Connect with us
Advertisement
Advertisement

News

THE DEATH OF DEMOCRACY

Published

on

Farcical scenes: The Council Chamber last Friday

Farcical scenes: The Council Chamber last Friday

THE EXTRAORDINARY meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council to decide if the Chief Executive, Bryn Parry Jones should be suspended has collapsed, amongst unprecedented scenes at County Hall last week.

On Friday, February 14, opposition Councillors were told by a top QC that they should withdraw from the meeting due to comments they had made in the press.

A stunned Cllr Bob Kilmister stood up and said “Can I just have a point of clarification please before other members go, I gave a response to the “Pembrokeshire Herald” and the question that they asked me was ‘Do you as an elected member support the growing calls for the chief executive to resign?’ Now I’m not aware that we have got that motion before us, I don’t believe that that is something that we can actually vote on as nobody is actually calling on him to resign.”

He added: “Now we have a notice of motion that is in that uses the word suspension. Suspension is a highly different thing to resignation. Resignation can only be done by the person concerned. I was asked my question about resignation and I said it in the chamber already that those people in that position should consider their position including that resignation.”

Cllr. Guy Woodham was next on his feet, saying: “I am one of the signatories on the notice of motion. When I gave the quote that appeared in the Pembrokeshire Herald, it said I believe it said the chief exec should be suspended pending an investigation. To me that doesn’t show pre-determination.”

Cllr. Reg Owens told the meeting: “Mr Chairman, are these names just the ones that came from the Pembrokeshire Herald? Because my name wasn’t read out and I gave my quote to the Western Telegraph. You have only been given the press cuttings from the Pembrokeshire Herald, You haven’t been given the press cutting from the Telegraph!”

Tim Kerr QC, the lawyer advising the Council on the ‘tax-dodge’ pension arrangements read out a list of Councillors who he felt could not participate in the meeting due to negative comments they had made about Bryn Parry Jones in the local press.

In light of this, most members of the opposition walked out of the council chamber and the one remaining signatory to the notice of motion that Bryn Parry-Jones be suspended, Cllr Phil Baker, withdrew the vote.Cllr. Phil Baker told the Herald after the meeting: “I knew something was afoot when the QC was allowed to remain after the Wales Audit Office report was discussed.”

He added: “I think that a lot of IPPG members as well as opposition Councillors are not happy about what has happened today. Very shabby indeed, it’s like the old East Germany.”

Labour leader: Cllr Paul Miller

Labour leader: Cllr Paul Miller

Pembrokeshire Alliance

The Pembrokeshire Alliance Group have made a statement about the meeting:

A spokesperson said: “This meeting was an insult to democracy. The people of Pembrokeshire deserve openness, transparency and good governance and this meeting was an example of what happens when these principles are quite deliberately not followed.”

The Pembrokeshire Alliance Group says it is now in discussions with other opposition groups and non-affiliated Councillors as to what should happen next.

AM wants Bryn stripped of returning officer powers

Welsh Labour AM Rebecca Evans has called for embattled chief executive of Pembrokeshire Council Bryn Parry-Jones to be stripped of his role as Returning Officer for Wales in the European elections this May until local Councillors are allowed to debate the issue properly and the police investigation has concluded.

Rebecca Evans AM, Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales said: “After the embarrassing spectacle that was Friday’s ‘extraordinary meeting’ of Pembrokeshire council, it is clear that the Pembrokeshire council leadership is content to allow the debate to descend into farce rather than grapple openly and in public with the serious issues presented by the Wales Audit Office reports.

“It would now be utterly preposterous for Bryn Parry Jones to preside over the European Ballot as Returning Officer while his pension payments are still under police investigation. The public must have complete confidence in the election process, and in all of the people involved. Until the police investigation is concluded, alternative arrangements must be made – and that means relieving Bryn Parry Jones of his Returning Officer role.”

Paul Miller, leader of the Labour group in Pembrokeshire said: “Sometimes, particularly around planning issues, pre-determination rules help ensure fairness but last week it was worrying to see those rules used to stifle debate and silence critics in a totally unjust and undemocratic way. Many opposition Councillors felt cornered having a QC tell them that they had to leave. Having sought legal advice, I know that no Labour councillors pre-determined the debate. Pre-determination is a matter for individuals not lawyers. Enlisting a barrister in a crude attempt to undermine our roles as Councillors and prevent us from seeking to represent the views of our constituents on this hugely important issue is nothing short of Orwellian.

“The public deserve reassurance that this matter is being dealt with properly. I will not lie down and be silenced by the puppet administration running Pembrokeshire, and will continue to fight to ensure the full council are able to debate this.”

Angela Burns urges Bryn to step aside

AM Angela Burns has called for Pembrokeshire council’s chief executive to step aside.

