News

Badger and the magic carpets

Published

10 years ago

February 25, 2015

WHAT a rum old week, last week was! Back in the news was Tony Blair, both boosting Ed Milliband and as the potential focus of the Sir John Chilag’s Badger85image long-running inquiry into the Iraq War. It is likely that as long as the current state of affairs continues at County Hall, the Audit Committee’s inquiry into shady dealings in Pembroke Dock will take even longer to conclude. Lest we forget readers, the Audit Committee looked at one property as a test case with the clear intention under the then committee chair, John Evans MBE of looking further if they found something amiss. They found a lot amiss readers. But in the period between discovering that council officers were complacent lazy and smug bureaucrats who had missed a scam so obvious that it raises questions about their ability to organize the proverbial in a brewery and the writing of the final report, Chair John Evans MBE left. He was dismayed by the council’s ‘lack of appetite’ to be honest and straightforward about the extent of their officers’ incompetence. Your friend Badger has it on particularly good authority from a number of separate people that there was a widely held view that two officers in particular had displayed a level of incompetence that went beyond mere dim-wittedness and strayed into the realms of almost unbelievable crass stupidity. Badger blows those officers names and he knows who mark the final decision not to discipline them.

We now have a new Chair of the Audit Committee. One-time legal representative of John Allen-Mirehouse and onetime partner in a firm that has previously advised our County Council, Peter Jones was the only applicant for the post of lay member of the Audit Committee who came forward during the Council’s extended deadline period. Badger wonders how Mr Jones became aware of the exciting opportunity to renew his acquaintance with Johnny M and the rest of the not so great and less than good members of the council. This newspaper asked the council for details at the time it announced Mr Jones’ appointment. It was told that the council had extended the deadline for applications for the lay member’s post as the original advert had attracted insufficient applicants. We can infer from that the ideal number of applicants was the total of original applicants plus one. Now, readers all of this might seem like ancient history re-heated but we are now getting to the crux of the matter.

Having found irregularities in the sample property, one would anticipate that a new chair would he keen to press on with the investigation and fulfil the Audit Committee’s role. For that role’s definition we need look no farther than the Council’s Annual Statement of Accounts: ‘The Audit Committee, made up of County Councillors and a -non-elected” independent Chair, considers matters related to the authority’s financial affairs and the appropriateness of its risk management, internal control, corporate governance and internal/ external audit arrangements. The Audit Committee provides the forum for formal and transparent scrutiny of these arrangements, whilst improving oversight and accountability of the authority’s governance arrangements.” So, Badger anticipates, readers might envisage a new Chair rolling up their sleeves and getting ready to crack on with the work in hand about the grants scandal in Pembroke Dock. Not a bit of it. Let’s all move on and forget all about it, seemed to be

the order of Mr Jones’ day way back in September 2014. It’s all a long time ago and things are all better now. Best not to dwell, eh? How usefully uninquisitive, readers. Mr Jones’ broom swept exceedingly clean. The carpets at County Hall must be getting mighty lumpy with all the things brushed underneath them: the Audit Committee’s investigation into the grants scandal in Pembroke Dock being just one addition to the towering pile of ordure lurking under the Axminster. And now the latest piece of idiocy. At public expense and miffed at being proved so often wrong 11. Jacob Williams, the Council \ legal team approached a banister to try to spike his goo, Naught> Councillor Williams had offered an opinion that the advice given that allowed ClIr Mike James to chair a meeting of the Audit Committee in December when the letter of the law prohibits it was dead wrong. So, off went the Council’s legal team to pool their own ignorance with council tax-payers’ money and scurry off to St John’s Chambers.

Bristol for some advice. Simon Morgan, for that was the barrister instructed to advise the Council’s legal team, is an experienced practitioner, called to the Bar in 1988 and in practice as a solicitor before that. Mr Morgan is not, however, a specialist in Welsh local government law. His mightily impressive CV -and it truly is impressive, readers -shows a host of experience in serious criminal cases and health and safety prosecutions. Able he undoubtedly is a specialist in the relevant field he is not.

On the face of his CV, calling on Mr Morgan was the equivalent of calling on a plasterer to sort out your central heating. And mighty strange was Mr Morgan” advice. You see readers. Cllr Mike James – to whom Badger attaches no blame for this farrago.

