AFTER a tense period of campaigning, Conservative candidate Nick Neumann has won with 365 votes.

His controversial rival, Mike Harris, only received 43 votes, alongside Jony Griff with 201 votes and Thomas Hughes with 135 votes. 

Speaking to The Herald after the result was announced by the Returning Officer on Thursday (Oct 10), the now councillor Neumann said: “Firstly to thank the campaign team for their support led by Di Clements and good friend Mark Carter.

He added: “It makes a huge difference being part of a group in terms of campaign support. And thank you to all the good people of the Havens and Roch who have entrusted me to represent them at county hall.”

Cllr Neumman also said he wished to thank the Returning Officer and the County Council’s counting staff for running the count so smoothly.

Cllr Nick Neumann, and his wife Jessica run Newgale Holidays. They are a well-known couple in the local area.

Neumann’s has a degree in agriculture and business. His business, Pembrokeshire Agrisolutions, launched in 2000, and is directly helping local farming communities.

Nowadays, latest business venture, Newgale Holidays, is continuing to grow with a newly approved holiday lodge development on the site of the former Roch Gate Hotel. 

Now Pembrokeshire’s newest county councillor, the voters of The Havens will be looking forward to Neumann to delivering for their communities. 

A HERITAGE body warned its workforce has almost halved over the past decade due to cuts, with some staff now “doubling up” and doing two jobs.

Christopher Catling, chief executive of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, gave evidence to the Senedd’s culture committee on October 9.

Mr Catling, who came into post nearly a decade ago in 2015, explained that the commission operates under a Royal Warrant to maintain an inventory of monuments in Wales.

He cautioned that the commission’s remit letter and key-performance indicators from the Welsh Government “don’t really address that core warrant duty”.

Mr Catling warned of an assumption that worthy social objectives can be delivered as a by-product, saying the commission has sought external funding for this purpose.

He said: “The social objectives are not funded by [the] Welsh Government to the same degree – quite honestly, our funding … pays for the salaries of our staff, it leaves very [little].”

Hayley Roberts, an international lawyer who is deputy chair of the Royal Commission, which received a 10.5% cut in 2024/25, agreed the situation has worsened in the past decade.

Dr Roberts pointed to the commission’s written evidence, which warned of a near 50% reduction in staff over 10 years causing substantial reductions in service delivery.

“We can’t do more with fewer staff and we can’t do the same things with less.” she said.

Mr Catling added that the commission’s costs have been rising at an “astonishing” rate, with  fees for required cyber security certification jumping from £700 to £10,000.

He told the committee: “The way we’ve coped, I’m afraid, is simply by freezing posts as people have left the commission. We have not replaced them unless their role is so absolutely fundamental to our delivery that we have to.”

Mr Catling added: “A number of our staff are now doubling up and doing two jobs.

“Our governance manager is now our HR manager even though she has none of the qualifications or skills to do that job.

“Our procurement and operations manager is doubling up as our finance manager.”

Asked about charging for pre-planning advice, Mr Catling suggested this would not be viable because the level of income raised would not pay for staff nor sustain the commission.

Looking to the future, he said: “It will mean change and it will mean probably doing less than we currently do but doing it differently.”

Mr Catling raised the example of the commission having one-and-a-half people to record buildings being demolished, with Wales set to lose 500 places of worship in the next decade.

Asked about cooperating with Cadw, he told the committee: “We have been continually asked to look at efficiency savings, particularly combining back-office functions.

“We have worked really hard at that and we’ve never identified a single saving. Our organisations – all of us – are working to the bone.”

Lee Waters said he struggled, from a common sense point of view, to understand that there are no savings to be made across heritage organisations.

“It’s a hard argument to sustain,” said the Labour MS for Llanelli.

Mr Catling reiterated that efficiency savings have been exhausted, suggesting the commission is unlikely to be able to share functions with Cadw following a review.

