News

Can Pembrokeshire still afford Wales’ lowest council tax?

Published

7 years ago

October 20, 2018

PEMBOKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL’S Finance Director, Jon Haswell said council tax would need to rise significantly to meet service needs in the wake of a 0.4% cut in Welsh Government funding.

Although its the smallest cut out of all the councils in Wales, the cut puts the authority £600,000 out of pocket

He was effectively saying that the councils coffers will be empty and that something has to change, and change fast.

Last year Pembrokeshire’s council tax went up by 12.5% – the first double-digit increase in Wales since 2004 – but Pembrokeshire’s Council Tax bills are still the lowest in Wales.

At the Audit Committee meeting on Thursday (Oct 18), Mr Haswell warned that on current predictions, based on the Welsh Government’s standard spending assessment of what it thinks the council needs, council tax would need to rise by 28% or more unless services were cut.

That is 2% less than Plaid Cymru councillor Mike Williams’ said it would be at Full Council the week before (Oct 11), but it’s pretty close.

As we reported on Friday in our print edition, Cllr Williams turned his own fire on the previous administration for placing Pembrokeshire into its current financial position, pointing out that the actual rise in Council Tax needed to address the funding gap in March this year was in excess of 30%.

He said: ‘It’s about time some members had a wake-up call’ as to the current state of the Council’s finances and the previous administration’s totemic policy of having the lowest Council Tax in Wales. Firmly pointing the finger at Cllrs Adams and Davies following their earlier questions, he suggested they needed to look to themselves to find the origins of the authority’s current difficulties.

RECAP – WHAT WE REPORTED LAST WEEK

A 0.5% cut in funding to Pembrokeshire County Council will result in significant and potentially devastating cuts to public services.
As we previously reported, the Welsh Government announced its budget settlement for Welsh local government last week.
While that settlement shows ‘only’ a 0.5% cut in the Pembrokeshire’s Revenue Support Grant, the reality behind that headline figure is grim.
And there is little comfort to be taken in the news that Pembrokeshire’s cut is smaller than that inflicted on neighbouring Carmarthenshire. Pembrokeshire’s budget is far smaller in proportion to Carmarthenshire’s. Our County’s resources are stretched to breaking point following years of the folly of the ‘lowest Council Tax in Wales’ policy in twenty-two years of rule by the ‘Independent’ group, most lately under Jamie Adams.
While money was washing around local government that policy was sustainable. However, once systemic cuts came in 2008 – and persisted for ten years and rising – there was no fat to trim and cuts are now deep into the bone of frontline services.
The Welsh Government funding takes little or no account of the Council’s obligation to pay wage increases negotiated centrally which far outstrips the money provided to meet them, changes in National Insurance, changes to teachers’ pensions, the effects of inflation, and the impact of regulations affecting buildings’ maintenance.
Hit seven ways from Sunday by a barrage of deep cuts to its budget delivered year-on-year for the last decade and in the teeth of the fallout of a Council Tax policy which has left the Council’s cupboard bare, there is no way for the Council to resolve its financial position without making even deeper cuts than those already contemplated and revealed exclusively in this newspaper last week.
The social care budget’s ‘protection’ by the Welsh Government has left all Councils floundering; because Pembrokeshire has a high proportion of older residents, it has been hit hard. The Council has even less money to spend on other services as the proportion of a smaller revenue ‘pie’ is taken up by protected budgets.
The devastation being wreaked by cuts is unsurprising. In 2014 dire warnings were given about the cumulative effects of continuing cuts before that year’s budget. Almost five years’ on, the situation is even worse than predicted.
With the Cabinet unwilling to ask for a further large Council Tax increase for next year, real savings will be hard to find. Something somewhere has to give.
The only hope is that the UK Government actually delivers real relief from austerity instead of tinkering at the edges.

Crime

Teen drug dealer admits offences after proactive police stop

Published

2 minutes ago

March 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A TEENAGER has admitted dealing drugs after being caught with cocaine, cannabis and cash during a targeted police stop in Carmarthenshire .

Cole Stevens, aged 19, from Llanelli, was stopped by Dyfed-Powys Police officers after being seen driving a white Renault Clio suspected of being linked to drug supply in the area.

