News
Controversial council boss could receive a £320,000 pay-off
ON THURSDAY afternoon (Oct 16), Pembrokeshire’s County Councillors will meet in what is likely to be a private session to discuss the terms of a settlement between the Council and its most senior employee, Chief Executive Bryn Parry-Jones.
The Pembrokeshire Herald understands that the sum likely to be on the table is in excess of £320,000.
While all councillors spoken to by this newspaper are staying tight-lipped about the potential terms of any settlement, a County Hall insider has told us the key components of any settlement.
After speaking with a public sector employment specialist, The Herald has established that in most Welsh local government contracts for senior staff, guidance for calculating settlements indicates a gross payment of between three months’ to two years’ salary, based on seniority and overall length of service.
Bryn Parry-Jones would be at the upper end of the settlement framework.
Starting from that point (and stripping away other payments) Bryn Parry-Jones’ base salary is around £173,000.
In a settlement agreement it would also be usual to incorporate a provision for payment in lieu of notice. While this might vary depending on circumstances, the amount in lieu of notice would usually be around three months’ pay.
In local government contracts there is a provision for a payment in respect of other guaranteed payments additional to the base salary and these are often incorporated into the settlement agreement sum.
The Council would be obliged to deduct tax from the any part of the payment exceeding £30,000.
One potential sticking point is how the Council deals with Mr Parry-Jones’ pension. As things stand he would need the Council’s permission to draw any benefit from the scheme, as he opted out of it two years’ ago when the Council approved the unlawful payments scheme which has ultimately led to the current fracture between the parties. Mr Parry-Jones has previously told Councillors that he regards that issue to be far from closed. The Council ceased paying Mr Parry-Jones’ pension contributions (the unlawful pay supplement) around the time of the Extraordinary Meeting which discussed it on February 14, this year.
The overall position turns on how both sides view their risk exposure. An employer, particularly a County Council, will always need to bear in mind political as well as litigation pressure.
The prospect of a significant monetary settlement will weigh heavily upon councillors, who will bear in mind the likely outraged reaction of their constituents if Mr Parry-Jones walks away with what potentially equates to a 1% increase in Council Tax for every household in Pembrokeshire.
The prospect of further protests tomorrow about the settlement, as the Council tries to push through £50m in cuts, cannot be discounted.
The pay-off is due to be debated after 2pm.
Crime
Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property
A PEMBROKE DOCK resident is due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court later today (Nov 25) for multiple alleged breaches of a community protection notice.
Sheena Deacon, of 13 Wavell Crescent, Pembroke Dock, faces charges under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which carries a maximum penalty of a Level 4 fine.
The charges stem from allegations that Deacon failed to remove accumulated household waste from her property on several occasions. According to court documents, the breaches occurred on September 19, September 26, October 2, October 9, and October 17 this year.
The charges indicate that Deacon, despite being issued with a community protection notice, did not comply with the requirements to clear and appropriately dispose of refuse and household waste from her address.
The Herald will bring updates on the case as it progresses.
News
Welsh Conservatives urge Labour to scrap ‘family farm tax’
THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have announced plans to bring forward a Senedd debate next week (Nov 27) calling on the UK Labour Government to abandon its proposed “family farm tax.”
The tax, introduced by the UK Labour Government, is being criticised as a move that will harm Welsh farming, threaten food security, and increase food prices. Alongside the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme and perceived “anti-farming agenda,” critics argue this new tax amounts to a coordinated effort to undermine the future of agriculture in Wales.
Shadow Minister warns of consequences
Ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, James Evans MS, condemned the proposal, stating:
“Labour’s family farm tax will put family farms out of business, threaten our food security, and lead to food prices rising. Only the Welsh Conservatives will stand up for our farmers, and that’s why we’re bringing forward a Senedd motion calling on Labour to reverse this decision. No farmers, no food.”
NFU Cymru expresses alarm
NFU Cymru President, Aled Jones, echoed these concerns, highlighting the widespread opposition from the farming community. Speaking about the impact of the tax on Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, Jones said:
“Earlier this week, hundreds of farmers from across Wales journeyed to London to meet with their MPs and register their deeply held concerns about these misguided and ill-thought-out reforms.
