News

Council Leader issues statement regarding Authority’s dire finances

Published

2 years ago

February 8, 2024

ON THURSDAY evening (Feb 8) Pembrokeshire County Council’s Leader Cllr David Simpson has issued an open statement to all residents and businesses in Pembrokeshire warning of the unprecedented financial situation faced the Local Authority.

“Councillors will soon be faced with the difficult task of setting our budget for the following year, a budget that must ‘balance the books’ by law.

“Every year the Welsh Government allocates funding for each local authority, and for 2024-25 Pembrokeshire will only receive a 2.5 per cent increase in that funding against a 14.4 per cent increase in service costs.

“The Council has effectively dealt with the very same unprecedented cost of living issues that every householder and business in the county faces.

“However, on top of this we have also been faced with an unprecedented increase in demand for both adult and children’s social care that has added more than £23million in pressures.

“Five years ago children’s social care costs made up 6 per cent of the overall budget but they are now more than 10.3 per cent, a 248 per cent increase in overall budget value.

“Social care and schools costs now make up 78 per cent of overall pressures with social care costs exceeding schools costs for the first time this year. In 2024/25 the budget for social care will be more than all other services combined (excluding schools.)

“There has also been a huge increase in the number of people needing temporary accommodation, from 78 in March 2019 to 507 in March 2023, resulting in a £1.145m pressure for 24/25, equating to a 78% increase on existing budget.

“As we set this difficult budget, we also have to decide the level of Band D Council Tax increase needed to maintain services. A potential range of increases from £4.20 per week to £5.40 per week are needed to balance the budget and bridge the £31million funding gap. And even this will still require significant cuts to some Council services.

“I, like all Councillors, do not want to raise Council Tax when so many residents are already finding it harder to make ends meet in Pembrokeshire.

“The Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) support available for those entitled to a reduced level of Council Tax remains, and I would urge anyone who thinks they may be eligible to find out more.

“We as a Council will strive to make sure the final Council Tax increase is as small as possible but we must all be aware that this coming year will certainly be tough, the hardest ever faced by the Council and the residents of Pembrokeshire.

“During the past decade, funding levels from UK Government to Welsh Government and on to Councils have not kept pace with the ever-increasing pressures.

“Due to this, we have had to make significant budget savings of £96.7 million over this time, supported by your suggestions in our annual budget consultation. We have always endeavoured to minimise the impact to service users, especially the most vulnerable in our communities.

“Pembrokeshire County Council has been running efficiently – that is providing services with a lower Band D Council Tax level than others in Wales – but this will be harder and harder to maintain.

“Our staff do a tremendous job in running our leisure centres, collecting the bins, in teaching and in caring. Despite the difficult decisions to come, the focus on ‘Working together, Improving lives’, will be at the forefront of our minds.”

Crime

Dock woman given mental health treatment order after supermarket thefts

Published

26 minutes ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A PEMBROKE DOCK woman has been placed on a mental health treatment requirement after repeatedly stealing meat, cheese and other grocery items from local supermarkets.

Lisa Stewart, 45, admitted three theft offences when she appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

The first offence took place on March 11, when Stewart stole Vanish, Lenor and three packs of Persil capsules from Home Bargains in Pembroke Dock, with a total value of £58.41.

The following month, she stole four small beef joints, four steaks and three blocks of cheese from Asda in Pembroke Dock, worth £55.68.

Seven days later, she stole four legs of lamb from Farmfoods in Pembroke Dock, valued at £99.96.

Stewart, of Truscott House, London Road, Pembroke Dock, also pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to police bail on or around May 26.

She was represented in court by solicitor Alaw Harries, who told magistrates the thefts involved items of relatively low value and were not the result of “sophisticated offending”.

“The defendant has had an exceptionally difficult time, as last year she lost her partner to cancer and has struggled profoundly to process that grief,” said Ms Harries.

“Instead, she has attempted to cope by taking more of her prescribed medication than she should. And this is what has led her to be here today.”

Ms Harries said Stewart is now motivated to address her issues.

Magistrates sentenced Stewart to an 18-month community order. She must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days, a 12-month mental health treatment requirement and a 12-month drug rehabilitation requirement.

The order will include monthly reviews in court.

Stewart must also pay £214.05 compensation to the supermarkets, together with a £114 surcharge and £85 costs.

Crime

Grandmother banned after cocaine drug-drive offence

Published

28 minutes ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A GRANDMOTHER has been banned from the roads after being caught behind the wheel with 800 mcg of a cocaine metabolite in her system.

Eleri Phillips, 57, was stopped by police in the early hours of December 18 as she drove her Audi Q5 along Derwent Avenue, Steynton.

A roadside drugs swipe proved positive, and further blood tests carried out at the police station showed she had 45 mcg of cocaine in her system and 800 mcg of benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite.

The legal limits are 10 mcg and 50 mcg respectively.

Phillips, of Brook Close, Steynton, Milford Haven, pleaded guilty to two drug-driving charges when she appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates. She was legally represented by solicitor Michael Kelleher.

“She is absolutely ashamed of what has happened,” Mr Kelleher told the court.

“She had been out with friends that evening and someone offered her cocaine. Very foolishly, she took it.

“As a result, she is now going to be disqualified from driving, which is going to cause problems not only for her but for her family, as she regularly helps look after her grandchildren with general pick-ups from school.”

Phillips was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £120. She must also pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge.

Crime

Milford Haven builder banned for second drug-driving offence

Published

43 minutes ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Court hears cannabis reading was five times the legal limit

A SELF-EMPLOYED builder has been banned from the road after committing his second drug-driving offence in ten years.

Robert Duncan, 44, was stopped by police at around 6:00pm on January 31 as he drove a Ford Focus along Steynton Road, Milford Haven.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard this week that officers had been observing the vehicle before requesting it to stop.

Duncan provided a positive roadside drugs wipe, and later blood tests showed he had 10mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The legal limit is 2mcg.

Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told magistrates that this was Duncan’s second drug-driving offence within ten years.

Duncan, of Meyler Crescent, Milford Haven, pleaded guilty to drug-driving.

He was represented by solicitor Michael Kelleher, who said Duncan had believed the drug would have left his system by the time he got behind the wheel.

“He believed the drug would have been out of his system when he was driving, but it can take a considerable length of time to go,” said Mr Kelleher.

“In fact, this is the drug that takes the longest amount of time.”

Mr Kelleher said Duncan worked as a self-employed builder, but was currently unable to work large amounts of time because of family commitments.

Magistrates disqualified Duncan from driving for three years. He was also fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £32 surcharge.