News

New thinking key to tackle budget

Published

6 years ago

March 3, 2015

New plan: Cllr Bob Kilmister

IN A FIRST for Pembrokeshire, and possibly Wales, an opposition group has produced alternative proposals for the county’s budget for the coming financial year.

At a County Hall meeting, the Pembrokeshire Alliance unveiled its plans to rejuvenate Pembrokeshire’s town centres by slashing car parking charges, introducing free Wifi and employing two town centre managers to encourage and facilitate promotional activity and commercial opportunities.

The services will be paid for by a small increase in Council Tax.

Alliance leader Bob Kilmister outlined the plans, which have been costed with the input of Council officers to ensure that the plans are deliverable and financially viable.

Targeting Pembrokeshire’s ailing town centres in particular, Cllr Kilmister told The Herald: “The council has received a number of reports and drawn up a number of plans setting out its intentions, but has delivered little more than words. These plans seek to ensure that the council takes an active and constructive role in our town centres’ future. I understand that council approved the setting up of free WiFi in town centres in 2012. I believe it was vetoed by the then Chief Executive without explanation. It should be a priority to set this up within the next twelve months. The benefits for retail and tourism should be obvious.”

He continued: “My own experience in retail tells me that car parking is a significant issue. If it was possible, I would scrap car parking charges altogether. It is, however, right to be cautious; so, by cutting parking charges to a nominal level, in the event footfall in town centres does not increase or there is no improvement in trade, we maintain the option of increasing the parking charges in the future without incurring the massive costs of having to create parking orders all over again. We want car parking to be a reason to come to Pembrokeshire’s town centres and not be a reason to stay away. We have over a million pounds unspent in earmarked reserves for regeneration. What is that money for? It is there to be used and it should be used for the purpose for which it is set aside. As a council, we can and must do more to help our town centres.”

One of the eye-catching proposals is that the council dispose of its interest in Withybush Airport. Cllr Kilmister repeated the sentiments expressed in the motion before council as part of the wider budget proposals: “Running an airport is not a suitable function for a local authority. A purchaser should be found at the earliest possible opportunity for the airport or the Council should find an operator who can move it to the much more suitable site at Brawdy, where the runway can take much larger aircraft.”

Highlighting the potential benefits of disposing of Withybush Airport, Cllr Kilmister said: “I understand that Brawdy can accommodate aircraft up to the size of a 737; far better to use those existing facilities than throw money at what will always be a compromise solution. The Withybush Airfield site is listed as an asset worth £14m. The Council should maximise the gain to be had from disposing of the site. As it is, it has badly miscalculated the take up for commercial units at Withybush and appears to be prepared to do the same next year.”

The budget proposals also suggest cutting the car allowances for senior officers and reducing the budget spend on them year on year, while allowing Pembrokeshire to remain competitive in the local government jobs market: “I don’t agree that the car allowance scheme should be scrapped,” Cllr Peter Stock said. “That is going too far. We must be able to recruit the best people we can. That does not mean paying through the nose for cars for senior managers, however; I think the way the system has been milked in the past is outrageous.”

Peter continued: “In the same vein, we need to look to save money where we can, as councillors. The proposal to end the chauffeur-driven service is an acknowledgement that in an age of austerity, when things like libraries are operating on reduced hours, or possibly being closed, it is only right and fair that it be scrapped.”

Both Cllrs Stock and Kilmister agreed that the Council should provide communities with adequate notice when it proposes cuts to services locally, or the closure of buildings and facilities: “People should know, they should be told, well in advance of what is proposed and not have it dropped on them as a minor item on a Cabinet agenda when a decision has already been made. We must be open and transparent. People have a right to know and, if they want to, lobby for the services to be retained or take over the running of facilities themselves, as has happened at Theatr Gwaun and Narberth Swimming Pool. The Council must be open about these matters.”

One topic that the Alliance is particularly keen to move forward is an increase in scrutiny of the Council’s own budget. Bob Kilmister said: “The amounts being shuffled around without any scrutiny at all by councillors are huge. The 21st Century Schools reserves are being inflated by drawing down from other reserves not in the thousands but in the millions. In addition, money is routinely juggled in the reserves to shore up departmental budgets. All of this needs to be subject to proper scrutiny by councillors. The Wales Audit Office has already said we should do this and we must follow their lead.”

The budget amendments are to be discussed at Full Council alongside the budget already proposed.

