Politics

Senedd sounds alarm on fire authorities

Published

2 months ago

October 10, 2024

SENEDD members called for an “urgent and long overdue” overhaul of fire authorities amid concerns about a culture of bullying, misogyny, racism and nepotism.

Jenny Rathbone warned Wales’ fire and rescue authorities are ill-equipped to hold services to account, with a lack of separation between executive and scrutiny functions.

She said: “These bodies are anachronistic in the public sector in Wales because they are not accountable clearly enough to any outside body, and their membership is large and unwieldy; they all have between 24 and 28 members.”

Ms Rathbone drew a comparison with West Midlands fire authority which has 15 members for a population comparable to the whole of Wales.

Leading a debate on an equality committee report, entitled ‘Sound the Alarm’, after an inquiry on fire service governance, she noted that previous attempts at reform failed.

The inquiry was sparked by ITV Wales investigations and Fenella Morris’ scathing review of the culture of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

Ms Rathbone, who chairs the committee, said the Welsh Government faced huge resistance to reforms in the previous Senedd term to 2021.

“Self-interest played its part,” she said. “And we know that turkeys never vote for Christmas.

“However, the excruciating detail in the Fenella Morris report has silenced these opponents of reform – for now.”

Ms Rathbone raised concerns about the “defensive” testimony of senior fire and rescue leaders across Wales “which at times lacked candour”.

She said: “This reinforced our concerns about whether senior leaders fully grasp the extent of the change needed in fire services for the years ahead.”

The Conservatives’ Joel James criticised ministers’ “panicked” reaction to the Morris review.

He said the rapid removal of Huw Jakeway, the former chief fire officer, led to an “operational vacuum … and undoubtedly worsened the situation”.

Mr James warned that the appointment of Stuart Millington, who had a pending employment tribunal, as interim chief fire officer only fuelled public condemnation.

“To put it bluntly,” he said. “It went against the remit of establishing a senior management team untainted by the failings identified in the Morris report.”

Calling for an overhaul, the South Wales Central MS raised concerns about ITV reports of whistle-blowers warning “nothing is happening, nothing is changing”.

Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams criticised the failure to reform services over many years.

She told the Senedd: “It’s clear that failure to get to grips with this matter earlier had a truly damaging effect on staff confidence. And it was appalling but telling, I think, of the government’s reluctance to ensure action on this matter.”

Calling for “urgently needed and long overdue” reforms, Ms Williams warned that fire and rescue authorities are ineffective at holding fire services to account.

Ms Williams, who represents South Wales West, pointed out that the Welsh Government failed to take forward reforms to fire authorities in 2018.

She said: “There can be no more excuses for such an appalling lack of delivery, which has resulted in such awful consequences.”

Jane Dodds, the Liberal Democrats’ leader in Wales, described the committee’s report as painting a grim picture of the culture of governance within fire services.

Criticising the slow pace of change, Ms Dodds called for a timeline for new governance arrangements to finally end a misogynistic, sexist and racist culture in the fire service.

Labour’s Hannah Blythyn appointed four commissioners to take responsibility for the south Wales fire authority in her previous role as a deputy minister in the Welsh Government.

Ms Blythyn suggested the size and footprint of fire authorities needs to change.

The Delyn Senedd member also called for reforms of the “unaccountable and antiquated” levy on councils which pays for fire and rescue services.

Jayne Bryant, who took responsibility for fire services in July, accepted the committee’s six recommendations in her formal response to the inquiry’s report.

Wales’ local government secretary acknowledged widespread calls for urgent reform of fire authorities over accountability, scrutiny and financial concerns.

She accepted previous attempts at reform floundered in the face of opposition as she cautioned that current changes may not always be immediately visible.

Ms Bryant committed to reforming governance “as soon as possible”, with work on developing proposals for consultation to get under way in the new year.

“Reform has to happen, inaction is not an option,” she said.

Closing the debate on October 9, Ms Rathbone called for a paper on reforms to be published by the end of this year, so legislative proposals can be put to voters in 2026.

Community

Pembrokeshire town 4G phone mast plans withdrawn

Published

18 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS for a replacement 20-metre-high 4G phone mast tower in north Pembrokeshire, which the local town council says would have “an unacceptable adverse impact” on the national park’s beauty have been withdrawn.

In an application before Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Cellnex, through agent Telent, sought permission to replace an existing 10m high mast with a new 20m 4G tower with three Vodafone antennae and nine mast head amplifiers, and associated works, on land at Dwr-y-Felin Farm, Fford Bedd Morris, Newport.

