PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL is set for a three-way contest after council leader Jon Harvey confirmed he will not seek re-election when councillors vote to choose their next leader.

Cllr Harvey has led the council since his predecessor, Cllr David Simpson, stepped down in May 2024 after seven years in the post.

Independent Group councillor Anji Tinley announced her decision to contest the council leadership on April 24. However, she will not be the only contender to lead the authority. Conservative Group leader Di Clements and current Cabinet member Tessa Hodgson will also contest the election.

THE FINE BALANCE OF POWER

The vote could be very close.

The Conservatives have eleven councillors, the Independent Group has eighteen, with the balance held by fifteen unaffiliated councillors, three Plaid Cymru members, two Liberal Democrats, and nine Labour members.

There is one Reform UK councillor, Scott Thorley, and, following the death of Cllr Brian Hall last weekend, a vacant seat.

That leaves the council more or less evenly split between the loose coalition that supports the current administration and the two largest party groupings, the Independent Group and the Conservatives.

THE CANDIDATES

Cllr Tinley joined the local authority after winning the Haverfordwest Garth ward in the 2022 local authority election.

She replaced Cllr Huw Murphy as Independent Group leader earlier this year.

In the announcement of her decision to contest the leadership, an Independent Group spokesperson said: “Anji Tinley has the experience, determination and commitment needed to help restore confidence in the council and ensure that the voices of all residents are properly heard.”

Cllr Di Clements has been the county councillor for Martletwy since 2017.

She has led the Conservative Group on Pembrokeshire County Council since 2022, and is a former chairperson of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.

In 2024, she narrowly lost the council leadership election to Jon Harvey by 30 votes to 27.

Cllr Tessa Hodgson has been a member of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet since 2017.

An experienced councillor, Cllr Hodgson appeared well-placed to replace former leader David Simpson in 2024. However, despite broad support for her candidacy, she declined to put her name forward.

Known for her independent thinking and relentless attention to detail, Cllr Hodgson has performed well in the social services hot seat over several years.

NEW LEADER FACES OLD PROBLEMS

The Conservative and Independent groups think there is a need for change ahead of next year’s county council elections.

There have been rumblings of discontent among those generally supportive of the current administration, and a leadership vote could crystallise those feelings.

That said, Tessa Hodgson is a strong candidate — almost certainly the strongest available to the current administration.

The practical result of a change of leadership, and in the event of either a Conservative or Independent Group win, a new Cabinet, with a year to go to the next council election, is less certain.

The annual budget is set, the council tax rates are determined, and the room for manoeuvre is limited. What a new Cabinet can do within the current funding model is constrained by programmes already in place and funded for the next year.

Moreover, the identities of those who might serve, or be persuaded to serve, in a new Cabinet are similarly limited.

A change of direction would likely mean the shedding of Labour cabinet members and the possible exit of the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru from the administration.

Whether unaffiliated members such as Michelle Bateman, Tessa Hodgson, or Jacob Williams would join a council led by either Di Clements or Anji Tinley, or even be asked to do so, is open to question.

Meanwhile, whether Tessa Hodgson is prepared to significantly reshape the Cabinet and either broaden its base or reduce the influence of party groups within it could be a significant factor in how swing voters decide to cast their ballot.

It’s a close call.

But whatever the result, there is one thing for certain. Whoever the new leader of Pembrokeshire County Council is, they will, for the first time, be a woman.

A HAVERFORDWEST museum has become caught up in a political row after Reform UK campaign material was photographed inside the premises.

The Welsh Spitfire Museum, based in Bridge Street, is now facing the threat of a peaceful protest after campaigners objected to what they described as political propaganda being displayed at the heritage attraction.

A photograph sent to ‘The Pembrokeshire Herald’ shows a Reform Wales poster on a wall inside the museum, alongside other aviation-related material. The poster includes the words “Wales needs Reform” and urges people to vote Reform UK.

On Wednesday morning (April 29), museum manager Ray Burgess (pictured), received a message from a woman identifying herself as Emma Flavell, who informed him that campaigners were in the process of organising a peaceful protest outside the museum.  In the message, she claimed the protest was aimed at stopping charitable organisations from being able to “openly advertise political agendas”.

She also alleged that Reform was an “extreme right wing party” and accused it of promoting division and racist policies.

Commenting on the escalating row Scott Thorley, the recently elected Reform county councillor and Haverfordwest town councillor, claimed the incident had ‘intimidated and bullied’ Mr Burgess.

