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Can council be trusted with town centre cash?

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Concerned: Cllrs Mike Stoddart and Jacob Williams

Concerned: Cllrs Mike Stoddart and Jacob Williams

COUNCIL OFFICERS, whose ineptitude led to a police investigation into allegations of fraud, are to have a hand in managing a further sevenfi gure project in our county. Unaffi liated councillors have expressed concern about the potential for a repeat the questionable practices which are currently subject to a Dyfed- Powys Police inquiry. On Monday (Jan 5), the Cabinet will receive a report that the authority has secured a £1.25m Welsh Government loan to fund town centre regeneration schemes. The funding forms part of the Welsh Government’s ‘Vibrant and Viable Places’ (VVP) town centre regeneration programme. The Council applied for VVP funding which was not successful, but the Welsh Government has made available loan funding to four local authorities, including Pembrokeshire.

REPORT CONCEALS ‘ABJECT FAILURE’

The report on the loan, which is to be considered by Cabinet on Monday, glosses over the chequered history of the Council’s involvement in similar schemes in the past. The report blandly states: “The Audit Committee has recently reviewed the delivery of a property related grant scheme – the European funded Commercial Property Grant Scheme. It is proposed that these arrangements be replicated for the town centre loan fund.” The conduct of at least one offi cer involved in the delivery of the Commercial Property Grants Scheme was recommended for internal disciplinary action, while the report referred to Cabinet members but not provided to them also points out a series of abject failures by the offi cers concerned in that project’s administration. The management structure for the new project is a straight repetition of that which produced nothing but bad headlines for the Council for the last three years, with the addition of Cabinet.

AUDIT MEMBER’S MISGIVINGS

Audit Committee member Jacob Williams expressed considerable surprise at the way in which the Cabinet paper permits the inference to be drawn that the Audit Committee approved or endorsed the chaotic management structures which led directly to a situation in which a Police investigation into allegations of possible fraud remains ongoing. Speaking to the Herald on Tuesday (Dec 30), Cllr Williams said: “The Audit Committee’s “fi ndings” were a shocking indictment of the way things were being run, yet they didn’t even scrape the surface. The Council’s administration was so horrifi cally poorly managed that even a cursory examination of material by the Audit Committee fl agged up eyebrow raising goings-on.” Shortly after that investigation was launched, Cllrs Mike Stoddart and Jacob Williams provided evidence gathered from the documents to the then Director of Finance Mark Lewis. The material handed over suggested that a contractor had received preferential treatment in relation to one development in the Town Heritage Initiative. The same contractor and developer were concerned in other developments under the Commercial Property Grant Scheme After delay until after a Council meeting due to discuss the unlawful pay supplements made to its CEO, the Council referred the alleged irregularities to the Police and they continue to be under investigation. Concerns raised at the time that some of the fi les made available to Council members to inspect had been “fi lleted”, were sharpened when it emerged that the Council’s European Manager, Gwyn Evans (no relation), who has overall responsibility for the Commercial Property Grants Scheme, had carefully re-written the record of grants panel meetings to suggest greater caution and scrutiny of proposed developments than was actually the case. Gwyn Evans has been the subject of the Council’s internal disciplinary procedure as a result. Jacob Williams concluded: “Hell knows what else the Audit Committee would have found if it was allowed to complete its investigation properly and in the way originally intended.”