Williams’ refusing to give up the point, Mr Jones enquired whether Jacob Williams was a lawyer. A wily old legal campaigner, readers, Mr Jones would not ask a question to which he did not already know the answer. His put-down, disguised as a question wanted those present to draw a clear inference: Lawyers are all terribly clever chaps – in the case of the acting head of legal. an honorary chap – and that mere mortal councillors should not enquire too closely of their expertise 1 e s t Icarus like they plunge to their farrago – was not Chair of the committee in Mr Jones’ absence; he was only chairing a meeting of the committee. You might think that is a distinction without a difference.

The Wales Audit Office did, It backed ClIr interpretation of the relevant regulations. Now Mr Jones is a mighty experienced lawyer, also. He found it within himself to attend last Thursday’s meeting. Mr Jones’ response to the conflicting advice was pretty straightforward. He backed the officers. He stuck with the status quo. The legal advice given by the council’s own legal officers was correct. Mr Morgan was correct. The WAO was correct. It was all the fault of the government for drafting such imprecise guidance. No harm, no foul. And then, with pomposity that bespoke his exasperation at ClIr

doom,. Rather like the child in Hans Christian Andersen’s Nay tale, Cllr Williams was having none of it. The emperor not only had no clothes but was so blinded by his own magnificence that he could not conceive his exposed position. The idea that literacy and an eye for detail was all ClIr Williams required escaped the Audit Chair. Cllr Williams is surely right that, where regulations are ambiguous, there should not be a rush to interpret them in favour of a convenient status quo; rather. calm reflection as to whether it is worth the risk of taking unlawful decisions in the event the regulations are breached. Ever willing to do a chap a favour however Johnny M proposed that the carpets at County Hall would not be damaged by having one more thing swept under them. Best not to be too curious. eh readers? Best not to dwell.

News

New 45-metre wind turbine set to be built near Fishguard

Published

6 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to replace a Pembrokeshire community wind turbine which has raised more than £76,000 for local groups with a larger one has been backed despite a recommendation to refuse.

In an application before Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee meeting of January 14, Abergwaun Community Turbine Ltd, through agent Machynlleth-based Dulas Ltd sought permission for a larger turbine to replace the existing Abergwaun Community Turbine.

The proposed turbine, in a pasture field at Trebover Farm, to the south of Fishguard, would be 67m tall, the existing 2015 one being 45 metres.

In supporting statements, parent company Transition Bro Gwaun said: “The Community Climate Fund (CCF) is the mechanism by which Transition Bro Gwaun (TBG) is fulfilling our ambition of funding projects in Fishguard, Goodwick and across North Pembrokeshire, using income from the community wind turbine.

“The core themes for grants are climate change mitigation and adaptation, enhancement of biodiversity and improvements to community resilience through promotion of community engagement and resource sharing.”

Profit generated by sale of electricity from the turbine is split 50:50 between TBG and Parcy-Morfa Farms Ltd through the jointly-owned trading arm, Abergwaun Community Turbine, with community grants awarded through TBG’s Community Climate Fund, amounting to £76,036 to date.

2024 awards of £20,917 were made to six projects, including Theatr Gwaun, Parc Cerrig Growers, Caerhys Organic Community Agriculture, and Nevern Valley Veg.

The scheme was recommended for refusal on the grounds including “significant detrimental visual impact” on the area, “including areas of high sensitivity in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and in Fishguard,” on the Conservation Areas of Goodwick, Fishguard and Lower Town, Fishguard.

At the January meeting, local member Cllr Jordan Ryan made a call for the scheme to be approved against officer recommendations: “I think it’s a good application, I think it’s good for Pembrokeshire; a single wind turbine isn’t going to affect people in the area too greatly.”

He was backed by Cllr Alistair Cameron, who said he supported the scheme due to “the need to tackle climate change and the economic benefit to the area,” adding: “We have to accept some visual consequences from that, that’s the reality we are in.”

Another in support was Cllr John T Davies, himself the owner of a windfarm scheme, who pointed out the existing turbine was granted on appeal, with any refusal of the latest scheme potentially being overturned by a planning inspector.

The committee’s unanimous backing of the proposal takes the form of a ‘minded to’ support, meaning the proposal will return after a ‘cooling-off’ period to a future meeting as it is against an officer recommendation, and, if supported a second time, will ultimately have to be decided by full council at a later date.

