News

Demands for police to be reimbursed for Penally

Published

3 years ago

February 9, 2021

· A million pounds spent on policing to December
· Protests for and against cost police £685,000
· Crime panel: “Government must fully reimburse Dyfed-Powys Police for all costs”
· Home Office: “We have already agreed to provide £2.5million”

POLICING Penally camp has cost more than a million pounds and taken up more than 8,000 policing hours in the first six weeks after it was opened.

Housing asylum seekers in Pembrokeshire have placed a “significant financial burden” on Dyfed-Powys Police, the force’s Police and Crime Panel have said.
Between September 25 and November 11, more than 1,000 officers were called to attend the asylum camp in the village of Penally on the outskirts of Tenby.

ONE MILLION SPENT

At the panel, chairman Alun Lloyd-Jones said policing the Penally camp involved 13,919 hours of officer time, including 9,681 overtime at a cost of £297,000, up to the end of December.

The total costs of policing protests at the camp were £685,000, the panel said, totalling just short of a million pounds at £982,000.

Obviously, with costs this year well over a million pounds has been spent – mostly in overtime payments.

The panel is calling on the UK Government department to reimburse the force for the additional costs.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed-Powys Police Dafydd Llywelyn said he wanted additional funding from the Home Office to support local resources that have been put under pressure as a result of the decision to utilise the camp as an asylum centre.

Last month there were two protests by the asylum seekers themselves in Tenby over conditions. Mr Llywelyn said: “I’m aware that police were in attendance during protests that have taken place this week, and I was pleased to hear that the protests were peaceful with no disorder reported.

“These are extremely difficult times for all of us. I have seen first-hand the difficult circumstances encountered by individuals that are residing at the centre and I have met with the Chief Inspector of Asylum and Immigration who gave me assurances about an independent inspection that will take place in the near future.

“However, now is not the time to be gathering to hold protests, and I can understand the frustrations of the local communities when observing such activities.

“Officers will and have been acting accordingly when Covid-19 regulations are breached, and I’m reassured that the Force have been liaising with the site management team to educate them of the Force’s four E principles’ approach – engage, explain, encourage and enforce.

“In the meantime, we remain in regular contact with local partners and service providers, monitoring all situations around the facility,”

The Penally training camp began to house up to 250 asylum seekers in September, including men from Iraq, Iran and Syria.

As the Herald has extensively covered, it has attracted multiple protests – some by far-right groups and some by concerned locals.

There have also been other protests in support of the asylum seekers, and some from asylum seekers themselves protesting against the conditions in the camp.

SPECIAL FUNDING INSUFFICIENT

The panel states that under Home Office police funding rules special grants can be given to cover additional pressures, but only if the total cost of these pressures exceeds 1% of the force’s net revenue expenditure for the year.

According to the Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Panel, this would mean it would not be able to claim any additional grants from the Home Office to cover costs unless extra costs exceeded £1.129 million.

The panel said it is calling on Home Secretary Priti Patel, Policing Minister Kit Malthouse and MPs in the area – including the Welsh Secretary Simon Hart – to encourage the UK Government to fully reimburse Dyfed-Powys Police for all costs incurred in policing Penally camp – even if the costs are below this Home Office threshold.

The UK’s Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has begun an inspection of the use of hotels and army barracks as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers and is calling for evidence.

The Home Office spokesman told The Herald that it had agreed extra funding and said: “We have already agreed to provide £2.5million of Special Grant funding to Dyfed-Powys Police in relation to these costs up to September 2021.”

Dyfed Powys Police said it had a number of officers dedicated specifically to the Penally Camp to undertake regular patrols both inside the camp, around the village and to respond to calls for the camp.

These duties took up 8,264 hours of police time in the six-week period, not counting officers who have responded to incidents on occasions where the officers undertaking the Penally camp duties have not been working.

Although these officers would have been working anyway and are therefore not an “additional” cost, it does not take into account any overtime to help replace the reallocated officers.

HIGH NUMBER OF ARRESTS

A number of arrests were made in that same period as protesters gathered outside the camp during September and October calling for the camp to be closed.

In total, 13 arrests were made for offences. These included: racially aggravated Section 4 public order offences; obstructing and/or resisting a constable in execution of duty; racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment/alarm/ distress; arson; use of threatening abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent or likely to stir up racial hatred, affray; and actual bodily harm.

The force would not divulge how many of those arrests involved protesters and how many were men living inside the camp.

The operational demands were originally thought to be in the region of £3 million but have since been projected to cost Dyfed-Powys Police in the region of £1.2m as lockdown has forced protesters away.

In a report at a recent finance meeting Dafydd Llywelyn, the police and crime commissioner, wrote that he had estimated operational costs for policing the camp to be around £1.2m for the year.

News

Haverfordwest interchange: Next stage of £19m project backed

Published

21 mins ago

April 23, 2024

Bruce Sinclair Local Democracy Reporter

The second stage of building Haverfordwest’s near-£19m transport interchange has been backed, with senior councillors hearing it could cost the council more to not support it.

The transport interchange, which includes an integrated bus station and construction of a new multi-storey car park, is part of a wider series of regeneration projects in the county town.

The total cost of the scheme in the approved budget is £18.881m, £1.987m from Pembrokeshire County Council; the remainder, £16.894m, from an already-awarded Welsh Government grant.