She said: “I would say that he should stand aside. I’m perfectly happy for the status quo to be restored, providing the police investigation comes up saying that everything is as it should be.”

Mrs Burns said: “I would like to see an independent investigation being undertaken because I feel that the councillors involved here have acted with the most extraordinary behaviour.”

Plaid Cymru speaks out

Pembrokeshire Plaid Cymru leader Cllr Michael Williams has called on the Welsh Government to intervene in the running of Pembrokeshire County Council.

Cllr Williams told The Herald: “The recent events are yet more evidence of the gross incompetence of the Independent Group which presently masquerades as the controlling group of the Council. We say “masquerade” as it is patently obvious that the authority is run by a small cabal of out of control senior officers orchestrated by the Chief Executive, who are bringing the Council into disrepute.”

He added: “After their appalling performance in the Council meeting on Friday, is it any wonder that PCC is the laughing stock of Wales? Pembrokeshire tax payers deserve better. We deserve honesty and integrity, and they have consistently failed to deliver.”

“This Council staggers from crisis to crisis, from travel claims which were years late from the Leader to the misuse of Council computers by Councillor Rob Lewis to produce Independent group election literature. This together with failures to properly safeguard our children, a failed social care provision and recently dubious grant dealings in Pembroke Dock render them unfit.

“It was amazing to see on Friday their efforts to extricate themselves from their self-inflicted problems. Legal advice of forty five pages, which we, as elected Members, were not allowed to see, and the costs of at least one Q C, with another expert flown in from Edinburgh. This, plus the mysterious brown envelope left on the passenger seat of the Council vehicle which transported the Q C with information enclosed selectively identifying those Members who had stated that the CEO should go. “The rulers of North Korea would be proud.

“Mr Parry-Jones should step aside immediately, and take his poodle, Jamie Adams with him. The Welsh Government should immediately install Commissioners to take over the running of PCC” he concluded.

QC advice was ‘not the whole story’,says Herald

The Pembrokeshire Herald took independent legal advice before publishing comments made by County Councillors this month, in the days leading up to the vote over the suspension of chief executive of Pembrokeshire council, Bryn Parry Jones.

During the extraordinary meeting of Full Council, members were told to withdraw by a barrister appointed by senior officers and leaders of the authority.

Mr Tim Kerr QC told members that some of them had ‘crossed the line’ by showing predetermination over whether the chief executive should be suspended. Mr Kerr told members that this predetermination was demonstrated by comments made in the newspaper article.

Mr Kerr had been given photocopies of selected press cuttings from The Pembrokeshire Herald’s February 7 edition by the monitoring officer, Mr Laurence Harding. He told the meeting that the newspaper article had been ‘brought to his attention’ but refused to say by who. However, Deputy Leader, Cllr Rob Lewis told members that he also had copies of the same documents. He did not, however, admit to giving them to Mr Laurence Harding.

Pembrokeshire Herald editor Thomas Sinclair said: “There is legislation regarding the issue of predetermination that was not brought up at the meeting. Section 25(2) of the Localism Act 2011 provides that ‘a decision-maker is not to be taken to have had, or to have appeared to have had, a closed mind when making the decision just because the decision-maker had previously done anything that directly or indirectly indicated what view the decision-maker took’.”

Mr Sinclair added: “This legislation clearly applies to all County Councils in Wales & England, but a very restrictive interpretation of it was given to Councillors at Friday’s meeting.”

He concluded: “In the newspaper’s view if Lawrence Harding was acting in the best interests of all the members of the council, he would have advised members of any issue with what they had said before the meeting.”

Continue Reading
2 Comments

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

New bus services announced by Pembrokeshire County Council

Published

on

A NUMBER of changes to local bus services will be introduced in the coming weeks as a result of a shake up to bus funding. 

From April 2024, the funding which has been provided directly to bus operators by the Welsh Government to keep services going in the wake of the Covid pandemic will cease. 

Additional funding will instead be provided to Local Authorities to support their local bus network.

In total, Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Government will provide over £3million in support for bus services in Pembrokeshire during the coming year.

As part of this process, all Pembrokeshire’s local bus services have been re-tendered. 

A public consultation, receiving over 300 responses, helped to inform decisions about which services should be prioritised. 

Councillor Rhys Sinnett, Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services said: “I am delighted to be able to report that we are able to maintain the whole of Pembrokeshire’s current local bus network in the coming year.

“We have also secured key improvements such as reinstating an hourly service on the 349 route between Haverfordwest and Tenby via Pembroke Dock, and the popular Strumble Shuttle and Puffin Shuttle coastal bus services during the summer.”

The changes will also see two key services, the 302 Haverfordwest to Milford Haven and 349 Haverfordwest to Tenby via Pembroke Dock, brought under Council oversight for the first time. 

