Local Government

CPT responds to Welsh Labour £2 bus fare pledge

Published

2 months ago

January 9, 2026

THE CONFEDERATION of Passenger Transport has welcomed Welsh Labour’s pledge to introduce a £2 cap on all single bus fares across Wales if the party leads the next Welsh Government, while warning that any such policy must be properly funded to be sustainable.

Responding to the announcement, Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) said lower fares could play an important role in boosting bus use and cutting car dependency, but cautioned against unfunded commitments.

Aaron Hill, Director of CPT Cymru, said buses remain the most widely used form of public transport in Wales.

“Buses are Wales’s favourite form of public transport, carrying nearly 200,000 passengers a day. They’re a green, affordable and convenient alternative to travelling by car,” he said.

“Bus operators welcome ideas and policies that will encourage people across Wales to take public transport more often.”

Mr Hill said Wales had lagged behind other parts of Great Britain in recent years when it came to fare initiatives, pointing to England’s £2 cap scheme, which has been extended several times with central government backing.

“Wales has been slow, in comparison to the rest of Great Britain, to invest in lower bus fares, so a cap of £2 would be a welcome step in boosting public transport usage,” he said.
“It is vital that any cap is backed with adequate funding, and that a strategy is in place to capture gains for the long term if the cap is for a limited period.”

Welsh Labour has also pledged to introduce 100 new bus routes across Wales as part of its wider transport plans. CPT said the ambition was positive but stressed the need for realistic delivery.

“Bus operators welcome Welsh Labour’s pledge to introduce 100 new bus routes,” Mr Hill added.
“We stand ready to work with the party on identifying pockets of demand and on discussing how this goal could be fulfilled, while ensuring value for money.”

However, the organisation warned that past experience showed a gap between political ambition and financial reality.

Public funding for bus services under the current Welsh Government has, CPT said, not always matched the scale of commitments made by ministers, with operators facing rising costs linked to fuel, wages and vehicle investment.

“Public funding under the current Welsh administration has not always been sufficient to meet the level of ambition set out by politicians,” Mr Hill said.
“It is vital that, as a nation, we bridge this gap and that pledges are backed by hard cash.”

Opposition parties have previously raised concerns that fare caps, while popular with passengers, can place significant strain on already stretched transport budgets if not fully funded, potentially leading to service reductions elsewhere. Some local authorities have also warned that rural routes, which are more expensive to operate, could be at risk if funding does not keep pace with lower fares.

CPT said any future investment must be carefully designed.

“All public investment in buses must be designed to generate value for money and to deliver a visible impact for passengers,” Mr Hill said.

Welsh Labour has argued that cheaper fares and expanded routes would increase passenger numbers, reduce congestion and help meet climate targets, but has yet to set out detailed costings for the proposals.

With bus services under pressure across Wales, CPT said collaboration between government, local authorities and operators would be essential if fare caps and network expansion are to deliver lasting benefits rather than short-term gains.

Unite has also cautiously welcomed today’s Welsh Labour’s commitment to a £2 bus fare cap and the expansion of bus routes across Wales, recognising that affordable, reliable public transport is essential for workers, communities, and the Welsh economy.

The union has long argued that buses are a public service, not a profit-making exercise, and the commitment to bring services back under public control through the Bus Services Bill is a significant step in the right direction.

A fare cap, if properly funded, could help tackle transport poverty, support access to work and education, and reduce car dependency.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Public transport should be just that. Owned by the public and run for the public. And this should extend to fares that allow workers, students and families to go about their business for a fair fare. Today’s announcement by the Welsh Labour is a step in the right direction.”

Unite also welcomes the news in December confirming the passing of the Bus Services (Wales) Bill, which will see bus services come back under public control.

Lead officer for public transport in Wales, Alan McCarthy said: “It will surprise nobody that deregulation has failed to deliver for communities in Wales. Unite has long campaigned for bus services to return to public control, the bill is a significant step forward in ensuring that services work in favour of passengers and communities rather than shareholders and profiteers.

“The next step is to ensure that workers’ pay and conditions are not just preserved but enhanced as a result of this. Deregulation created an environment where profits were maximised by suppressing pay. Bus workers pay and conditions in Wales are among the worst in the UK. Unite will not allow workers to pay for franchising.”

Local Government

Planning services in Wales under strain after years of cuts

Published

22 minutes ago

February 24, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Report warns staff shortages and funding pressures are leaving planners stuck in “firefighting mode”

PLANNING departments across Wales are struggling to cope after more than a decade of funding cuts, with staff shortages and increasing workloads leaving services stuck in “firefighting mode”, according to a new report.

The research, published by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Cymru, says real-terms funding for local authority planning teams fell by 43% between 2009 and 2024, despite growing legislative complexity and policy demands.

