News

Double ‘no’ from Dr Jones

Published

10 years ago

February 11, 2015

TWO requests made by county councillors to call-in planning applications to the planning committee are to be heard this morning (Friday) by the authority’

Director of Development: Dr
Steven Jones.

s Planning Delegation Panel.

The ad-hoc panel meets only when applications are submitted by councillors wishing to remove planning applications from the scheme of delegation – which are determined by officers, and bring them to the Planning and Rights of Way Committee – which are decided by councillors.

Councillor David Howlett who represents the Wiston ward has applied to call-in an application on a plot of land in Spittal.

Cllr Howlett says that the environmental consequences of the application at the site of the former Golden Hill Garage are potentially important. In his supporting statement the Conservative representative also states: “the weight of comments made by the Planning Inspectorate on a very similar application should be heard in a public arena”.

The council’s Director of Development, Dr Steven Jones disagrees with Cllr Howlett that the application should go to the planning committee and would rather it stays in the hands of his officers for determination, under his delegated powers and recommends councillors of the Planning Delegation Panel to refuse Cllr Howlett’s request to allow the application to go to the committee.

In his recommendation, Dr Jones says: “the application does not raise demonstrable issues that could be considered as meeting the relevant criteria for referral to the Planning and Rights of Way Committee”.

Dr Jones also wants another councillor’s call-in request to be rejected by councillors at this morning’s meeting. East Williamston representative Cllr Jacob Williams has made a request to call in an application at the former Pentlepoir School site which the council sold last year to a private developer.

In his call-in request Cllr Williams says that he has been approached by constituents with great concerns about drainage matters and part of the plans which has the potential for overlooking. Cllr Williams says he shares their concerns which would see dominant houses close to the border of the school’s former playing field adjoining a previously existing cul-de-sac of detached bungalows, and believes this could raise privacy and overshadowing issues.

Cllr Williams also refers to a “perceived lack of consistency with the council’s approach” to the site which the authority allowed to “languish in a state of disrepair for years”, and says: “a public examination of this application by the planning committee will go some way in reassuring my community that their views – which do not oppose the fundamental idea of the site being developed – are going to be listened to and considered, and that they will be seen to be”.

Cllr Williams had originally asked Dr Jones if he would call in the application under his own delegation but Dr Jones refused to do so, and now also recommends the application not to go to committee, saying that he considers “there are no grounds for the application being considered by the committee”.

The final decision over whether the two applications will be allowed to be heard by the planning committee will be made by the small panel of four Councillors: Reg Owens, Rob Summons and Tom Richards, all of the ruling Independent Plus Group, and Councillor Paul Miller, the Leader of the Labour Group.

Both Cllrs Howlett and Williams are able to attend the meetings and argue their cases but are not allowed to vote, similarly the Chairman of the planning committee, Cllr Myles Pepper, is also able to attend and address the panel if he wishes, but cannot vote.

Crime

Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property

Published

7 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKE DOCK resident is due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court later today (Nov 25) for multiple alleged breaches of a community protection notice.

Sheena Deacon, of 13 Wavell Crescent, Pembroke Dock, faces charges under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which carries a maximum penalty of a Level 4 fine.

The charges stem from allegations that Deacon failed to remove accumulated household waste from her property on several occasions. According to court documents, the breaches occurred on September 19, September 26, October 2, October 9, and October 17 this year.

The charges indicate that Deacon, despite being issued with a community protection notice, did not comply with the requirements to clear and appropriately dispose of refuse and household waste from her address.

The Herald will bring updates on the case as it progresses.

News

Welsh Conservatives urge Labour to scrap ‘family farm tax’

Published

7 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have announced plans to bring forward a Senedd debate next week (Nov 27) calling on the UK Labour Government to abandon its proposed “family farm tax.”

The tax, introduced by the UK Labour Government, is being criticised as a move that will harm Welsh farming, threaten food security, and increase food prices. Alongside the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme and perceived “anti-farming agenda,” critics argue this new tax amounts to a coordinated effort to undermine the future of agriculture in Wales.

Shadow Minister warns of consequences
Ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, James Evans MS, condemned the proposal, stating:
“Labour’s family farm tax will put family farms out of business, threaten our food security, and lead to food prices rising. Only the Welsh Conservatives will stand up for our farmers, and that’s why we’re bringing forward a Senedd motion calling on Labour to reverse this decision. No farmers, no food.”

NFU Cymru expresses alarm
NFU Cymru President, Aled Jones, echoed these concerns, highlighting the widespread opposition from the farming community. Speaking about the impact of the tax on Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, Jones said:
“Earlier this week, hundreds of farmers from across Wales journeyed to London to meet with their MPs and register their deeply held concerns about these misguided and ill-thought-out reforms.

“The proposals unveiled by the Treasury last month to introduce a tax on the passing on of our family farms to the next generation are a massive added burden. They will leave many farmers without the means, confidence, or incentive to invest in the future of their business.

“NFU Cymru reiterates its call for the UK Government to halt these changes.”

The motion to be debated
The motion, set to be debated in the Senedd, reads:
“To propose that the Senedd:
Calls on the UK Labour Government to reverse its decision to impose a family farm tax on agricultural businesses.”

This debate is expected to attract significant attention, with Welsh farmers and rural communities keenly watching for the outcome.

Community

Internet outage for two villages after exchange box destroyed

Published

9 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS of Clunderwen and Llandissilio have been left without internet access following the destruction of an Openreach exchange box just outside Llandissilio village.

The incident occurred yesterday (Nov 23) when the box was reportedly demolished by a vehicle. The damage has resulted in a complete loss of internet services for the two villages, with repairs expected to take at least a couple of days.

Local residents have expressed frustration over the disruption, as the outage affects home businesses, remote workers, and households relying on internet connectivity for day-to-day tasks.

Openreach engineers have cordoned off the site, and work is ongoing to assess the extent of the damage. A spokesperson for Openreach has been contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.

The vehicle involved in the incident has not yet been identified. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact the local police.

With repair timelines unclear, affected residents have called for increased communication from service providers to manage expectations during the outage.

“Bringing the community back online is a priority,” a local resident said. “We’re hoping Openreach can resolve the issue quickly and ensure it doesn’t happen again in future.”