The application for a 4G mobile base station for the mobile network operator(s) (MNOs) Vodafone Ltd in conjunction with Cornerstone. The application site is owned / operated by Cellnex UK, a radio site infrastructure provider.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said: “The proposed antenna height of 20m is essential to provide new 4G coverage and replacement 2G and 3G service provision to the surrounding area. 4G radio signals are more sensitive to physical obstructions than older technologies.

“This is because the higher the frequency band the greater the reduction in signal strength, increasing the likelihood of dropped calls and reduced data rates for internet browsing,” adding: “Generally, the higher the signal frequency the more it will be impacted by clutter. It is for this reason that there is the height of 20m is required.”

It went on to say it “should be noted that a radio base station within this location has already been considered acceptable and has become an established feature within the area and the proposed upgrade albeit different in design to support the latest equipment will not be of substantial or detrimental harm to the national park, conservation area or heritage assets”.

Newport Town Council had objected to the application, saying: “The proposed development (if approved in its current form) will have an unacceptable adverse impact on the qualities and special landscape and seascape character of the National Park and also on the special qualities of natural beauty and tranquillity.”

The application has now been withdrawn.

Charity

Flats for veterans to be built at VC Gallery, Pembroke Dock

Published

18 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to build flats for armed forces veterans on a former Pembrokeshire school yard/playing field next to veterans’ charity the VC Gallery has been approved by county planners.

In an application before Pembrokeshire County Council, veterans’ charity The VC Gallery sought permission for eight flats in two blocks of two-storey buildings, including wheelchair accessible flats, for Armed Forces veterans on land to the east of the former St Marys Catholic School site, Britannia Road, Pembroke Dock.

The former school, which closed in 2019, is currently used as the VC Gallery, itself an expansion of veterans’ charity the VC Gallery’s home in Haverfordwest, set up by Barry John MBE.

Documentation, through agent Pembroke Design Limited included a supporting statement by Barry John MBE, which it says “explains the issues that veterans face after leaving the services, the need for dedicated housing provision, the support that VC Gallery’s staff and volunteers provide and the gaps in current provision which the proposed development will help address”.

It added: “Although the development will provide and encourage independent living for its tenants, essential physical and mental support will be provided by the staff and volunteers in the VC Gallery as required, in accordance with individual veterans’ needs. Many will need a high level of support and the close proximity of the flats to the facilities and people on hand in the adjacent VC Gallery is therefore critical to the proposal’s purpose.”

Mr John’s statement said: “We want to create a unique offer to Armed Forces veterans in Pembrokeshire by offering up not just quality accommodation in a gated and safe environment but to also have a bespoke peer mentoring service.”

He added: “Working alongside our stakeholders The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and the OVA (Office of Veterans Affairs) we have secured a grant to draw up plans and to look at how the secured land at the VC Gallery Pembroke Dock can be turned into a bespoke housing solution for Armed Forces Veterans.

“We have Service level agreements with the local authority for specifically supporting tenancy in veterans which will also extend to giving vital counselling services. Our work with the health board and provision for peer mentorship also gives us great grounding for effective help on a practical level for the veterans’ village but we will need a more designated package around the housing we provide to include both mental health and also maintenance (something we don’t have at present).”

His statement finished: “We think the need is great, we have the land, we have the skills for care and the ambition to help. It would be a project above all social housing enterprises, and we want to make a go of it.”

Politics

Call to stop councillors being employed by MPs and MSs

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to stop senior Pembrokeshire county councillors being employed by MPs or Senedd members is to come under greater scrutiny at a special council committee.

In a Notice of Motion submitted to the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, Independent Group leader Cllr Huw Murphy said: “While it is acceptable for Cabinet members to hold other employments, no serving county councillor should hold a Cabinet position within Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) while simultaneously being employed by a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of the Senedd (MS).

“Cabinet members hold executive responsibilities, and such dual roles risk potential conflicts of interest, particularly if Cabinet decisions conflict with the policies of their employer, often a political party. This concern is heightened in a council where most members are Independents.”

Cllr Murphy’s notice of motion was heard at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council where it was agreed the matter be referred to a future constitutional review committee.

In the registration of interests for the eight members of Leader Cllr Jon Harvey’s Cabinet, only Cllr Joshua Beynon, deputy leader of the Labour Group and Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies, lists a politician as an employer, in his case newly-elected Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell.

Responding to the notice of motion, Cllr Beynon has previously said: “This motion, which appears to target my unique position as a Cabinet Member for Finance and part-time parliamentary employee, raises serious questions about its fairness, legality, and intent.

“At its core, this is a politically motivated motion that seeks to undermine the principles of fairness and freedom. It attempts to dictate lawful employment choices of councillors, disregarding the importance of balancing public service with individual rights. Such an approach risks creating a chilling effect, discouraging capable individuals from serving in public office in the future.”