The Welsh Government’s own Planning Division has also reduced significantly, falling from around 60 planners in 2015 to 33 in 2024.

Pressure across the system

The report highlights widespread staffing pressures across Wales. It found that 73% of local planning authorities have at least one unfilled vacancy, while all respondents said they were focused on managing immediate pressures rather than delivering long-term improvements.

Researchers estimate there is an immediate need for 161 planners, 15 specialist officers and five business support staff simply to address known vacancies and upcoming retirements. Around 95 planners aged over 55 are expected to retire soon, and 42% of the public-sector planning workforce could retire within the next ten to 20 years.

RTPI Cymru warns that skills shortages, low morale and limited capacity are already affecting the ability of planning services to respond effectively to housing, infrastructure and economic development needs.

Funding and reforms

The Welsh Government has acknowledged the resourcing challenge and announced measures in 2025, including a £9m investment across planning bodies and increases in planning fees aimed at moving towards full cost recovery. Funding has also been provided to support graduates entering the profession through the Pathways to Planning scheme.

However, the report cautions that without ring-fencing, higher planning fees could be absorbed into wider council budgets rather than reinvested directly into planning departments.

RTPI Cymru has made several recommendations, including creating a national Planning Improvement Service, developing a workforce recruitment and retention strategy, and exploring new approaches to specialist service delivery.

Calls for sustained investment

Mark Hand, Director of RTPI Cymru, said: “It is encouraging to see renewed investment in planning after years of decline, but this report makes clear that the system remains under severe strain and significantly more investment is needed.

“After more than a decade of underfunding, planners are still being forced to firefight rather than plan proactively for Wales’s future. If we are serious about delivering homes, infrastructure and sustainable places, sustained additional funding is essential.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said the findings confirmed that Wales does not currently have enough planners and specialists to provide an efficient service in every case, but stressed that similar challenges are being faced across the UK.

They added that implementing the recommendations would require “concerted and collaborative action across the public sector, professional bodies, and academic institutions”.

An anonymous respondent from a Welsh local authority told researchers the core issue was not the planning system itself but “chronic underfunding, under-resourcing and under-investment”.

The report argues that addressing those underlying problems will be essential if Wales is to deliver new homes, infrastructure and sustainable communities in the years ahead.

Local Government

New online housing repairs service launched for Pembrokeshire tenants

Published

44 minutes ago

February 24, 2026

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has launched a new online system designed to make it easier for council housing tenants to report repairs and manage their housing information.

The service, called Pembrokeshire Housing Online, allows tenants to update their contact details, notify the council of any changes, and book routine housing repairs at any time of day.

The council says the system aims to give residents greater control over their housing needs, while improving communication between tenants and housing officers. Text message updates will also be used to confirm appointments and send reminders about planned visits.

Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Michelle Bateman said: “These changes to Housing Online offer tenants the opportunity to manage their housing repairs more easily and ensure key contact details remain current, helping the effective sharing of information between the tenant and the Council about appointments.”

The council has stressed that emergency repairs must still be reported by telephone. Residents should call 01437 764551 between 9:00am and 5:00pm, or 0345 601 5522 outside those hours, including weekends and bank holidays.

Housing Online can be accessed via the council website.

Residents with a current housing register application are also being urged to update their email preferences through their PCC My Account to continue receiving weekly property adverts by email.

Anyone with questions about the new portal can contact the council by phone on 01437 764551 or by email at [email protected].

Local Government

Pensioner fined for playing loud music despite repeated warnings

Published

1 day ago

February 23, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEYLAND pensioner who continued to play loud music despite numerous warnings has been fined after being convicted of breaching a Community Protection Notice.

Complaints had been made about Beryl John, of Gothic Road, with neighbours reporting persistent noise nuisance. Pembrokeshire County Council officers gathered evidence using the NoiseApp system, which demonstrated that the noise was causing a detriment to nearby residents. This led to a Community Protection Warning (CPW) being issued.

However, the behaviour continued. The council said John also behaved abusively towards council officers and Dyfed-Powys Police, resulting in the warning being escalated to a formal Community Protection Notice (CPN).

Despite the notice, John failed to comply, and the council brought proceedings before the court.

John did not attend Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Feb 5) and was convicted in her absence.

Magistrates imposed a £1,000 fine, along with a £400 victim surcharge and £1,000 prosecution costs.

The court heard that if the anti-social behaviour continues, the council may return to court to seek a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), breaches of which can result in community penalties or even imprisonment.

Cllr Jacob Williams, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services, said: “The council works with partners such as Dyfed-Powys Police and housing associations to tackle anti-social behaviour like this, which so greatly affects the quality of residents’ lives.

“As with all cases of this nature, it is a shame that things had to come before the court, but the defendant had many opportunities to avoid matters escalating simply by improving their conduct, and hopefully that will now happen.”