Council leader: Jamie Adams

A REQUEST to draw up a list of services currently under threat from budget cuts was knocked back by Cabinet members on Monday (Apr 20).

Cllr Bob Kilmister put forward a notice of motion asking for a list to be drawn up in order for communities to consider alternative solutions before closure.

He pointed out that consultation had not taken place prior to closures to Theatre Gwaun in Fishguard and Narberth Swimming Pool and said that the council had not learned from these examples.

Cllr Huw George highlighted the example of the county’s toilets where consultation was held and Cllr Kilmister asked for that example to become the norm. Cllr Kilmister later said that his views had been miss-represented and that he was trying to help the council to deliver budget cuts on time.

He said: “We are told that consultation exercises are about openness and transparency. I have to ask you to consider the sentence I’m going to take out of the report which says: ‘As potential future cost reduction/ efficiencies and ideas are identified, these will be reported to cabinet and will therefore be in the public domain’.

“This sentence says everything, nothing has changed. Officers tell Cabinet what to do and they go and do it. Ordinary councillors and the public are not worthy enough. George Orwell said some animals are more equal than others. We can then have a public consultation after we have taken the decision. It is obvious that Theatre Gwaun and the Swimming Pool at Narberth taught you nothing. The recent adult education call in is another example. Local councillors knew nothing until the report came to Cabinet. There is another way of doing it but it requires a change in attitude and it is clear from the report that this does not exist. I urge you to prove me wrong by identifying the services that are at risk in our communities a long time in advance so we can start discussions with those communities about alternative ways of preserving them. To not do so is not open and transparent. That sentence is clearly in the report and it doesn’t represent the change in attitude that you have said is taking place.”

Council leader Jamie Adams responded saying the examples of Theatre Gwaun and Narberth swimming pool were examples of real achievement in terms of providing services in a different way.

He added: “The cabinet allowed a nine-month extension to ensure that SwimNarberth were able to get into a position to take that forward so I think if you were trying to use that example, it’s not a very good one.

“You alluded to Cabinet as a rubber-stamping mechanism but at the last meeting we looked at school crossing patrols and cabinet decided not to go ahead with that against the recommendations of officers so I think the point is not particularly well made. What we have been is absolutely honest and fully committed to the opportunity for the public to engage in all services. The report clearly sets out that the authority has got some unprecedented changes with severe financial pressure. It’s inevitable that all services will be looked at. The majority of services will change. There will be very few services that will be untouched in their delivery as we move forward.”

Cllr Bob Kilmister added: “There is a total miss-representation of what I said in terms of Theatre Gwaun and Narberth pool. Those were both earmarked for closure and as a result of that closure those bodies had to react and they didn’t have sufficient time to do so.

Despite Cllr Kilmister’s comments the notice of motion was not adopted.