Local Government

Dramatic start to Neyland code hearing as town clerk gives evidence

Published

1 month ago

January 15, 2026

Ombudsman-led proceedings heard at Haverfordwest County Court

A HEARING to determine whether a Neyland town councillor breached the code of conduct opened in dramatic fashion at Haverfordwest County Court on Thursday (Jan 15), with the town clerk called as the first witness.

The special proceedings, which began at 10:00am, relate to an Ombudsman investigation into complaints made about Cllr David Devauden, including complaints from Mayor Peter Hay and the clerk herself.

The courtroom was busy, with members of the public and councillors from Neyland, with the judge sitting alongside two magistrates.

Former councillor sought anonymity

At the outset, the judge dealt with preliminary matters, including an email from former councillor asking that his name not be mentioned during the proceedings.

The court heard that the councillor had resigned from the council and cited stress and mental health pressures. However, the judge said he had been a serving councillor during the relevant period and therefore a public figure in that context. The judge noted that no Article 8 application had been received and said the email did not amount to a request to keep his name out of the press. However, The Herald, has decided to do so.

Dispute over “undisputed facts” bundle

Cllr Devauden, who was representing himself, raised a preliminary point over the wording of what was described as an agreed bundle of “undisputed facts,” arguing some entries were inaccurate and potentially misleading.

He told the court that the bundle suggested he had accused the clerk of “committing illegal acts against the council,” but said his position was that he had alleged tampering with a government document, which he described as fraud.

The judge agreed to make minor amendments to the bundle in Cllr Devauden’s favour.

Clerk called to the stand

***On the stand: Town Clerk Libby Matthews***

The first witness was the clerk, who confirmed her full name as Elizabeth Anne Matthews and confirmed that she had made a complaint to the Ombudsman.

Cllr Devauden asked when they had first met. The clerk replied: “It was when you joined the council.”

“But that’s a lie isn’t it,” Cllr Devauden told the court, claiming he had met her in 2008 when she worked at the post office and that he had seen her regularly.

The clerk disputed this and said she did not start working at the post office until 2015, adding that she served a large number of customers and did not remember him from that time.

The judge asked Cllr Devauden whether he wished to challenge any disputed evidence, noting it would be his opportunity to do so.

Minutes and recordings

The hearing then moved to issues around council minutes and access to meeting recordings.

Cllr Devauden told the court he had asked the clerk for minutes but said they were not provided. The clerk replied that he had asked for “nine years of minutes,” and that this was not something that could be done immediately while she was busy.

Cllr Devauden disputed the timeframe and argued that minutes should be provided “on demand,” referring to what he said was the position under the Local Government Act.

The clerk told the court that while minutes had to be provided, it was “within a reasonable time,” rather than instantly.

The clerk was also questioned about why meeting recordings requested by Cllr Devauden had not been provided. She told the court she was concerned about protecting the council and said she believed he had been leaking information to the press.

She said press coverage of the council had “always been negative,” and claimed it was Cllr Devauden who was leaking information to newspapers.

Cllr Devauden denied leaking information and told the court that on the occasions he had spoken to the press, his name had been included and nothing had been “secret.”

Allegation of intimidation

The court heard an allegation that Cllr Devauden had shouted at the clerk when she refused to provide minutes.

Cllr Devauden denied shouting, telling the court it was “your word against mine,” and said he had walked out thinking the situation was “toxic.”

He also said the clerk had told him he could obtain minutes from the county records office, but claimed that when he attended he found nothing had been filed since 2000.

The clerk told the court she had believed they had been filed, describing it as a mistake.

The clerk also alleged that after requesting minutes, Cllr Devauden remained in the office and threatened to report her to the police, standing in the doorway and making her feel she could not leave.

Cllr Devauden denied threatening her with the police. The clerk told the court the matter was “in the emails.”

When challenged, she told the court: “What is written in my statement is true according to my absolute belief.”

Mayor called

***Neyland’s mayor gave evidence: Cllr Peter Hay***

Mayor Peter Hay was the next witness to give evidence. He confirmed he had also made a complaint regarding Cllr Devauden.

The court heard evidence relating to the Remembrance Sunday arrangements, including why Cllr Devauden was not selected as parade marshal and why he did not read the “order of wreaths.”

Cllr Devauden told the court he had carried out the role for “ten or 15 years,” while the mayor said he believed it had been done once before.

