hospital."

Cllr Tessa Hodgson, Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding, said: "We have a history of excellent partnership working in Pembrokeshire, with health, third sector and the authority's social care delivering projects and services which supports our communities. It's important to focus on what will benefit patients – and improve outcomes for the people who live in Pembrokeshire who need these vital health and care services. This approach will improve the co-ordination and efficiency to ensure services are fit-for-purpose and improve the lives of those who need support the most."

According to Eluned Morgan, the new £30m investment will help to deliver thousands of extra hours of reablement services across Wales – providing as a safe alternative to hospital admission and to keep people at home, or so people can recover at home more quickly after a stay in hospital.

The money will also be spent on:

Recruiting more community workers to advise people on how they can access the right support and services to help them recover and lead independent lives;Ensuring every local authority has a Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Responder Service by winter 2024. Currently only 10 local authorities have this facility. Using the latest monitoring technology this service will ensure people can get the help they need as quickly as possible;Moving towards 24/7 Community nursing by increasing the availability of community nurses across Wales for an extra 10 hours a day on Saturdays and Sundays;Strengthening community specialist palliative care – by making specialist nurses available overnight;Providing practical support for local services to collaborate to put in place an individual care plan for those people identified as most at risk for urgent care. This will help to reduce hospital admissions.ENDS

Cathryn Ings

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IN A DISTRESSING case of domestic abuse, Max Young, a 30-year-old resident of Swn Y Mor in St Davids, has been sentenced to a total of 18 months in prison for a series of violent offenses. Young was found guilty of burglary, sending malicious communications, two counts of common assault, possessing cannabis, and a public order offense. Described by Judge Paul Thomas as a "violent and highly abusive" individual, Young's actions have resulted in the imposition of a three-year restraining order.

The events leading to Young's imprisonment unfolded at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, May 31. The court heard that earlier this year, Young had been in a relationship with the complainant. On February 18, the couple, accompanied by friends, visited the RAFA Club in St Davids. However, the evening took a distressing turn when Young subjected the complainant to verbal abuse and even discharged a fire extinguisher at her. The abusive behavior continued upon their return home, leaving the victim traumatized.

Several weeks later, on March 2, Young, visibly intoxicated, arrived uninvited at the complainant's residence where she was present with her two young children, aged eight and two, as well as a friend. He proceeded to unleash a brutal assault on the woman, kicking her in the chest, throwing her into the stairs, and physically attacking her friend. The children's cries were captured on the Ring doorbell recording, providing harrowing evidence of the incident.

Amidst the chaos, the two victims managed to force Young out of the house, seeking help from neighbors before contacting the police. However, even in custody, Young continued his abusive behavior, verbally targeting a female officer and repeatedly spitting in the police vehicle.

The court heard how the complainant suffered from physical injuries, including swelling, bruising, and a fractured finger. Her ordeal was exacerbated when Young violated his bail conditions on March 22, sending her a text expressing love before leaving a voicemail with a terrifying threat to her life. In a statement read out in court, the victim expressed her ongoing fear of Young and what he might do next.

In mitigation, Young's defense counsel, Hannah George, acknowledged the defendant's worsening alcohol issues and the deteriorating state of his relationship with the complainant. George argued that Young's time behind bars had compelled him to confront his alcohol-related problems and express remorse for his actions.

Addressing Young directly, Judge Thomas did not mince his words, stating, "Your behavior towards a woman with whom you had been in a relationship with was nothing short of violent and highly abusive." He emphasized the impact of the assault on the two young children who had witnessed their mother's distressing ordeal, calling Young a "horrible abusive individual who attacks women." The judge further remarked on Young's inability to handle alcohol responsibly and urged him to recognize the consequences of his actions.

As a result of his crimes, Young was handed a 15-month sentence for burglary and an additional three months for sending malicious communications, to be served consecutively. He received a concurrent two-month sentence for both common assault offenses. The possession of cannabis charge, which stemmed from his arrest on March 2, and the public order offense did not attract separate penalties. Young had pleaded guilty to all the charges.

In addition to his prison term, Young was also served with a three-year restraining order, preventing him from contacting or approaching the complainant.

This case highlights the severe consequences of domestic abuse and serves as a reminder that such abhorrent behavior will not be tolerated in our society. The judgment, which reflects the seriousness of Young's offenses, seeks to protect the victim and send a clear message that violence against women will be met with the full force of the law.

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