To date, £3.425m has been spent on advanced works, including the demolition of the old multi-storey car park and a temporary bus station.

Members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet, meeting on April 22, were recommended to approve the award of the Stage 2 construction contract for the Haverfordwest Transport Interchange.

The report for members listed two simple options for Cabinet, to authorise the award of a contract, recommended, or to not.

For the latter it warned: “It is envisaged Welsh Government will withdraw the funding awarded and the council would need to repay grants received to date; £10.322m has been received to date of which £3.376m has been offset against expenditure.”

It added: “Cost to cease this project could cost PCC more in terms of grant repayment and any capital work required to make good. PCC match contribution for the project is forecast as £1.987m of the £18.881m.”

Planning permission for the interchange was granted in 2022, with a temporary bus station constructed that year and the old multi-storey building demolished in 2023.

That year, members of the county council’s Cabinet agreed a temporary car park will be sited on the demolished remains of the old multi-storey car park until the Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange – delayed as no compliant tender had been found at the time – is built.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Miller said: “The interchange is an important part of the regeneration of Haverfordwest, it will not regenerate Haverfordwest on its own, it is part of a wider process. The alternative to us being engaged is we simply allow it to decline and fail.”

He said the interchange was about “making it easier to visit Haverfordwest,” making parking provision “really straightforward, making it easy and convenient as possible”.

Cllr Miller said not progressing with the scheme would risk the grants already obtained, meaning the council could potentially foot the bill for costs to date, at a greater level than progressing.

He said the cost options were a near-£2m subsidised council involvement for the whole scheme or the £3m-plus spent to date if the scheme was ended, which would leave the car park as it is now.

“It’s pretty reasonable that if they give us the money and we don’t build a transport interchange they’ll be looking for that money back,” Cllr Miller said.

He said previous figures from parking revenue – back in 2019 – amounted to £100,000 a year; and could be expected to at least double on a “like-for-like” basis following the increase in parking charges.

Members, after a private and confidential session over the actual contract details, agreed to proceed with the scheme, awarding the contract to Kier Construction Western and Wales.

Charity

RNLI prepare for summer with medical training exercise in Pembrokeshire

Published

21 hours ago

April 22, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RNLI lifeguards from the north Pembrokeshire team, volunteers from St Davids RNLI and St Davids Coastguard Rescue Team came together at Whitesands beach on Thursday (18 April), for a multi-agency medical training exercise. Pembrokeshire RNLI lifeguards and St Davids volunteer lifeboat crew took part in a multi-agency medical training exercise alongside St Davids Coastguard Rescue Team in preparation for the upcoming summer season.

The Coastal Medicine programme was set up six years ago at the suggestion of clinicians from Hywel Dda University Health Board. The aim of the programme is train lifeguards, lifeboat crews and HM Coastguard teams in working collaboratively when responding to medical incidents on the coast.

Clinicians from Hywel Dda work with RNLI staff to design exercises simulating mass-casualty incidents on land and afloat. The exercises allow lifeguards, lifeboat crews and Coastguard teams to practise and test their rescue response and casualty care.

The simulated incident at Whitesands involved a medical incident at sea leading to a boat going out of control and ploughing through a group of swimmers causing multiple injuries. RNLI lifeguards responded to casualties on the beach while St Davids inshore and all-weather lifeboat crews dealt with the situation at sea. St Davids Coastguard Rescue supported RNLI colleagues as they would in a real-life scenario.

In total there were six casualties to treat, all of whom were given the immediate medical care by the teams on scene. As in a real-life scenario, they were then prepared to be handed over to the care of the Ambulance Service.

Roger Smith, RNLI Area Lifesaving Manager said: ‘The scenario was based on a real-life incident, it’s so important that we train in dealing with challenging situations.

‘The RNLI lifeguards, lifeboat crew, and the Coastguard rescue team worked really well together collaborating together to achieve the best possible result.

‘The feedback from all the participants was really positive, and our medical colleagues were very complimentary about the competence shown and the inter-agency co-operation.

‘This scenario training gives confidence to our lifeguards and lifeboat crews, and ensures the teamwork and communication is already in place ready for real-life incidents.’

Martin Charlton, an RNLI lifeguard in north Pembrokeshire said:

‘Last night’s exercise was a great opportunity for me and my colleagues on the lifeguard team to upskill ahead of the summer season.

‘We regularly attend incidents in the season that require a multi-agency response. These scenarios are a brilliant opportunity to prepare for the the most challenging situations.

‘The team and I thoroughly enjoyed the exercise and feel better prepared for the season as a result.

‘It’s always a pleasure working alongside the Coastguard rescue team and the lifeboat as one crew.’

Crime

Brian Davis: Wanted on suspicion of commercial burglary

Published

21 hours ago

April 22, 2024

Tom Sinclair

POLICE are appealing for information to find Brian Davis, from the Pembroke Dock area.
The 53-year-old is wanted on suspicion of commercial burglary and fail to appear at court.
Have you seen Brian, or do you have information that might help us find him? Please, let the police know:
🖥️ | https://orlo.uk/wr13X
📧 | [email protected]
💬 | Direct message us on social media
📞 | 101
Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.
Quote reference: BRC818624