News

Plaid’s Dafydd Llywelyn re-elected as Police and Crime Commissioner

Published

7 hours ago

May 9, 2021

Thomas Sinclair

THE NEW Police and Crime Commissioner for the Dyfed Powys Area has been announced.

Incumbent, Dafydd Llywelyn, of Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales, has been re-elected for a second term.

The election was held Thursday, 06 May 2021, at the same time as the Senedd Cymru elections.

In order to follow all coronavirus regulations, the count for this election was held on Sunday, 09 May 2021.

The announcement was made in Ceredigion, at the Ysgol Bro Teifi, Llandysul.

Dafydd Llywelyn, was first elected as one of the two new Plaid Cymru PCCs during 2016’s election and is the PCC for Dyfed-Powys Police.

The force covers over half the land mass of Wales and during the PCC elections had the highest turnout of all PCC elections at 49%.

Mr Llywelyn is a former Principal Intelligence Analyst and worked within Police Intelligence for many years before, in 2014, moving to Aberystwyth University to lecture on Criminology. His career has provided him with considerable insight into core policing issues as well as an understanding of what the public want from the service. He has pledged to reinvest in CCTV and prevention activities and has refused to appoint a deputy.

Standing against him were three other candidates – Jon Burns (Conservative); Philippa Thompson (Labour) and Glyn Preston (Welsh Liberal Democrats).

The results for Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner’s elections were as follows:

1^st Round

Jon Burns (Conservatives); 69,112

Dafydd Llywelyn (Plaid Cymru); 68208

Philippa Thompson (Labour): 48033

Glyn Preston (Welsh Liberal Democrats) 17649

2^nd Round

Jon Burns: 8209

Dafydd Llywelyn: 26280

This was the third time police and crime commissioner elections have been held. The election was originally due to take place in May 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new PCC term begins on Thursday, May 13, 2021.

Under the terms of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, PCCs must:

secure an efficient and effective police for their area;
appoint the Chief Constable, hold them to account for running the force, and if necessary dismiss them;
set the police and crime objectives for their area through a police and crime plan;
set the force budget and determine the precept;
contribute to the national and international policing capabilities set out by the Home Secretary; and
bring together community safety and criminal justice partners, to make sure local priorities are joined up.

News

Counting underway following police and crime commissioner vote

Published

9 hours ago

May 9, 2021

Thomas Sinclair

COUNTING is under way to find out who will be the four police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in Wales today (Sunday, May 9).

Polls were held on Thursday for South Wales Police, Dyfed-Powys Police, North Wales Police and Gwent Police alongside the Senedd election on Thursday (May 6).

With the exception of the North Wales Commissioner, all the incumbents are running again.

The rules of the election are that unless a candidate gets more than 50% of votes in the first round of counting, then all but the top two candidates are eliminated from the election, and secondary votes on the ballot paper are then counted.

In Pembrokeshire the count is taking place for the Preseli constituency and the West Carmarthenshire and South Pembrokeshire constituency at the County Show Ground.

When will the news Commissioner be sworn in?

The swearing of the oath will also take place today, Sunday (May 9), and the elected Police and Crime Commissioner’s new term in office will start on May 13.

“The Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Declaration of Acceptance of Office) Order prescribes the form of words that the elected Police and Crime Commissioners will be required to declare before they take office,” said a PCC spokesperson.

“The term of a person elected as a PCC at an ordinary election begins on the seventh (calendar) day after the day of the poll, and ends with the sixth (calendar) day following the subsequent poll.

“The term for incumbent PCCs should cease on May 12, and the newly or re-elected PCC will commence in office on May 13.

What is a Police and Crime Commissioner?

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) were elected In 40 force areas across England and Wales. Every force area is represented by a PCC, except Greater Manchester and London, where PCC responsibilities lie with the Mayor.

The role of the PCCs is to be the voice of the people and hold the police to account. They are responsible for the totality of policing.

PCCs aim to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service within their force area.

PCCs have been elected by the public to hold Chief Constables and the force to account, effectively making the police answerable to the communities they serve.

PCCs ensure community needs are met as effectively as possible, and are improving local relationships through building confidence and restoring trust. They work in partnership across a range of agencies at local and national level to ensure there is a unified approach to preventing and reducing crime.

Who are the candidates?

The incumbent, Dafydd Llywelyn, was elected as one of the two new Plaid Cymru PCCs during 2016’s election and is the PCC for Dyfed-Powys Police.

