Local Government

Pembrokeshire Council faces backlash over £3.5m housing ‘buying spree’

Published

5 months ago

December 4, 2025

Critics say policy inflates numbers while new-build programme stalls

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL is under growing pressure over its multi-million-pound programme of buying back former council houses, with critics warning that the strategy gives the illusion of progress while long-promised new-builds remain stuck on the drawing board.

The latest criticism comes from Milford Haven councillor Mike Stoddart, who has accused the authority of “standing still” by funnelling Housing Revenue Account (HRA) cash into purchasing properties that were once part of the council’s own stock.

Stoddart said the council’s approach “doesn’t increase the housing stock – it merely moves people from the private sector into the public sector”.

He added: “It would be much better if the money was spent on building anew.”

A temporary fix that became permanent

The buy-back scheme began in 2017 when the council adopted a new inflation-linked rent regime that delivered sizeable HRA surpluses. At the time, officers described buying ex-council homes on the open market as a “stop-gap” measure until the new-build programme ramped up.

But that programme has repeatedly faltered. Major schemes in Johnston and Tiers Cross have been hit by cost overruns of around 66%. In Milford Haven, new flats on Charles Street are costing close to £300,000 each for a one- or two-bed unit, before adding land costs, architects’ fees and planning expenses.

***Unhappy with the council’s home-buying spree: Cllr Mike Stoddart***

Stoddart said the pattern amounted to a “disaster”, arguing that buying existing homes had become the authority’s default option. “It gives the impression of making progress while actually standing still,” he said.

Brownfield sites left idle

In Stoddart’s own ward, three former school sites have stood empty since 2018. Their redevelopment is not expected to begin until 2027 or 2028. Meanwhile, the council’s purchasing programme has accelerated.

A Cabinet report for late 2025 shows more than £3.5 million spent on acquisitions in just the first half of the year.

The most striking deal was a bulk purchase of five homes in Harcourt Close, Hook, for £1.851 million — almost £400,000 each. Stoddart said the developer would think “all his birthdays have come at once”, with the council avoiding estate agents’ fees, reducing legal costs and allowing the seller to immediately stop paying interest to the bank.

Thirteen high-value purchases

All properties were bought for over £100,000 and moved into the council’s HRA stock:

Address	Location	Price	Completion
32 Southdown Close	Pembroke	£115,000	29/07/2025
8 Hyfrydle	Letterston	£115,000	01/08/2025
6 Precelly Place	Milford Haven	£120,000	22/09/2025
50 Heywood Court	Tenby	£125,000	02/10/2025
33 Croft Avenue	Hakin, Milford Haven	£130,000	20/10/2025
7 Hyfrydle	Letterston	£135,000	05/09/2025
18 St Clements Park	Freystrop	£140,000	14/07/2025
55 College Park	Neyland	£140,000	28/10/2025
26 Baring Gould Way	Haverfordwest	£146,000	15/08/2025
25 Station Road	Letterston	£170,000	10/10/2025
16 Woodlands Crescent	Milford Haven	£283,000	31/10/2025
26 & 27 Harcourt Close	Hook	£744,000	22/10/2025
23, 24 & 25 Harcourt Close	Hook	£1,107,000	30/07/2025

All purchases were made from HRA reserves with no borrowing, a point the council highlights as prudent financial management.

Fears over market distortion

Stoddart also warned that the authority’s deep pockets may be pricing out young families by outbidding first-time buyers for entry-level homes. “If classical economic theory is to be believed, it’s forcing up the price,” he said.

House prices in Pembrokeshire have risen around 15% in the past year, according to recent ONS data. Local estate agents, speaking anonymously, told this newspaper that council intervention “definitely nudges prices upward” in hotspots like Hook, Neyland and Milford Haven.

Council defends strategy

A council spokesperson said the approach was necessary to deliver homes “immediately” amid chronic shortages.

“Acquiring existing properties allows us to respond quickly to housing need,” they said. “New-builds remain a priority, but delays in planning, construction and funding mean we must use all available tools to meet demand. All purchases represent value for money and are compliant with our HRA strategy.”

Housing charity Shelter Cymru took a different view, arguing that “recycling stock is not a substitute for expansion”. The charity says Pembrokeshire needs around 500 new affordable homes a year to meet demand.

‘Residents deserve homes, not headaches’

Social housing waiting lists in Pembrokeshire now exceed 2,000 applicants. With another Cabinet briefing due later this month, Stoddart says he will push for a fundamental rethink.

“It’s time to stop standing still,” he told this newspaper. “Our residents deserve homes, not headaches.”

Local Government

Independent councillor claims Cabinet is ‘fractured’ after Harvey steps aside

Published

15 hours ago

April 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

COUNCILLOR Huw Murphy has claimed Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet is “fractured” following Cllr Jon Harvey’s decision not to seek re-election as leader.

Cllr Murphy, a member of the Independent Group, said the decision confirmed what he claimed many councillors already believed — that the Cabinet “no longer retains the confidence of a majority of elected members”.

He alleged that attempts by some Cabinet members to replace Cllr Harvey were aimed at preserving their own Cabinet positions and the additional allowances attached to them.

Cllr Murphy said: “The motto of Pembrokeshire County Council is ‘Ex Unitate Vires’ — in unity, strength. It is abundantly clear there has been no unity or strength in Cabinet for some time.”

He added that removing the leader would not, in itself, resolve what he described as wider Cabinet failure.

Cllr Murphy thanked Cllr Harvey for his service over the past two years and wished him well for the future, but said councillors now had an opportunity to choose “real change” by electing Cllr Anji Tinley as the next leader.

Local Government

Tenby pedestrianisation permit applications to open

Published

15 hours ago

April 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS and businesses in Tenby’s Walled Town are being urged to apply for vehicle access permits ahead of this year’s summer pedestrianisation scheme.

Pembrokeshire County Council said the annual scheme is due to begin on Monday, July 6, and run until Friday, September 11.

The restrictions will operate daily between 11:00am and 5:30pm.

As in previous years, the Walled Town will be divided into three zones, with each zone having different levels of vehicle access.

Full details of the scheme, including the online application form, will be available from Friday, May 1, on the council’s website at www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/tenby-pedestrianisation

Residents and businesses within the Walled Town are being encouraged to complete the application process as soon as possible once the documents go live.

The council said this will allow enough time for applications to be processed and for any additional checks to be carried out if further information is needed.

Permits are expected to be issued approximately seven to ten days before the scheme begins.

Paper application forms and guidance notes will no longer be delivered to residents and businesses within the Walled Town, meaning all permit requests must now be submitted online.

Permit holders are also being encouraged to continue planning journeys outside the restricted hours of 11:00am to 5:30pm wherever practical, in order to support the smooth running of the scheme.

Further information is available by emailing [email protected].

Local Government

Three-way contest as council leader steps down

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2026

Jon Coles

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.