Business

Welsh Water chief quizzed over plans to slash 500 jobs

Published

3 months ago

November 7, 2025

SENEDD Members quizzed the boss of Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water about plans to cut around 500 jobs amid concerns about the “enormous” pay and bonuses pocketed by executives.

Peter Perry, the outgoing chief executive, appeared before a Senedd committee today (November 5) after Welsh Water unveiled plans to cut annual spending by £50m.

Mr Perry is retiring from the industry after joining the company as an apprentice in 1979, with former Sydney Water boss Roch Cheroux set to take the reins in the new year.

He told the climate committee: “In my 46 years, I’ve never seen a time for the industry or the company where there is so much external focus, so much challenge.

“Customers are, rightly, expecting better standards and there’s an unparalleled interest in the environment… we welcome both but there are also considerable challenges.”

He outlined Welsh Water’s trawsnewid (transformation) plan to reduce its workforce by approximately 500 full-time-equivalent roles over the next 18 to 24 months.

“This is not a desired outcome, this is a necessity,” he said.

Mr Perry explained the sector has faced hundreds of millions in extra costs due to the pandemic and droughts, with £60m spent on the Felindre water treatment works alone.

He told Senedd Members a sector-wide credit-rating downgrade has increased borrowing costs, reducing Welsh Water’s financial wiggle room.

“We are not in the same strong financial position we would have been in five years previously,” he said. “The whole idea of trawsnewid is the company taking responsible action now to make sure we remain in a sustainable financial position for five, ten, 15, 20 years.”

Llŷr Gruffydd, who chairs the committee, asked whether Welsh Water will have to do less due to having fewer people – warning of a “doom loop” of worsening performance.

Plaid Cymru MS Llyr Gruffydd — Plaid Cymru MS Llŷr Gruffydd

Mr Perry insisted: “That’s not the case at all… we would not, for one second, look at service levels dropping – our targets are tightening.”

Welsh Water stressed the transformation programme will not impact its £4bn investment plan for 2025 to 2030, which is nearly double the amount of the previous five years.

Sam James, commercial managing director at Welsh Water, added: “It’s about doing more with the people we have. How do we make it easier for people to do their job?

“There is still a lot of manual data processing, for example.”

The not-for-profit company is focusing on reducing “back-office” support and management roles to limit the impact on front-line teams.

Ms James said the plan is broader than a restructuring, with 50% of savings to come from employment costs and 50% from other efficiencies, such as better use of data and AI.

Martin Driscoll, Welsh Water’s business support and people director, said 316 people have so far put their name forward for voluntary redundancy.

On the risk of losing experienced staff, Mr Perry said: “We will be disappointing some colleagues who would like to go on the basis that we can’t lose their expertise.”

Janet Finch-Saunders, a Tory committee member, said: “There’s been so much concern about the level of executive pay and bonuses at a time… when it is felt by many people that there has been a lot of failings within the water industry and, in particular, Dŵr Cymru.”

Welsh Water’s chief executive received a £460,000-a-year base salary in 2025/26, with total target remuneration of £894,000, according to the company’s latest accounts.

Mr Perry, who earned a base salary of £369,000 in 2024/25, replied: “First and foremost, any of the variable pay that executives have is entirely based on performance so there has been a proportionate reduction.”

He added: “I acknowledge I’m well paid, I’m not going to win the argument on that, but what I would say: the figure that’s been in the public domain of an £800,000 salary is incorrect. 40% of it was linked to an accounting practice… for a future pension accrual.”

Mr Driscoll described the £892,000 listed in the 2021 accounts as total remuneration as “to some extent fictional”, claiming the chief executive’s pay has “tracked downward” over the past five years.

Asked whether executives will take a pay cut, Mr Perry told the committee: “Trawsnewid is not about cutting people’s pay in the organisation at all.

“We’re losing colleagues, regrettably, but we’re not attacking people’s terms and conditions.”

Business

Eight-year prison sentence after vehicle stop uncovers drugs worth over £150,000

Published

5 hours ago

January 29, 2026

Court Reporter

A ROUTINE vehicle stop by roads policing officers has led to an eight-year prison sentence after more than £150,000 worth of illegal drugs were discovered in a car in Pembrokeshire.

On Friday, January 2, officers from the Roads Policing Unit stopped a grey Seat Ateca on Hoyland Road, Pembroke. The vehicle was being driven by 43-year-old Dean Evans.