The force covers over half the land mass of Wales and during the PCC elections had the highest turnout of all PCC elections at 49%.

Hoping to be re-elected, Dafydd is a former Principal Intelligence Analyst and worked within Police Intelligence for many years before, in 2014, moving to Aberystwyth University to lecture on Criminology. His career has provided him with considerable insight into core policing issues as well as an understanding of what the public want from the service. He has pledged to reinvest in CCTV and prevention activities and has refused to appoint a deputy.

Standing against him are three other candidates – Jon Burns (Conservative); Philippa Thompson (Labour) and Glyn Preston (Welsh Liberal Democrats).

Under the terms of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, PCCs must:

secure an efficient and effective police for their area;
appoint the Chief Constable, hold them to account for running the force, and if necessary dismiss them;
set the police and crime objectives for their area through a police and crime plan;
set the force budget and determine the precept;
contribute to the national and international policing capabilities set out by the Home Secretary; and
bring together community safety and criminal justice partners, to make sure local priorities are joined up.

How the voting works

If there are more than two candidates, the Police and Crime Commissioner is elected under the supplementary vote system:

A voter can vote for a first and second choice candidate they want to elect.
If a candidate obtains more than 50% of the first choice votes, they will be declared elected.
If no candidate obtains more than 50% of the first choice votes, all candidates except for those in first and second place are eliminated.
The ballot papers showing a first preference for one of the eliminated candidates are checked for their second preference.
Any second preference votes for the remaining two candidates are then added to their first preference votes and the candidate with the most votes is elected.

News

Multiple RNLI lifeboats launched to aid yacht in distress

Published

11 hours ago

May 9, 2021

Thomas Sinclair

THE NEW QUAY RNLI lifeboat has rescued a stricken yacht, with the casualty evacuated by helicopter.

On Saturday (May 8) New Quay lifeboat ‘The Frank and Lena Clifford of Stourbridge’, was paged at 9.06am by HM Coastguard to search for a yacht in difficulty 10 miles west of Aberystwyth with two persons on board.

The Mersey class lifeboat launched at 9.20am with seven volunteer crew members on board to search for the 9m vessel, which had travelled up from Pembrokeshire, in a moderate south-westerly wind.

The yacht, on passage from Fishguard to Aberystwyth, was experiencing mechanical and communications problems, and had failed to berth in Aberystwyth marina due to the tide. The severely fatigued crew had raised the alarm by mobile phone when they realised they were in trouble, struggling with the winds and poor visibility.

Daniel Potter, New Quay RNLI Coxswain said, “We proceeded to the position given but on arrival another position was given 10 miles further north, and then again 5 miles north east. We searched for over an hour for the vessel as they had become lost in the deteriorating weather conditions. Barmouth lifeboat was also requested to launch but stood down as we located the vessel.

“When we located them, we had to act quickly as we found her close to shore and in danger of going aground on the reef near Tywyn. I had one opportunity and we took it, we set up a tow and pulled her into deeper water.

“We then requested to launch Aberdyfi’s lifeboat to assist us with getting crew on board as we had concerns over the health and wellbeing of the stricken vessel’s crew. Two volunteer crew from Aberdyfi and one from New Quay boarded the yacht. They assessed the casualty and it was decided as a matter of urgency to evacuate one of them. We requested an immediate helicopter evacuation, and HM Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 936 arrived and transferred the casualty to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.

“It was quite an ordeal for the yacht, but it wasn’t over as we had to get the last of the crew members and the boat to safety. Aberdyfi lifeboat then transferred another one of our crew onto the yacht when they took theirs off and returned to station, and we began the tow to Aberystwyth.

“On approach to Aberystwyth we requested assistance from Aberystwyth lifeboat who launched and met us outside the harbour to transfer the tow into the marina, and to deliver us much needed supplies, fish and chips!

“We then headed home and returned to New Quay by 6pm, nine hours after launching. It was a very long day in difficult conditions. However, it was a fantastic effort by everyone, and we want to say a big thank you to all lifeboats and crew involved, and the helicopter. It was an amazing team effort by all.”

Roger Couch, New Quay RNLI Operations Manager added, “We would like to give our thanks to all the lifeboat stations involved. It was a great joint endeavour by Cardigan Bay lifeboat stations. The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea and our volunteer crew are on call 24/7. Remember if you find yourself or see anyone else in trouble at sea or on the coast call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”