News

Harding bungles on constitution

Published

10 years ago

December 9, 2014

Tom Sinclair

Got it wrong: Monitoring Officer Laurence Harding pictured centre

IN AN EMBARRASSING incident at a Corporate Governance Committee meeting on Monday( Nov 17), Council Monitoring Officer Laurence Harding was forced to withdraw an objection he had raised to a proposal for the annual election of the Council Leader. In a deathly hush, in which a pin could have been heard to drop, Mr Harding flicked desperately through the pages of the folder in front of him after being repeatedly asked to justify the advice he had tendered to councillors to reject a proposal for an annual leadership ballot presented by East Williamston’s Jacob Williams.

The quiet was a welcome respite from lengthy and sometimes testy exchanges between councillors on the opposition and IPPG sides of the committee. The meeting started badly with recriminations about the lack of trust between the opposition leaders and Council Leader Jamie Adams, with the matter being batted back to a meeting of the leaders’ group to try and move on. The level of nit-picking debate scarcely improved over the following two hours. The last item of business, on the annual election of a council leader, divided members sharply.

Jacob Williams’, whose proposal it was, first addressed the issue of the objection to his proposal by council officers. He told the meeting that having spoken with Acting Head of Paid Service Ian Westley, he was happy to clear any misapprehension about his motion and was happy to agree a minor amendment to its wording to progress the matter. Bizarrely, there then followed a protracted discussion about the existing constitutional provision which Cllr Williams wanted to replace.

After long and tortuous discussion which resembled a debate about how many angels danced on the head of a pin, Cllr Williams fixed Monitoring Officer Harding with a direct challenge to advice he had given that the present rules already encompassed the substance of Cllr Williams’ proposal.

Cue a very, very long silence. At the end of his reverie, Laurence Harding was – to his evident mortification – compelled to concede Cllr Williams’ point that the current constitution did not permit the leader to be subject to annual election on a normal notice of motion. With that fox shot, the IPPG representatives finally got the crux of their objections to Cllr Williams’ plan.

They were unanimously concerned that such an arrangement would prevent the strong leadership upon which they felt the Council depended. The self-interest of their group to divvy up allowances and positions was more important than a Leader having the confidence of Council members. Cllr Jamie Adams said that he could not imagine anyone willing to take up the leadership on the “temporary and short-term” basis proposed by the motion.

Bob Kilmister pointed out that the IPPG’s stance was the same as prevented the Council following its working together agenda, from which he and others had withdrawn due to a lack of trust between the opposition leaders and IPPG leader Adams. Keith Lewis from the IPPG, while admitting he had lost track of the debate, argued that the Council needed consistency and continuity.

Responding that Cllr Lewis appeared to envisage a position in the cause of continuity where a leader was a lame duck without backing from the Council’s membership, Jacob Williams pointed out that Jamie Adams was quite prepared to go along with Laurence Harding’s position, which if it had been correct would have amounted to the same, if not a less secure position. Paul Miller pointed out that Councillor Adams’ only mandate as leader came from arrangements within the ruling group, without any manifesto or input from the people of Pembrokeshire.

The Committee’s arguments on the point were brought to an unsatisfactory close by the expedient of calling a vote which proceeded to divide on party lines. The “Independent” group carrying the day by acting together to defeat the proposal 7-6.

Entertainment

Two-day Christmas fair set for Pembrokeshire

Published

15 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s annual Christmas Fair will run for two days this year, on Thursday, December 14, and Friday, December 15.

Held at the Parkhouse Building on the Haverfordwest Showground, the venue will transform into a festive shopping destination, offering an expanded range of stalls, live music, Santa’s Grotto, and an outdoor food court.

Expanded event

Event organisers Judith Roach and Emma Thomas expressed their excitement about the extended format. They said:
“We are thrilled to announce that our Christmas Fair will run for two days instead of just one. We are building on last year’s success with twice the opportunities to attend and even more stallholders. The Parkhouse Building will become a one-stop shop for everyone preparing for Christmas.”

The fair will be open from 10:00am to 4:00pm on both days, with free admission for all visitors.

Festive treats and unique gifts

Attendees can expect to browse an extensive selection of unique gifts, handmade decorations, artwork, and homeware. Local food and drink producers will also showcase festive delights, including chocolate brownies, fudge, spirits, and Welsh cheeses.

An outdoor food court will cater for visitors on the go, with a variety of hot and cold options.