Officers from the Roads Policing Unit intercepted the vehicle on Capel Isaf Road shortly after 10:30pm on Saturday (Mar 28), carrying out a search under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

During the search, Stevens immediately admitted he was in possession of cannabis, handing it to officers. A further search uncovered a mobile phone hidden under the driver’s seat and a tobacco pouch containing 12 snap bags of white powder, confirmed by Stevens to be cocaine.

Police also recovered a wrap of white crystalline substance from inside his sock, along with £780 in cash.

Stevens was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs and taken into custody. A subsequent search of his home uncovered handwritten notes believed to be linked to drug dealing activity.

While in custody, Stevens made a number of incriminating remarks, including: “I just have to do it to earn a living,” and “you got me, you have what you need…”

Drug experts later confirmed the quantity of substances seized exceeded what would be considered for personal use, with an estimated street value of £1,460.

Stevens appeared at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Mar 30), where he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine, possession of cannabis, acquiring criminal property, and being concerned in the supply of cocaine between Oct 30, 2025 and Mar 28, 2026.

He was released on conditional bail and is due to be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on April 20.

Detective Constable Steve Thomas said: “This result highlights our commitment to proactively removing drugs from our streets through targeted and intelligence-led patrols.

“The weight of evidence against Stevens left him no option but to plead guilty.

“If you are dealing drugs in the Dyfed-Powys force area, you will be caught and you will be prosecuted.”

Crime

Police appeal after attempted child abduction in Haverfordwest

Published

37 minutes ago

March 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

DYFED-POWYS POLICE has launched an appeal for witnesses following a reported attempted abduction of a 12-year-old girl in Haverfordwest.

The incident is understood to have happened at around 3:55pm on Tuesday (March 24) on Scarrowscant Lane, near Furzy Park.

According to police, the child was approached by two men in a vehicle described as similar to a shiny blue Audi A4. The passenger got out, spoke to the girl and briefly grabbed her arm before releasing her and returning to the car.

The vehicle then drove off towards Furzy Park.

The girl was not injured and made her way home, where her parents alerted police.

The man who approached her is described as white, about 5ft 11in tall, with short dark brown hair and a brown beard. He is believed to be in his forties and was wearing a black T-shirt, black jogging bottoms and white trainers.

The driver remained in the vehicle and has not yet been described.

Officers have been carrying out enquiries since the incident was reported and are now urging anyone who may have seen what happened, or who may have dashcam footage from the area at the time, to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police quoting reference 26*235970.

News

Welsh Labour pledges income tax freeze ahead of Senedd election

Published

22 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Tom Sinclair

WELSH Labour leader Eluned Morgan has pledged to freeze Welsh rates of income tax if her party forms the next government, as Labour prepares to launch its Senedd election manifesto on Monday (Mar 30).

Speaking in Swansea, Morgan is expected to position the policy as part of a wider effort to ease pressure on households during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

In remarks released ahead of the launch, she said a future Welsh Labour government “will not raise income tax” during the next Senedd term.

She added: “Fairness starts with understanding the pressure families face, but fairness also means action.

“This manifesto delivers real help with the cost of living.”

Key pledges outlined

Alongside the proposed tax freeze, Welsh Labour says its manifesto will include a number of headline commitments.

These include a £2 cap on single bus fares across Wales, maintaining £1 fares for young people, and continuing free travel for over-60s.

The party has also pledged to create 20,000 new childcare places, expanding provision to include children from nine months old.

Other priorities outlined ahead of the launch include investment in the NHS, with plans for new hospital developments and expanded mental health support, as well as measures aimed at tackling environmental issues such as river pollution and fly-tipping.

Labour also says it will focus on job creation through green energy projects and introduce a “lifelong retraining guarantee”.

Context and scrutiny

The Welsh Government has the power to vary income tax rates in Wales, but changes have not been made since partial control over income tax was devolved in 2019.

A freeze would maintain current rates rather than reduce the tax burden, meaning the policy is unlikely to increase take-home pay directly but could prevent future rises.

Opposition parties are expected to challenge Labour’s plans during the campaign, particularly around funding commitments and delivery of large-scale pledges such as NHS investment and childcare expansion.

Welsh Labour also used its pre-launch briefing to criticise Plaid Cymru, claiming its rivals are focused on constitutional issues rather than economic priorities. Plaid Cymru has yet to formally respond to the manifesto announcement.

Election backdrop

The Senedd election is due to take place on Thursday (May 7), with the cost of living, NHS performance, and economic growth expected to dominate the campaign.