Have your say: What do you think of Pembrokeshire County Council?

Published

10 years ago

May 20, 2015

County Hall

THE WALES Audit Office wants to hear what residents across Pembrokeshire think of their Council and the services it provides, as part of a corporate assessment of Pembrokeshire County Council.

The Wales Audit Office is undertaking a rolling programme of corporate assessments of improvement authorities (local government bodies) in Wales, based on a four year cycle. The purpose of the corporate assessment is to provide a position statement of a Council’s capacity and capability to deliver continuous improvement.

It reports on the Council’s track record of performance and outcomes as well as the key arrangements that are necessary to underpin improvements in services and functions. The corporate assessment does not provide a comprehensive assessment of the performance of all the councils’ services.

As part of this programme, the Audit Office is asking Pembrokeshire residents to give their views on the Council by answering a short online questionnaire. It couldn’t be easier to give us your views, click on this link https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=143169383459 and answer the following questions:

What do you think of your Council?
What do you think of the services your Council provides?

Wherever you live in Pembrokeshire your county council provides a number of services that affect you, your family and your wellbeing. But with financial resources becoming ever more stretched in Wales, it is important that councils prioritise areas that need to improve and have arrangements in place to ensure that citizens benefit from the most vital of services.

The Wales Audit Office want to hear from a cross section of people on any topic related to the county council. You may have views on how the council notifies you about changes to services, or thoughts on its objectives – for example on its commitment to regeneration and town centres, schools improvement and reconfiguring adult social care services.

The Auditor General and the auditors he appoints in local government are the independent statutory external auditors of most of the Welsh public sector. They are responsible for the annual audit of the majority of public money spent in Wales, including the £15 billion of funds that are voted on annually by the National Assembly. Elements of this funding are passed by the Welsh Government to the NHS in Wales (over £5 billion) and to local government (over £4 billion).

Auditor General for Wales, Huw Vaughan Thomas, said:

“If we are to get a clear picture of how a council is doing, we need to be asking the very people it is there to serve and support. It is important for us to hear from the people of Pembrokeshire and I would encourage as many residents as possible to give us their views.”

Log on and have your voice heard today.

News

Community projects celebrate their UK Government funding successes

Published

8 hours ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A CELEBRATION event brought together 25 community projects that have benefited from more than £1.3million in UK Shared Prosperity Funding in Pembrokeshire.

Pembrokeshire County Council facilitated the development programme for third sector organisations and social enterprises which covered three intervention areas across the County – capital projects, green infrastructure and social action.

The diverse range of projects including community facilities, youth projects, growing sites, environmental awareness action, pet therapy, museums and more.

Project leads came together at HaverHub, Haverfordwest on January 22^nd to celebrate and discuss the outcomes of their work, with the majority having exceeded targets with some breath-taking achievements highlighted.

Some key successes already evidenced include the improvement or creation of around 25,764m² of publicly accessible spaces, 934 community events or activities supported and 2228 volunteering opportunities created/ supported, with final reports still to be submitted.

SPF Communities Coordinator Heidi Holland said: “This network of organisations has strengthened and benefited from opportunities to come together, visit other projects, share good practice and willingness to develop collaborative approaches as a legacy moving forward to impact on future generations.”

Among those at the event were Cilrath Acre, Sandy Bear, Cleddau Project, Milford Haven Maritime and Heritage Museum, West Wales Rivers Trust, Point – Fishguard and Goodwick Youth Project and Menter Iaith Sir Benfro.

Cllr Paul Miller, Cabinet Member (SPF Lead), said: “It was great to see such a wide range of projects, from right across Pembrokeshire, who have benefited from the SPF Communities Funding. SPF funding will re-launch in April 2025 and we look forward to being able to support more organisations across the county delivering meaningful improvements in their communities.”

Crime

Farmer cleared of restraining order breach at Haverfordwest court

Published

8 hours ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been found not guilty of breaching a restraining order after being accused of referencing a protected individual in a Facebook post.

Philip Stoddart, 58, of Monkhill Farm, St Ishmaels, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Jan 20) to face the charge. The prosecution, led by Ann Griffiths on behalf of the crown, alleged that between December 4 and December 13, 2023, Stoddart made a Facebook post that, by inference, referred to a person he was prohibited from contacting under a restraining order imposed by Swansea Crown Court on April 16, 2021.

The restraining order, issued under Section 360 of the Sentencing Act 2020, barred Stoddart from making any form of contact with her.

Prosecutors argued that the Facebook post constituted a breach of the order, contrary to Section 363 of the same act.

Stoddart denied the allegations and entered a not guilty plea during a prior hearing on October 1, 2024.

Magistrates Professor N. Negus, Mr. J. Steadman, and Mrs. J. Morris presided over the trial, which concluded on Monday.

After reviewing the evidence, the bench found Stoddart not guilty, dismissing the case.

The dismissal brings to a close legal proceedings that had been ongoing for over a year.

News

Henry Tufnell MP welcomes action to protect households from poor insulation

Published

8 hours ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

HENRY TUFNELL MP has welcomed new government measures to address poor-quality insulation and energy efficiency installations under schemes such as ECO4.

The announcement introduces stronger consumer protections, following Henry’s consistent advocacy on behalf of his constituents and his recent interventions in the House of Commons.

The government’s measures include:

Stricter enforcement against non-compliant installers.
Enhanced support for homeowners to resolve complaints.
Mandatory compliance with TrustMark standards for all work under these schemes, ensuring adherence to the highest levels of quality through the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).
A strengthened complaints process via TrustMark to safeguard households and improve accountability.

Henry Tufnell MP has been a vocal advocate for addressing substandard insulation. Last month, he submitted two written parliamentary questions to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, highlighting constituents’ concerns and urging greater oversight.

Today, speaking in the House of Commons, Henry reiterated the importance of robust regulation, stating:

“I am so pleased that our new Labour government is taking immediate action on this issue. No one should have to deal with substandard installations or bear the cost of shoddy workmanship. I will work closely with the government to ensure that these measures deliver real change for affected households.”

Henry urged constituents experiencing issues with recent installations to visit the TrustMark website for guidance on lodging complaints: www.trustmark.org.uk/homeowner/support/complaints-process.