NEYLAND TOWN COUNCIL RECORDS QUESTIONED AHEAD OF TWO-DAY CASE IN HAVERFORDWEST

QUESTIONS over the accuracy and fairness of Neyland Town Council’s official minutes have resurfaced ahead of a two-day standards tribunal hearing involving one of its members.

Councillor David Devauden is due to appear at a hearing at Haverfordwest County Court on Thursday (Jan 15) and Friday (Jan 16) from 10:00am, in connection with an alleged breach of the Code of Conduct under the Local Government Act 2000.

The renewed focus on council record-keeping comes after minutes from an earlier meeting recorded a statement that Cllr Devauden had been “found guilty by the Ombudsman” of breaching the Code of Conduct and bringing the town council into disrepute.

The wording appears in the minutes of a meeting held on Monday (Oct 6), during a discussion about civic arrangements for the Remembrance Service. In that section, the minutes record Cllr Mike Harry raising concerns about Cllr Devauden being offered a public role, referring to his behaviour in previous meetings and “the fact that Cllr Devauden had been found guilty by the Ombudsman of breaching the Code of Conduct and bringing NTC into disrepute.”

However, the standards tribunal hearing listed for this week has yet to take place. No independent finding from an Ombudsman has been produced to the public record to substantiate the claim as written in the minutes.

Cllr Devauden disputes the accuracy of the statement and says it has caused serious reputational damage. He has also claimed the language recorded in the minutes amounts to defamation, and says similar wording was later repeated in motions passed by the council.

Concerns about the accuracy of the written record have also been reflected in later council business. Minutes from the meeting held on Monday (Nov 3) show the town council postponed approval of the minutes of a previous meeting, after the Clerk asked for time to check the recording and make amendments where necessary.

The Nov 3 minutes note that the October minutes would be reviewed against the recording before being brought back for approval, underlining the importance of ensuring formal records accurately reflect what was said and decided.

Cllr Devauden has also raised concerns about the process leading to this week’s hearing, saying he has never been called before a Standards Committee and questioning whether due process has been followed.

In correspondence, he also highlighted the practical issue of documentation, claiming the maximum number of documents to be presented is 200, while he says he has more than 1,000 documents relevant to the matter, with further material continuing to be updated.

The two-day hearing is scheduled to take place at Haverfordwest County Court on Thursday (Jan 15) and Friday (Jan 16), beginning at 10:00am.

Public consultation launched on draft policy to support community safety

Residents across Ceredigion are being invited to share their views on how drone technology could be used to support community safety and local services.

The consultation, which runs until the evening of 14 January 2026, seeks feedback on a draft Drone Policy as public services explore new ways of tackling anti-social behaviour, supporting inspections and improving emergency response.

Under the proposals, drones could be used to monitor hotspot areas, assist with inspections, gather evidence safely and improve the efficiency of local services. However, the potential use of the technology also raises important questions around privacy, data protection and public accountability.

The consultation asks residents for their views on how, when and where drones should be deployed under the draft policy, as well as what safeguards should be put in place to ensure their responsible and proportionate use.

Councillor Matthew Vaux, Cabinet Member for Partnerships, Housing, Legal and Governance and Public Protection, said drones could be a valuable tool but stressed the importance of public trust.

He said drones had the potential to improve public safety and support enforcement, but transparency, trust and appropriate safeguards for residents were essential. He added that the consultation was specifically focused on the draft policy and provided an opportunity for residents to help shape its contents before any final decisions were made. He also noted there could be cost and efficiency benefits in other areas, such as surveying and structural inspections.

As part of the consultation, residents are being asked for their views on when and where drones should be deployed, how any data collected should be stored and used, and what measures should be in place to protect privacy.

Feedback gathered through the consultation will be used to help shape the final policy and ensure that any introduction of drone technology is necessary, proportionate and transparent.

Residents are encouraged to take part by completing the online survey, emailing their views to the council, or submitting paper feedback forms available at local libraries and council reception areas.

Questions raised over funding, scale and timing of long-delayed development

Gareth Davies MS questioned the First Minister in the Senedd today {Jan 13} over the future delivery of the Royal Alexandra Hospital development in Rhyl, following the recent granting of planning permission by Denbighshire County Council but with no confirmed funding commitment from the Welsh Government.

The issue was raised after Welsh Labour North Wales MS Carolyn Thomas asked the First Minister to make a statement on the development. Mr Davies used a supplementary question to highlight concerns over the lengthy delays surrounding the project and what he described as a sudden increase in political attention from Welsh Labour representatives ahead of an election.

Mr Davies criticised what he said had been years of silence from North Wales Labour Senedd members on the Royal Alexandra Hospital, followed by what he described as a “resurrection” of the plans in recent months. He argued that the proposals had been significantly scaled back from the original plans announced in 2013 and suggested the development was now being used for political purposes rather than properly addressing the healthcare needs of the region.

During his contribution, Mr Davies pressed the First Minister to confirm whether construction would begin early this year, as suggested by the Health Board, and whether the Welsh Government would commit to delivering the hospital to the original specifications set out in 2013. He said those specifications were necessary to adequately relieve pressure on Glan Clwyd Hospital.

Responding, First Minister Eluned Morgan criticised previous UK Conservative Governments and the current Welsh Conservative Senedd Group, referring to what she described as “fantasy economics – wanting to build these huge places.” She said Wales had been “deprived for years of capital funding” by previous UK Governments.

The First Minister also stated that “the people of Rhyl want to see this community hospital” and said she hoped to see progress under a Labour government. However, she did not provide a commitment that construction would begin early this year, nor did she offer assurances that the hospital would be built to the original, larger specifications.

Commenting after the exchange, Gareth Davies MS said the First Minister had failed to provide clarity on the future of the project.

He said: “After deflecting and shifting the blame, the First Minister still refused to give a straight answer on whether construction will begin this year, leaving many local people feeling they’ve heard it all before.

“Planning permission is only the first step, and after more than a decade of delays there are real concerns, the Welsh Government has dusted off scaled-down plans to use as political capital before the election, without committing the funding needed to actually build the hospital.

“The reduced plans fall well short of what was promised to North Denbighshire and will not adequately ease pressure on Glan Clwyd Hospital, so the Welsh Government must stop moving the goalposts, commit to an early start, and deliver a fit-for-purpose hospital rather than a watered-down version of what was promised over a decade ago.”