This will give the Council greater oversight of service operations and fares.  Pembrokeshire residents will also benefit from a new fare structure on all First Cymru services, due to be introduced from 1 April 2024. 

This will use Tap On Tap Off to allow passengers to pay the cheapest fare depending on the number of journeys they make or distance travelled, and will cap the maximum adult fare at £3 single and £5.40 return. 

More information about these fares can be found on the First Cymru website

A number of additional service changes and improvements are being considered for introduction during the course of the coming year in response to feedback received from the public consultation.  

The following bus service changes have been confirmed:

From 23 March 2024:

  • The Celtic Coaster (403) on the St Davids peninsular will restart for the 2024 season on Saturday 23 March and will run until Sunday 29 September. This is an hourly service, increasing to half-hourly during the whitsun half term and school summer holidays. There will be no service departing Caerfai Road at 13.00 and 13.30.
  • The 351 (Tenby to Pendine via Amroth) will return to its summer timetable.

From 1 April 2024

  • An hourly service will return on the 349 (Haverfordwest to Tenby via Pembroke Dock) service (April to September only).
  • The 356 (Milford Haven to Monkton) service will no longer call at Waterston and Hazelbeach due to operational issues caused by the narrow lanes in this area. The Fflecsi service will still be available.
  • A Saturday service, between 07:30 and 18:30, will be reintroduced in the Fflecsi Mid Pembrokeshire zone (formerly known as Bwcabus). This zone covers the area between Letterston, Crymych, Clunderwen and Wiston.  Passengers can also travel from this zone to Fishguard and Haverfordwest. 
  • The 302 (Haverfordwest to Milford Haven) and 349 (Haverfordwest to Tenby via Pembroke Dock) services operated by First Cymru will come under Pembrokeshire County Council control, giving the Council greater oversight of service operations and fares.
  • The 322 (Haverfordwest to Carmarthen) and 381 (Haverfordwest to Tenby via Narberth) services will be run by First Cymru. The 322 timetable will remain the same. The 381 timetable will remain the same from Haverfordwest to Tenby but journeys from Tenby to Haverfordwest will depart slightly earlier (37 past the hour instead of 45).
  • The X22 and X61 services which provided journeys at the start and end of the day between Pembroke Dock and Kilgetty, and Pembroke Dock and Haverfordwest will be withdrawn.
  • The 410 (Fishguard Town) and T11 (Haverfordwest to Fishguard via St Davids) services will be operated on a commercial (T11 part commercial) basis by Richards Bros. An improved connection with the ferry at Fishguard Harbour will be provided at 12.30.

From 19 May 2024

  • The Tenby Coaster service between Tenby and Saundersfoot will return for the summer season.

From 25 May 2024

  • The 400 Puffin Shuttle and 404 Strumble Shuttle services will return to the coast between Marloes and St Davids, and St Davids and Fishguard. These services will operate 7 days a week until 29 September 2024.  The Fflecsi service is also available in this area throughout the year.
  • The 387/388 Coastal Cruiser service around the Angle Peninsula will also return to its summer timetable, operating 7 days a week until 29th September 2024.

Further information about all Pembrokeshire bus services can be found on the Council’s website.

Continue Reading

Business

Ocky White Travel marks 60th anniversary with luxury cruise giveaway

Published

on

IN a grand gesture commemorating six decades of unparalleled service in the travel industry, Pembrokeshire’s venerated independent travel agency, Ocky White Travel, has announced an extraordinary giveaway—a luxury cruise for two, in partnership with Pure West Radio.

Established 60 years ago, Ocky White Travel has become a staple in the lives of Pembrokeshire residents, offering dream holidays and contributing significantly to the local economy. Despite the fluctuating fortunes of neighbouring businesses and the often harsh realities of the travel sector, Ocky White Travel has stood firm, a testament to its resilience and commitment to customer satisfaction.

This resilience was further demonstrated when, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic—a period that saw many in the industry falter—Ocky White Travel not only survived but thrived by expanding its operations to include Sam Smith Travel in Cowbridge. This expansion has allowed the agency to extend its exceptional service to a broader audience across South Wales.

Celebrating this milestone, Ocky White Travel has engaged in a comprehensive multi-media campaign, underscored by its official sponsorship of the PWR Daytime Show. A central highlight of this celebration is a tiered competition, offering participants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win a luxury Nordic cruise for two. The competition, which has garnered thousands of entries since its launch on 21st February, underscores the agency’s dedication to rewarding its loyal clientele.

Mark White, Owner and Managing Director of Ocky White Travel, expressed immense pride in reaching this significant milestone. He emphasised the agency’s unique position in the hearts of many families across generations, attributing this success to the personalised service and deep understanding of client needs that have become the hallmark of Ocky White Travel.

