News
Ceredigion gets biggest cut
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THE CASH allocated to Ceredigion Council for 2015-16 was announced on December 10, showing that the funding allocated to Ceredigion has decreased by 4.5%, and that Welsh Local Authorities as a whole have seen an average fall of 3.4%. The disappointing news, said the Council, was that Ceredigion is the county to receive the harshest cut of 4.5%, reducing the grant we receive to £99.256 million for 2015-16.
Having had to already find budget cuts of £9.5m during 2014-15, the funding reduction means that we have to find a further £10m savings for 2015-16, and work is well under-way to achieve this target. Ellen ap Gwynn, Leader of Ceredigion County Council told The Herald: “Last week’s announcement of the Final Settlements for 2015-16 by Leighton Andrews is unfavourable to Ceredigion. Drawing up a budget for 2015-16, and the subsequent years, is a very challenging process, and as a result we will have to make difficult decisions in order to balance the budget.”
She added: “The public engagement and consultation that took place over the last couple of months has given us guidance regarding the priorities of the people of Ceredigion. We will now need to look closely at all our services to see if they can be provided more cost effectively, if not, then hard decisions will have to be made to either cut or transfer to other bodies to provide on our behalf. The final decisions for proposals will be going to full Council in the New Year. We will try as best we can to keep services going for the benefit of Ceredigion citizens at this difficult time.”
News
Waspi campaigners threaten legal action over pension compensation
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Government refuses to pay £10bn to women affected by pension age rise
CAMPAIGNERS fighting for compensation over changes to the state pension age have threatened the government with legal action after ministers ruled out a £10bn payout to those affected.
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group has sent a “letter before action” to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), warning of high court proceedings if the matter is not resolved.
The dispute stems from changes that saw the state pension age for women born in the 1950s gradually raised to match men’s retirement age. The parliamentary and health service ombudsman ruled last March that these changes had not been properly communicated and recommended compensation. However, in December, the government announced that no payments would be made.
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Labour leader Keir Starmer previously acknowledged concerns but defended the decision, stating: “Ninety per cent of those impacted did know about the change – and in those circumstances, the taxpayer simply can’t afford the burden of tens of billions of pounds of compensation.”
Angela Madden, chair of the Waspi campaign, accused the DWP of “gaslighting” those affected. She said: “The government has accepted that 1950s-born women are victims of maladministration, but it now says none of us suffered any injustice. We believe this is not only an outrage but legally wrong.
“We have been successful before, and we are confident we will be again. But what would be better for everyone is if the secretary of state now saw sense and came to the table to sort out a compensation package.”
Campaign gathers political backing
The campaign has previously been backed by key Labour figures, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, when the party was in opposition.
Around 3.6 million women in the UK were affected by the pension changes, first announced in 1995 and later accelerated in 2011 under the coalition government. Many have claimed they were left in financial hardship, forcing them to rethink their retirement plans.
Labour MP Brian Leishman was among those calling for action, warning that if the party did not deliver “improved living standards,” the next UK government could be a “hardline far-right effort.”
Government stands firm
A government spokesperson said: “We accept the ombudsman’s finding of maladministration and have apologised for the 28-month delay in writing to 1950s-born women.
“However, evidence showed only one in four people remember reading and receiving letters they weren’t expecting, and by 2006, 90% of 1950s-born women knew the state pension age was changing. Earlier letters wouldn’t have affected this. For these and other reasons, the government cannot justify paying for a £10.5bn compensation scheme at the expense of the taxpayer.”
Health
Delays in ambulance response ‘likely led to mother’s death’
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A PRE-INQUEST review has heard that a Pembrokeshire mother would likely have survived had ambulance personnel arrived in time.
Charlotte Burston, 40, from Llanteg, fell ill with chest pains on Christmas Day 2023. Her teenage daughter called 999 twice, but an ambulance was delayed by over an hour and a half. With no medical help available, her stepfather, Brian Lye, drove her towards Withybush Hospital.
Tragically, she suffered a heart attack at Robeston Wathen and later died at Morriston Hospital on New Year’s Eve.
The Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) previously admitted an “error in allocation” regarding the emergency calls. A report presented at today’s hearing concluded that had a paramedic been present, a defibrillator could have been used, and Ms Burston would, on the balance of probabilities, have survived.
At the hearing on Friday (Feb 21) Pembrokeshire Coroner Mark Layton said: “Had the call been preferentially allocated, this would have led to somebody being sent to the address, and the allocation of such a person, on the balance of probabilities, would have altered the tragic outcome.”
A full inquest, expected to last a day, will take place in late spring or early summer.
Business
New creative space aims to help revitalise Haverfordwest town centre
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A FRESH initiative is bringing a creative spark to Haverfordwest’s high street, with the opening of a new shared studio space designed to support local artists and breathe life into empty shops.
Breakout Gallery, led by Arthur Brooker, officially opened its doors to the public on Friday, February 14, offering both a workspace and a platform for artists to showcase their work.
Arthur, who has been running Breakout Gallery for nearly a decade, has shifted the focus of the business in response to changing times.
“We initially specialised in selling artwork on commission,” Arthur explained. “But after COVID and the cost-of-living crisis, we needed to rethink our approach. Now, our main goal is to help regenerate Haverfordwest by transforming vacant retail spaces into hubs of creativity.”
The gallery has been redesigned to include individual studio units, allowing artists to rent space to create and exhibit their work.
Beyond the studio, Breakout Gallery is well known for its street exhibitions, which add a vibrant touch to local festivals and events. The team also rents out event decorations and manages a space at Westival.
Arthur is now setting his sights on further expansion. “There’s so much potential in Haverfordwest,” he said. “We’re already exploring another premises to offer even more creative space. It’s all about revitalising the town, one shop at a time.”
In addition to providing studio space, the gallery hosts exhibitions and events, with the next major showcase, Heartbreak Hotel by Harriet Davis, set to open on Friday, February 28. Life drawing and oil painting classes are also being introduced to further engage the local artistic community.
A former director at Haverhub, Arthur is passionate about bringing more artists into the fold and ensuring that Haverfordwest becomes a thriving creative hub.
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Tomos
January 5, 2015 at 4:12 pm
seems very unfair on Ceredigion when you see how money is thrown away hand over fist in Pembrokeshire on the “chiefs”
see- didn’t mention Jamie,IPiG, BPJ or even a Porsche for the little lad to get to work as there are no buses