News

Landslides close section of Pembrokeshire coastal path once again

Published

6 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A SECTION of a south Pembrokeshire beach-side coastal path has been closed once again after a number of landslips in the last week.

The fall happened towards the western end of the Wisemans Bridge to Coppet Hall cycleway, between the Coppet Hall and Wisemans Bridge tunnels, and affects access between Wisemans Bridge and Coppet Hall beach.

The top path remains open.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s geotechnical advisor has recommended that the path be closed until a remedial solution can be implemented.

***Previous works on the landslide-hit coast path. Picture: Gareth Davies Photography. (Image: Gareth Davies Photography)***

A council spokesperson said: “Given that we are in the middle of winter, there are a number of triggers that could reactivate the partially failed sections of the rock mass, such as frost and heavy rain in the short term – and the likelihood of rock fall reaching the path is high.

“The Authority has engaged a specialist to assess the cliff face where a detailed survey of the slope will be undertaken to determine the nature and depth of the rock fall. This will allow the design of remedial works, which could include removal and regrade of the rock fall, plus the installation of a catch fence.

“A review into the rock fall and necessary remediation work, which is subject to affordability, will now be evaluated. This is likely to take a number of months.”

The coastal path, known as the Tramway, was previously closed after it experienced ‘substantial rock falls’ in late 2023 and early 2024

Last March Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet backed works expected to cost some £600,000, with a hoped-for finish date of the start of the summer holidays.

Reopening was delayed until early August “as a consequence of additional works required, including the occurrence of another landslip along the path,” with additional remedial works needed.

During last year’s works, local councillor Chris Williams hit out at “selfish” path users putting others at risk by repeatedly cutting open safety barriers and fencing while the repair works were being undertaken.

Barriers and warning signs were put in place at the entrance to the ‘short tunnel’ – the first of the two which lead from Coppet Hall to Wisemans Bridge, along with fencing on the Wisemans side.

But because the signs have been ignored by some people, along with damage caused, a gate was put in place on the Coppet Hall side.

Fencing on the opposite side was also targeted, with a hole cut through.

Education

New resource to support Welsh medium pupils

Published

7 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Tom Sinclair

EDUCATION researchers have published a special booklet to support pupils in Welsh medium schools from homes where the language is not spoken.

Entitled Partner, Promote and Provide, the booklet was co-created in workshops led by Aberystwyth University which brought together education partners from Ceredigion and Powys, with input from parents and pupils.

It builds on a series of research studies by the School of Education which began during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and which explored the impact of the pandemic on pupils along with the additional challenges facing Welsh-medium schools in extending support to children from non-Welsh-speaking homes.

Dr Siân Lloyd-Williams Director of Research at Aberystwyth University’s School of Education, said:

“Based on the studies we carried out between 2020 and 2024, it was clear we needed to continue the work so that we could evaluate, identify and measure the impact of our recommendations on supporting non-Welsh speaking families.

“We set out to organise a series of workshops, bringing together representatives from the local education authorities, teachers, parents and others to hear their experiences and gather evidence. As a result, we have co-created a special booklet that teachers can use to support pupils from non-Welsh-speaking homes who attend Welsh medium schools.”

Another member of the research team at Aberystwyth School of Education, Dr Rhodri Aled Evans, said:

“This is an example of effective and purposeful collaboration between academics and practitioners on the ground. We hope this booklet, together with the recommendations of our previous studies, will be a valuable resource for the education sector and beneficial for teachers, pupils and families alike.”

The Director of Education for Ceredigion County Council, Elen James, said:

“It has been extremely valuable to collaborate with the University’s researchers to create dedicated resources that offer practical help on how to further improve the experiences of Welsh-medium pupils from non-Welsh speaking homes. This work is important and an excellent starting point for further collaboration. We look forward to developing the project further in the future.”

The Partner, Promote and Provide booklet was launched at a training event for teachers held at the University on 16 January 2025 and can be downloaded from the University’s website as a PDF or hard copies can be sent on request.

Pictured: L to R: Susan Ferguson (Research Impact and Knowledge Officer, Aberystwyth University), Prysor Davies (Interim Head of the School of Education, Aberystwyth University), Dr Rhodri Evans (Lecturer in Education, Aberystwyth University), Rhiannon Salisbury (teacher), Alwyn Ward (Ceredigion County Council)