Echoing this sentiment, Toby Ellis of Pure West Radio highlighted the positive impact of the partnership on local residents. He praised Ocky White Travel for its hands-on approach and the invaluable advice provided by its seasoned staff. The giveaway, featuring a 7-night cruise to the Norwegian Fjords, stands as the most significant prize offered by the radio station, symbolising a “holiday of a lifetime.”

Entries for this historic giveaway will remain open until 31st March, with the lucky winners to be announced on Pure West Radio’s Daytime Show. This event not only celebrates Ocky White Travel’s 60 years of service but also its enduring commitment to creating unforgettable holiday experiences for its customers.

Continue Reading

News

Sewage spills: Carmarthenshire the most affected area in the UK

Published

on

IN a recent analysis of environmental data, Carmarthenshire has been identified as the UK region most plagued by sewage spills, according to research conducted by the Reboot SEO agency, highlighting a concerning escalation in pollution incidents across the nation’s water bodies. The study, leveraging data from the Environment Agency, underscores a disturbing trend with sewage spills into rivers and seas more than doubling in the past year, rocketing from 1.75 million hours in 2022 to a staggering 3.6 million hours in 2023.

Carmarthenshire, a picturesque county in Wales known for its breathtaking landscapes and rich history, now faces an environmental challenge of considerable magnitude. The locality recorded an alarming 11,195 sewage spills over the course of last year, cumulatively amounting to 86,603 hours of spillage. This surpasses figures from other affected regions across the UK, spotlighting a dire need for robust interventions and sustainable wastewater management practices.

This surge in sewage spills paints a grim picture of the state of the UK’s rivers and seas, with potential ramifications for public health, wildlife, and tourism. The data sheds light on the pressing issue of aging infrastructure and the capacity of existing sewage systems to handle storm overflows, particularly in times of heavy rainfall.

The spotlight on Carmarthenshire’s predicament also prompts a broader discussion on the accountability of water companies, with the study revealing significant disparities in the performance of these entities across the country. For instance, Severn Trent Water was found to have the highest number of storm overflows, with United Utilities not far behind in terms of the total spill hours contributed to the environmental crisis.

The revelation of these statistics has ignited calls for action from environmentalists, local communities, and policymakers alike. There’s a growing consensus on the urgent need for infrastructural upgrades, alongside more stringent regulatory oversight to ensure water companies adopt more sustainable practices.

Local authorities in Carmarthenshire, in concert with environmental agencies and water service providers, are now faced with the critical task of devising and implementing comprehensive strategies to mitigate the impact of sewage spills. This includes investing in modern wastewater treatment solutions, enhancing the resilience of sewer systems against extreme weather conditions, and fostering greater transparency and accountability in the environmental stewardship of water companies.

Continue Reading

News9 hours ago

Police ask motorists to avoid A44 trunk road due to heavy snowfall

DYFED-POWYS POLICE have issued an appeal to motorists to avoid a 25 mile section of the A44 trunk road between...

Crime24 hours ago

Woman will quit the booze after seeing shocking drunken video in court

A HAVERFORDWEST woman this week vowed to undertake ‘a complete alcohol abstinence’ after being shown court video footage of her...

News2 days ago

Family heartbroken by loss of ‘larger than life character’ in M4 crash

THE FAMILY of the man who died in a collision on the M4 motorway say ‘he will be greatly missed...

Business2 days ago

Victory for WASPI women but the fight goes on

A LANDMARK ruling by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman could benefit around 5,000 women in Ceredigion born in the...

Entertainment4 days ago

A night to remember: Symphonica Tywi’s ‘Film Fantastics’ was a triumph

ON SATURDAY (Mar 23), Haverfordwest High School was ablaze with the soaring melodies and dramatic scores of some of cinema’s...

News4 days ago

Memorial for all those affected by Covid-19 unveiled at County Hall

A LASTING tribute for Pembrokeshire loved ones lost during the Covid-19 pandemic and those working on the frontline has been...

Top News5 days ago

Princess of Wales announces cancer diagnosis and treatment

CATHERINE, the Princess of Wales, has shared her recent health struggles with the public, revealing a diagnosis that has sent...

Charity6 days ago

RNLI lifeguards back on patrol in Pembrokeshire for the Easter Holidays

RNLI lifeguards will be on patrol once again in Pembrokeshire ahead of the Easter holidays. This Saturday, 23 March 2024,...

Community6 days ago

Neglected Pembrokeshire poodles find their forever homes 

THIRTY poodle type dogs were in total rescued after they were found in an unsuitable environment where their owner also...

Crime1 week ago

Pembrokeshire’s sniffer dogs locate illegal vapes and counterfeit tobacco

IN A MAJOR bust led by Swansea Council’s Trading Standards Officers, a series of raids uncovered a substantial quantity of...

Popular This Week