During the stop, Evans told officers they would find “stuff” in the car. He and the vehicle were subsequently searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

A search of the boot uncovered a cardboard box containing a one-kilogram block of cocaine and ten half-kilogram packages of herbal cannabis. The street value of the drugs was estimated to be well in excess of £150,000.

Evans was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs. He was later charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs.

The 43-year-old pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, January 3.

On Thursday, January 28, Evans was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to eight years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis.

DC Jones, from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit, said: “Tackling the supply of illegal drugs is a priority for Dyfed-Powys Police, and the misery that illegal drugs bring to local communities will not be tolerated.

“We welcome the sentence passed to Dean Evans, given the large quantity of harmful drugs he was caught trafficking into Pembrokeshire.

“This sentence should serve as a stark warning to anyone tempted to become involved in the illegal drugs trade in Dyfed and Powys.”

Business

Councillor condemns closure of Haverfordwest Santander branch

Published

11 hours ago

January 29, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A PEMBROKESHIRE councillor has spoken out after learning that the Santander branch in Haverfordwest is set to close later this year, warning the decision will have a serious impact on local residents, families and businesses.

The bank’s Bridge Street branch is due to close on Monday (May 5) as part of a wider UK restructuring programme.

Councillor Thomas Baden Tudor said he was “lost for words” and urged the bank to reconsider, describing the closure as devastating for customers who rely on face-to-face services.

Santander says the decision is driven by declining footfall, with more customers banking online, and that services will remain available via digital platforms and Post Office counters.

However, the announcement follows a steady erosion of high-street banking in Pembrokeshire. The Herald recently reported that Haverfordwest’s former Halifax branch is set to reopen as a nail salon.

In what appears to be a serious failure of planning, there is now not a single bank branch left anywhere in south Pembrokeshire. Towns including Tenby, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock are all without face-to-face banking facilities.

North Pembrokeshire has also been affected, with Fishguard and St Davids now lacking bank branches.

Pembrokeshire is understood to be left with just four bank branches in total — Nationwide in Milford Haven, and HSBC, NatWest and Lloyds Bank in Haverfordwest.

Business

Bluestone celebrates King’s Award for Enterprise at official ceremony

Published

1 day ago

January 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Pembrokeshire resort recognised as UK leader in sustainable tourism

BLUESTONE NATIONAL PARK RESORT has formally received The King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, marking a major milestone for the Pembrokeshire-based resort.

The prestigious honour — the UK’s highest business award — was presented during an official ceremony at Bluestone’s Serendome by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed, Miss Sara Edwards. It recognises Bluestone as the first holiday resort in the country to receive the award for sustainable development.

During the visit, the Lord-Lieutenant met founder and chief executive William McNamara, director of sustainability Marten Lewis, staff members and invited guests, while also learning more about the resort’s long-term environmental strategy and its relationship with the local community.

The award follows an extensive assessment of Bluestone’s environmental, social and economic performance. Judges highlighted major progress in reducing carbon emissions, the resort’s move to a fossil-fuel-free operation for all purchased energy — a first for a UK holiday park — and its adoption of circular economy principles. Bluestone was also praised for its support for the local economy, its work to protect and enhance wildlife, and an internal culture where sustainability is shared across the organisation. Around thirty per cent of the business is staff-owned.

Speaking at the ceremony, Miss Edwards said: “It was a great pleasure to present Bluestone with The King’s Award for Enterprise and to see first-hand the work they are doing. The team’s passion for sustainability and their commitment to protecting the local area in Pembrokeshire shone through during my visit. Bluestone’s work is having a positive and lasting impact, and they should be extremely proud of what they have achieved.”

The recognition comes at a time when the tourism sector is under increasing pressure to balance growth with environmental protection, as travellers place greater emphasis on sustainable destinations.

Marten Lewis, who has led Bluestone’s sustainability strategy, has been central to developing what the resort describes as its “operational blueprint” — combining environmental protection, community partnerships and local economic support. He has also represented Bluestone nationally and was recently congratulated in person by King Charles III at a reception for King’s Award recipients.

Reflecting on the achievement, Mr Lewis said sustainability was fundamental to the way the resort operates. He added that the award recognised years of collective effort across the business and would act as a powerful incentive to continue pushing standards higher.

Chief executive William McNamara said the award reflected a long-standing commitment to responsible tourism. He said that as travel continues to evolve, businesses have a growing duty to protect the places people come to enjoy, adding that national recognition of Bluestone’s approach was a moment of pride for the entire team.

Formerly known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, the programme was renamed following the accession of King Charles III. Since its launch in 1965, more than 8,000 UK businesses have been recognised for outstanding achievement.