The judge questioned the relevance of the evidence as it was being explored, asking Cllr Devauden where it was leading. Cllr Devauden said he wished to show the mayor was a “pathological liar.”

Cllr Devauden referred to an allegation that the mayor had told councillors they had to choose between him or “the band” as the reason he was overlooked.

The mayor told the court he did not mean the Milford Haven Town Band and said he did not know which organisation had complained, suggesting it could have been “the Cubs, the Brownies or the Scouts.”

He said: “I do not engage in tittle-tattle. I just knew a complaint had been made.”

With no further questions considered relevant by the court at that stage, the judge directed that the mayor could step down from the witness box and take a seat. Proceedings then adjourned briefly.

Witness statement and ‘Sarah’s Law’ references raised

After the break, the hearing moved to evidence relating to requests for council documents and allegations surrounding access to information.

During the morning session, the court heard reference to a witness statement dated Friday, April 19, 2024, which included mention of ‘Sarah’s Law’. In questioning, one witness told the court she had not been well at the relevant time.

Cllr Devauden challenged parts of the evidence, including uncertainty over dates, and told the court that without a clear date he could not properly respond, asking how he could “admit or argue” evidence where timings were disputed.

There were also references in court to whether Cllr Devauden had asked for information about individuals, which he disputed, and further discussion about requests for historic minutes and access to recordings, including what could reasonably be provided and when.

The hearing also heard exchanges about whether individuals felt intimidated during interactions at the council offices, which Cllr Devauden denied.

The case continues.

Additional reporting by Seren Baker and Tom Sinclair

Local Government

Independent group threatens to oppose council tax plans over education cuts

Published

1 day ago

February 17, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Councillors demand £2m savings removed amid safeguarding concerns in schools

THE INDEPENDENT GROUP on Pembrokeshire County Council has warned it will not support the Cabinet’s proposed council tax increases unless planned reductions to the education budget are reversed.

Cabinet has recommended a council tax rise of 4.6% for 2026/27, followed by 5% the following year and potential increases of up to 7.5% in future years. The Independent Group has criticised the proposals, describing them as a “ballot box” budget which they claim postpones difficult financial decisions for future administrations.

The group also said it had not been consulted during the budget process by Council Leader Jon Harvey, despite representing a significant number of councillors.

Safeguarding concerns raised

Councillor Huw Murphy said the group’s main concern relates to education funding, particularly following the recent placement of three Pembrokeshire schools into special measures.

He said: “The seriousness of the situation facing education in Pembrokeshire cannot be overstated. All councillors need to place school safeguarding above party politics.”

The Independent Group argues that reducing the education budget by more than £2 million would be inappropriate at a time when schools face financial pressures and scrutiny from inspectors.

The councillors have called for the proposed savings to be reinvested to help improve standards at Ysgol Harri Tudur, Milford Haven School and the Pembrokeshire Learning Centre in Neyland, as well as addressing wider infrastructure concerns including building maintenance issues at several schools across the county.

Budget pressures acknowledged

The group acknowledged efforts by the council’s finance leadership to achieve savings, noting projections that the authority could finish the financial year under budget.

However, Councillor Murphy questioned whether some efficiencies may have affected services, including education provision and safeguarding.

He also highlighted that councillors had previously reduced proposed education cuts during last year’s budget process following cross-party support.

Political tensions

The statement also criticised the position of councillors from other parties, questioning whether Labour and Plaid members would support reductions in education spending given the current challenges facing schools.

It further referenced previous proposals from Liberal Democrats councillors for higher council tax increases to protect school funding, suggesting the current position appeared inconsistent.

The Independent Group says it will only support the budget if education cuts are removed, placing what it describes as safeguarding, wellbeing and educational attainment as its priority

Council response

Cllr Alastair Cameron, Cabinet Member for Finance responded by saying: “All 60 Councillors will have the opportunity to have their say (and vote) on the budget this coming Friday (20th February).

“Cllr Murphy was invited to meet to discuss the budget in the Autumn. He was invited again on the 20th January. There has also been ample opportunity for all Members to engage in the budget setting process through a series of Members seminars.

“The budget proposed provides an additional £4.7m in funding for schools across Pembrokeshire next year and this is on top of an additional £5.9m provided last year and an additional £7.7m provided the year before.

“This year’s budget strikes the right balance between supporting key services and keeping council tax rises manageable.

“As the Leader said last week the administration is very aware we cannot keep asking residents to pay significantly more and it is our intention to get back to Council Tax increases that are broadly in line with inflation.”