“Emma Flavell called him a racist, she began filming him, and the irony is striking,” he said.  “The museum window was previously defaced with ‘Vote Plaid’ graffiti, and then 80-year-old Ray Burgess was intimidated and bullied into supporting their views.  This kind of behavior has more in common with fascism than with democracy.”

Cllr Thorley went on to say that Mr Burgess and his team at the Spitfire Museum ‘proudly support Reform’.

“They  believe it’s the party best placed to save our country,” he said. “We at Reform, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire stand firmly with him. There is no place in politics for bullying, intimidation and harassment.”

The Pembrokeshire Herald is unable to confirm whether Plaid Cymru was responsible for the alleged window defacement.

Meanwhile the incident has raised questions about whether political campaign material should be displayed in a charity-linked museum, particularly during an election period.  According to a government website, the Charity Commission states that  a charity must not support, oppose, promote or appear to promote any political party or candidate.  This applies even if the charity strongly agrees or disagrees with that party’s policies.

The Commission also says that ‘charities must be, and must be seen to be, independent from party politics’.

DOG owners are being reminded that seasonal restrictions on some of Pembrokeshire’s most popular beaches come back into force from Friday (May 1).

The restrictions run each year from May 1 until September 30 and apply to a number of beaches across the county during the busiest months of the visitor season.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s current guidance states that some beaches are subject to either full or partial dog bans during the summer period. Maps showing where dogs can and cannot be walked are available online and are also displayed at the affected beaches.

The council says the restrictions are in place primarily to protect the interests of bathers and other beach users during the summer season, when beaches are at their busiest.

There are only two beaches in Pembrokeshire where a total summer dog ban applies.

From Friday (May 1), dogs are not allowed on Tenby North Beach or Whitesands, St Davids, until the restrictions are lifted again on October 1.

Partial bans are in place at Lydstep, Newgale beach and promenade, Saundersfoot beach and promenade, Tenby Castle and South Beach, Amroth beach and promenade, Poppit Sands, Broad Haven North, and Dale.

Visit Pembrokeshire also lists dog restriction maps for Coppet Hall, which has previously been described by the council as a voluntary restriction area.

Check signs before walking

THE restrictions do not mean dogs are banned from the whole of every beach listed under the partial ban.

In many cases, parts of the beach remain available for dog walking, but owners are urged to check the signs and maps before heading onto the sand.

The signs at each location show the areas where dogs are banned, areas where dogs are allowed, and areas where dogs must be kept on leads.

At Tenby, the rules affect several beach areas. Tenby North Beach is subject to a full seasonal ban, while Tenby South Beach and Castle Beach are covered by partial restrictions.

At Newgale, the restriction also includes the promenade and pebble bank. At Saundersfoot and Amroth, the restrictions include the promenade areas.

Poppit Sands, Broad Haven North, Dale and Lydstep are also covered by partial seasonal restrictions, with mapped areas showing where dogs are allowed.

Majority of beaches still dog-friendly

DOG owners are also being reminded that the majority of Pembrokeshire’s beaches remain dog-friendly throughout the year.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority says dogs are welcome on more than 50 beaches in the county, although some have seasonal restrictions or restricted areas between May and the end of September.

Guide dogs are exempt from the restrictions.

The current council list of affected beaches is:

Total dog bans from May 1 to September 30

Tenby North Beach
Whitesands, St Davids

Partial dog bans from May 1 to September 30

Lydstep
Newgale beach and promenade
Saundersfoot beach and promenade
Tenby Castle and South Beach
Amroth beach and promenade
Poppit Sands
Broad Haven North
Dale

Additional mapped restriction

Coppet Hall — listed by Visit Pembrokeshire among the dog restriction beach maps and previously described by the council as voluntary.

Enforcement over summer

Pembrokeshire County Council says leisure staff enforce the bans throughout the summer months.

Breaches of the byelaws can lead to enforcement action, and the council has previously said the maximum penalty is £500.

The council has also reminded dog owners that they must clean up after their pets on all Pembrokeshire beaches, whether or not a seasonal restriction applies.

In recent years, the council has said officers would focus on education in the first instance, with warnings issued for first offences before fixed penalty notices were considered for repeat breaches or failure to leave a restricted area when asked.

Owners are being urged to check the beach signs, follow the marked zones, keep dogs under control, and clean up after them.

The restrictions will remain in place until Wednesday, September 30. Dogs will be welcome back on the restricted beaches from Thursday, October 1.