“The proposals unveiled by the Treasury last month to introduce a tax on the passing on of our family farms to the next generation are a massive added burden. They will leave many farmers without the means, confidence, or incentive to invest in the future of their business.
“NFU Cymru reiterates its call for the UK Government to halt these changes.”
The motion to be debated
The motion, set to be debated in the Senedd, reads:
“To propose that the Senedd:
Calls on the UK Labour Government to reverse its decision to impose a family farm tax on agricultural businesses.”
This debate is expected to attract significant attention, with Welsh farmers and rural communities keenly watching for the outcome.
Community
Internet outage for two villages after exchange box destroyed
RESIDENTS of Clunderwen and Llandissilio have been left without internet access following the destruction of an Openreach exchange box just outside Llandissilio village.
The incident occurred yesterday (Nov 23) when the box was reportedly demolished by a vehicle. The damage has resulted in a complete loss of internet services for the two villages, with repairs expected to take at least a couple of days.
Local residents have expressed frustration over the disruption, as the outage affects home businesses, remote workers, and households relying on internet connectivity for day-to-day tasks.
Openreach engineers have cordoned off the site, and work is ongoing to assess the extent of the damage. A spokesperson for Openreach has been contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.
The vehicle involved in the incident has not yet been identified. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact the local police.
With repair timelines unclear, affected residents have called for increased communication from service providers to manage expectations during the outage.
“Bringing the community back online is a priority,” a local resident said. “We’re hoping Openreach can resolve the issue quickly and ensure it doesn’t happen again in future.”
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Flashbang
October 15, 2014 at 4:46 pm
The damage that BPJ has done to the county over the years far outweighs any payment he gets. Let’s not forget his mismanagement of pretty much everything he’s had a hand in, his abuse of position and the personal slander on Councillor Mike Stoddart. He should have been sacked long ago were it not for the cosy arrangement he has with Jamie Adams which should be put under the microscope. The whole thing stinks to high heaven and beyond.
Bob
October 15, 2014 at 5:24 pm
Someone please tell me this is a joke? I pray that councillors will see sense and NOT agree to any pay off, let the investigation take its’ course and then dismiss BJP for misconduct without compensation.
Tomos
October 15, 2014 at 7:14 pm
Were all those “leaks” about 1.8 mill or 2 million even just spin to soften the blow so we think £300k is cheap?
If I’d known it was this cheap I’d have sacked the ****** years ago
PS Why pay him off honestly? Anyone who had done ONE of the many actions/decisions he’s made over the years would have resulted in any other employee of the council being sacked – not him, WHY?
Andrew Lye
October 15, 2014 at 9:48 pm
I understand why the photo always used shows him grinning.He will be the only person smiling in the County, having won the Pembrokeshire Lottery whatever agreement is reached.
mark woodward
October 16, 2014 at 10:26 am
Since he has bought the council into disrepute, he should be sacked. No pay off, let him fight for it. End off matter. Thats how any other employee would be treated. Additionally his little buddy Jamie Adams needs to be suspended and fully investigated for his part in all of these shananigans.
Paul Rutherford
October 16, 2014 at 10:27 am
I agree with Tomos, why should he get a payoff at all? Does he have some sort of ‘anti-sacking’ clause in his contract?
The same sort of thing is happening at other councils, where it seems CE’s manage to get themselves fired with huge payoffs and then just move on to a recently vacated post.
I believe this is happening at Wirral council, where their CE is going in a month or so. He’d better not come down here.
Like most I know, I’m furious.
Paul Cardin
October 16, 2014 at 11:00 am
Presumably, he won’t just be paid off; he’ll be gagged and given a clean bill of health to take with him – inside a compromise / settlement agreement.
Here’s a survey of 345 English councils (which includes a link to £32 million worth of pay offs in Wales).
Within, there’s approx. £226 million worth of compromise agreements with gagging clauses, over a six year period. It makes up one helluva big lump under the grubby “public sector carpet:
http://wirralinittogether.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/2519/
CJ
October 19, 2014 at 9:12 am
One word to describe this “disgraceful”.
Ieuan Williams
October 19, 2014 at 11:45 am
All who voted for this pay off should consider themselves traitors to the People of Pembrokeshire.
Bryn is laughing all the way to the bank! an dour services must suffer for his pay off.
Jamie and co hang your heads in shame!