Local Government

Search begins for five bodies possibly buried beneath County Hall car park

Published

1 day ago

February 17, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A SEARCH is underway to determine whether the remains of five executed prisoners from the nineteenth century may still lie beneath a council-owned car park in Carmarthen.

A deep-ground scan was carried out at the Carmarthenshire County Hall site on Sunday (Feb 15), where the former Carmarthen prison once stood. The investigation is focusing on the possible burial locations of four convicted murderers and one convicted forger who were executed between 1818 and 1894, when prison gardens occupied the land now used for parking.

The survey was conducted using a digital ground-penetrating radar system operated by Shane Gwilt of Leica Geosystems. The findings have been sent overseas for specialist analysis, with results expected within the next week.

County Hall stands on the historic site of Carmarthen Gaol, which closed in 1922. Although the prison buildings were demolished in the 1930s, local historian and former Mayor of Carmarthen, Richard Goodridge, believes the bodies were never exhumed and may remain in their original graves.

Carmarthenshire County Council has confirmed it has no intention of disturbing or removing any remains should they be identified.

***Richard Goodridge, Shane Gwilt & Alun Lenny at County Hall, Carmarthen (Pic: CCC)***

Richard Goodridge said: “I strongly believe, based on the evidence and research I have carried out over the last two years, that the remains of these five convicted felons, hanged for their crimes, still remain where they were buried after their execution.

“It is the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle that, if confirmed, will lay to rest a great mystery that has fascinated Carmarthen residents for over a hundred years. It is unbelievable that the bodies were not exhumed when the prison was demolished.

“Finding them will at least bring to an end a mystery worthy of a Sherlock Holmes novel.”

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr Alun Lenny, said the investigation had been carried out without disruption or cost to the authority.

He said: “The work carried out on Sunday in an attempt to discover the remains of the five executed criminals didn’t disturb the car park surface in any way and was at no cost to the county council. But it may add another chapter to the colourful history of Carmarthen as Wales’ oldest town, so we await the results with anticipation.”

Business

Milford Haven-South Hook LNG gas pipeline gets green light

Published

2 days ago

February 17, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

THE FINAL stage of a call for a 1.5km hydrogen gas pipeline in Pembrokeshire in connection with a previously granted scheme for green energy production has been given the go-ahead by the national park.

Late last year Pembrokeshire County Council approved a scheme by Zurich-based MorGen Energy Ltd, previously known as H2 Energy Europe, sought permission for a 1.5km six-inch 10-bar low-pressure hydrogen pipeline and associated Above Ground Installation at the Impala Terminal, Milford Haven to the South Hook Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal.

A supporting statement through agent Fisher German said the scheme crossed both Pembrokeshire County Council and the national park authorities, with a similar application before that authority.

It added: “The proposals form part of the West Wales Hydrogen project, where planning permission was granted on October 6, 2023, for the development of a new 20MW hydrogen production facility at the Impala Terminal (formerly Puma Energy) in Milford Haven.

“The approved hydrogen production facility which uses electrolysis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, where the oxygen is a by-product of the process. The hydrogen production plant will produce 1,875 tons of hydrogen per year. Hydrogen will be distributed via high pressure vessels (40 ft. containers) to various customers in the closer vicinity, opening the hydrogen market to a large variety of customers.

“Hydrogen will also be distributed to the South Hook LNG Terminal and it is proposed that this will be via a new six-inch 10-bar hydrogen pipeline. The option to supply hydrogen to the South Hook LNG terminal via high pressure hydrogen containers was dismissed due to safety considerations at the terminal.

“This application therefore seeks planning permission for a section of below ground hydrogen pipeline within the jurisdiction of Pembrokeshire County Council, which comprises the north part of the route from the hydrogen plant at Impala to the South Hook LNG Terminal, alongside an AGI at the Impala Terminal.”

An officer report accompanying that approval said the southern part of the proposed pipeline was within the jurisdiction of the Pembroke Coast National Park Authority.

A national park officer report for that part, recommending approval, said its section of the pipeline “is a linear parcel of land comprising approximately 0.994 hectares,” adding: “It is mainly the location of a disused railway, now overgrown with scrub and grassland, in the open countryside.”

It added: “The development site is cross-boundary, situated primarily within the jurisdiction of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (the south-west extent), with a small section of the proposed pipeline (and an above-ground installation (AGI)) within the Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) LPA area (the north-east extent).”

The national park side was conditionally approved by planners.