The chief executive hit back at Mr Waters’ line of questioning, asking: “Who would you suggest we talk to? Come on, be specific.”

Mr Waters replied: “I beg your pardon. OK, maybe we need to calm down a little…. You’re special pleading the whole time.

“I don’t doubt you’re very efficient and you’re doing a tough job with limited resources – that’s frustrating, I completely understand that and I’m not questioning the value of your work.

“I’m simply challenging some of your evidence that there aren’t functions you could share.”

Asked about an extra £90,000 announced by the Welsh Government, Mr Catling said six staff have been hired for six months to work on vital projects.

He shared previous witnesses’ concerns that in-year funding is a sticking-plaster solution.

THE WELSH Government poured cold water on calls for free public transport for young people.

Ken Skates, Wales’ transport secretary, warned that financial pressures make it impossible to both bring buses back under public control and offer free transport for youngsters.

In his response to a Senedd report on free public transport, Mr Skates said the Welsh Government would instead focus limited resources on reversing 40 years of privatisation.

He said: “We cannot commit to free fares for young people at this time.”

Wales’ children’s commissioner, petitioners and the Welsh Youth Parliament have all added their voices to a chorus of calls for a free travel scheme.

And, as part of an inquiry, Senedd members took evidence on the feasibility of Wales following Scotland’s lead by making buses free for under-22s.

But the Welsh Government rejected half of the petitions committee recommendations.

Carolyn Thomas, who chairs the committee, raised petitioners’ concerns about public transport being unaffordable, with rail, coach and bus tickets up 33 to 74% in ten years.

She said this is especially worrying given that 23% of people have no access to a car.

Leading a Senedd debate on October 9, the Labour MS said the Welsh Government had hoped to explore capped fares but budgetary pressures have made this difficult.

Ms Thomas, who is also chair of the cross-party group on public transport, warned much is hanging on planned bus reforms and the introduction of franchising.

She told the Senedd: “I believe that the will is there to replace existing concessions with universal free or low-cost travel for our young people here in Wales.

“I am hopeful that, even in these straitened times, a way can be found to achieve this sooner rather than later. And, in the meantime, young people will continue to struggle.

“They deserve the best that can be offered to help them to thrive.”

The Conservatives’ Peter Fox said free public transport for young people has long been a policy that his party has advocated for.

Mr Fox, who represents Monmouth, told the Senedd a free travel scheme would help young people broaden their horizons and reach their full potential.

The former council leader raised concerns about the accessibility of public transport, particularly in rural Wales, due to “chronic underfunding”.

Mr Fox said Wales desperately needs investment to drastically improve public transport as he urged Welsh ministers not to “settle for being shortchanged” by Westminster.

He said: “This Welsh Government must make Wales a more inviting place for young people, providing them with more opportunities and a greater ability to move around.”

Peredur Owen Griffiths, Plaid Cymru’s shadow transport secretary, described the context for the committee’s report as stark with a cost-of-living crisis, a pandemic and years of austerity.

He asked: “Is it any wonder our young people are looking for some hope?”

Mr Owen Griffiths criticised “chronic underinvestment” in the rail network and “massive cuts” to bus services while the costs continue to increase.

He said soaring fares hit young people hardest because they often rely on public transport to access education, employment and social opportunities.

Mr Owen Griffiths, who represents South Wales East, warned Wales has the highest number of young people not in employment, education or training across the UK.

Responding to the debate, Mr Skates stressed that the Welsh Government fully supports the conclusions of the report and recognises the potential benefits.

But, pointing to continued funding constraints, the transport secretary said the focus will be on driving forward progress on a bus bill to enable changes to fare structures.

He told the Senedd he has asked officials to work with the children’s commissioner’s office to understand the barriers to encouraging more young people to use public transport.

Mr Skates pointed to the Welsh Government-funded MyTravelPass discount scheme.

The transport secretary committed to developing a fairer fares scheme in future “as we take back control of public transport in Wales”.