AN INCOMPLETE INVESTIGATION

The original intention of the Audit Committee, as revealed previously to The Herald by Cllr David Simpson, was to examine one project undertaken in the Commercial Property Grants Scheme as a test subject – 29 Dimond Street in Pembroke Dock – and see if any issues arose in relation to that project. It was then intended that the Audit Committee should move on to consider other projects to see if the same issues arose when they were subject to the same level of scrutiny. The Committee found issues aplenty, but its determination to continue with its probe by looking at other properties was thwarted by the intervention of senior offi cers, who were keen to draw a veil over the range and number of irregularities, and the incompetence and possible complicity of Council staff in those matters now under Police investigation. Senior offi cers’ intervention in the investigation contributed directly to the resignation of Audit Committee Chair, John Evans MBE in May 2014. When he left his position, John Evans MBE made it clear that he considered that council offi cers showed little “appetite for change” and said that he had been thwarted in his aim to bring openness and transparency to the way in which the Council operated. AN ONGOING SCANDAL While Jamie Adams’ allegedly “independent” group and senior offi cers are keen to avoid scrutiny, it was only at last month’s Council meeting that the Pembroke Dock grants issue raised its head again. The massed ranks of the “independent” group and the fl awed advice of Council offi cers could not thwart a motion by Cllr Mike Stoddart to allow Audit Committee members access to correspondence between the authority and developer Cathal McCosker, including the substance of negotiations that led to Mr McCosker offering to repay over £180K rather than allow access to bank statements proving that payments claimed were supported by a paper trail. When Council members reconvene in January existing Audit Committee members will now have the opportunity to fi nd out just how that £180K fi gure was arrived at and to which projects it relates.

MAKING MOTORWORLD ‘VIBRANT AND VIABLE’

The Council’s VVP application centres on a proposal to regenerate the Motorworld building, Charles Street, Milford Haven. The conceptual proposal for the Charles Street site is to demolish the current building and redevelop with a mixed use scheme which includes social housing and retailing. However, other town centre buildings and sites – re-development opportunities – could also benefi t from the loan fund. At the time the Council made its original bid, its scheme was made up of an ambitious plan to revitalise the Rath by creating a new lido-type development. In order to gain backing for those proposals, Milford Haven Central representative Stephen Joseph was induced to join Jamie Adams’ allegedly “Independent” group on the Council. The failure of the original bid appears to have put the kybosh on Cllr Joseph’s vision and replaced it with the Development Directorate’s preferred option of building bedsits in town centres.

 

CALL FOR BETTER SUPERVISION

Mike Stoddart told us: “Following the abject failure of the Grants Panel to adequately supervise the commercial property scheme in Pembroke and Pembroke Dock, I would have thought some more stringent method of assessing these projects might have been devised. “Having a Cabinet member along as a mere observer doesn’t seem to fi t the bill. “Perhaps the involvement of elected members with some experience of these matters would be a better way to assure the public that their money is being wisely spent.”

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Rugby Weekly – Tenby’s promotion push continues

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It’s crunch time for all rugby clubs around the county, whether promotion is their aim or fighting relegation or even just trying to improve their league position, it’s now or never. 

Last weekend saw an important win for Fishguard in division two west which should put any relegation fears to bed completely. James Griffiths added an impressive 18 points for the Seagulls as they defeated Nantgaredig 33-19. 

Elsewhere in the second division, Milford were beaten 32-8 by a good Lampeter outfit. The Mariners are still a little too close for comfort with the drop zone but should have enough quality to see them safe. 

At the other end of the table Tenby sit in second place and have played fewer games than leaders St Clears and third place Lampeter. They won impressively again last weekend, beating Pontyberem 64-19 at Haywood Lane. Fletcher Broadhurst impressed with two tries as did Hywel Baker who also grabbed himself a brace. Another excellent performance in an outstanding season so far in which promotion would be the absolute icing on the cake. 

In Division Three West, Pembroke were well beaten by Laugharne 74-15 in which the outstanding Liam Price and Nico Setaro both crossed the whitewash 4 teams a piece. The latter also added 7 successful conversions. 

There was a local derby at Pill Parks where Llangwm hosted Pembroke Dock Quins and it was an exciting clash. The visitors won narrowly 28-23, Craig Barnett and Gethin Bradney both scored two tries for the Quins. The Wasps battled hard and will be proud of their performance, Gethin Thomas impressed for the hosts with two tries of his own but it wasn’t enough to secure the points. 

St David’s hosted the high flying Cardigan outfit and were unable to score in reply to the visitors 20 points, with it ending 20-0. The Saints however won’t be losing too much sleep over it as they have had a great season so far. 

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Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

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PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

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Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

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TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

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