Santa’s Grotto

Santa himself will make a special appearance, with children able to visit him for £3 per child. Each child will receive a small gift, with all proceeds going to the Sandy Bear charity. Advance bookings can be made via the Sandy Bear website.

Community effort

Adam Thorne, president of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, praised the efforts of the event’s organisers:
“The society would like to thank Judith and Emma for their dedication in organising this two-day event. We’re delighted to offer visitors a chance to do their Christmas shopping while enjoying the festive atmosphere.”

The Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society encourages visitors to follow the Pembrokeshire County Show’s Christmas Fair event page on Facebook for updates and a complete list of stallholders.

The event promises to be a perfect start to the holiday season, welcoming families and shoppers alike.

News

New hope for rare dormouse after forest find

Published

16 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A RARE hazel dormouse has been discovered in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, bringing fresh hope for the survival of the endangered species in the area.

The golden-brown rodent, known for its distinctive big eyes and long whiskers, has seen a dramatic population decline across Britain—down 70% since 2000. It is now one of seven vulnerable mammals in Wales.

Conservationists made the significant find during a project aimed at linking habitats across the park. Volunteers had set up nesting boxes in the Nevern woodland, roughly five miles west of the dormouse’s known habitat in Pengelli Forest.

A lucky discovery

Park conservationist Mary Chadwick said the team had been trying to connect isolated dormouse populations across the park’s ancient oak woodlands, including Pengelli Forest and areas near the Pentre Ifan Neolithic site.

“We were looking at linking up those important sites and checking whether populations were isolated,” she explained. “A licensed dormouse volunteer took on a new site and set up the boxes. It can take years for dormice to use the boxes, but we got lucky this year.”

The discovery marks the first recorded dormouse population in the Nevern valley, raising hopes for the species’ ability to spread across the landscape and bolster genetic diversity—key to its long-term survival.

Supporting conservation efforts

To ensure a brighter future for dormice, conservationists are calling on farmers and landowners to adopt wildlife-friendly practices, such as cutting hedgerows less frequently.

“We’re asking people to trim hedges on alternate sides each year,” said Ms. Chadwick. “That would be much better for our dormice.”

Building a future

With ongoing conservation efforts and discoveries like this, researchers hope the dormouse can move closer to recovery in Pembrokeshire. The new find has confirmed their belief that dormice could thrive across the Nevern valley, creating vital connections between isolated populations.

*Nesting boxes placed in the forest where dormice were found (Pic: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park)*

Crime

Burglar jailed for stealing cars worth £90,000 from Sinclair Garage

Published

16 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

BRIAN DAVIS, 53, of Bush Street, Pembroke Dock, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after admitting to three counts of non-dwelling burglary at Swansea Crown Court.

The court heard that Davis and an accomplice targeted Sinclair Garages in Neyland during the early hours of April 2 last year, stealing four vehicles: a Mercedes CLA, an Audi A1, an Audi Q3, and a Volkswagen Tiguan worth around £90,000 in total.

Sentencing Davis, Judge Paul Thomas KC said the crimes were too severe for a suspended sentence and noted little hope of rehabilitation. “These offences display planning and determination,” the judge remarked.

The burglars forced entry into the garage, using a crowbar to access a key storage board. Nine sets of keys were stolen, allowing them to take multiple vehicles. Prosecutor Matthew Murphy told the court: “The men left with two cars initially, returned 14 minutes later to steal a third, and returned again for a fourth.”

The stolen cars were valued at approximately £90,000. Three vehicles – the Volkswagen Tiguan, Audi A1, and Audi Q3 – were recovered the following day. However, the Mercedes CLA, worth £12,382, was only located in January this year. Damages included £5,541 to replace locks on several vehicles.

Police traced Davis through partial fingerprints found on a glove left in one of the stolen cars. He was arrested after surrendering at Haverfordwest Police Station on August 14.

Struggles with addiction

The court heard Davis had left Pembrokeshire in December, breaching post-sentence supervision for an unrelated offence, to stay with family in Glasgow and recover from drug addiction. Stuart John, defending, explained: “The defendant struggled with heroin addiction from a young age. Family bereavements caused a relapse.”

Mr John noted that Davis had been clean when he returned to Pembrokeshire and voluntarily handed himself in. While in custody, Davis completed courses and attended counselling, demonstrating awareness of the consequences of further drug use.

Recovered vehicles