News

Further review of car scheme

Published

10 years ago

July 16, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Bryn’s wheels: A review of
council policy was sparked by
previous extravagent spending

A FURTHER review will be carried out into the executive car scheme as the council continues to look at cutting its costs. At a meeting of the Senior Staff Committee on Thursday (Jul 2), councillors held a lengthy debate on the matter. Cllr Bob Kilmister had originally submitteda noticeof motion asking that the council make a 15% cut in the car scheme.

At a previous meeting of the Senior Staff Committee Cllr Kilmister criticised the lack of information and asked for a detailed report to be carried out. That report came back to the committee at Thursday’s meeting but Cllr Kilmister still raised questions over the report. He talked about Co2 emissions that come from the current lease cars and added that the council could look into the possibility of using hybrid or electric cars. The committee were unsure of the implications of using such cars and a further report will now be carried out. Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Kilmister said: “In my submission I stated that I believed the cost of the scheme to be £119,000.

The actual figure is £183,000 which is 53% higher than we were told at the seminar. We are told that 28 officers are entitled so this reaches out at a cost of £6,537 each. I think the scheme still needs further work. I am not against the scheme but I think we need to look at lowering the substantial cost. I still believe a 15% saving is desirable and achievable. Restricting the number of cars could bring a large saving, do our officers actually need such gas-guzzling vehicles. I accept the need for some to have four-wheel drive vehicles but you can now get hybrid-electric four wheel drives. By reducing the director’s and head of paid service’s new lease deals to £6,381, reducing the chief officers to £4,471 a 15% saving would be made. I accept this cannot happen overnight but the new rules should be applied as soon as possible. Having looked on the internet, I found that a four wheel drive vehicle is leased on the same conditions we currently have for a total of £1,944, that was a Kia.

A four-byfour Mitsubishi Outlander, top of the range, electric-hybrid, was available at £3,984. A four-by-four BMW, top of the range, was available at £5,172. All those examples, which are quite elaborate, quite big, would be considered by the public to be more than adequate, are below the rates I have published with the exception of the BMW. It looks to me as if we could still, on the basis of this £7,000, that somebody could still get another Porsche and the whole idea of this was to make sure that we don’t get to the situation where the Porsche was clearly unacceptable. At a time of great cutbacks, if we don’t make a cut here and we reject this we are going to send out entirely the wrong message when we are making major changes to other public services.

I would urge you to look at this deep down but I am not convinced by the report and a 15% saving is not only necessary but desirable.” Chief Finance Officer John Haswell pointed out that he had taken up the opportunity to have a hybrid lease car. He added: “Because of staff turnover, there has been a budget saving over recent years. At present time there are 24 officers with a lease car but that may go up because of recent appointments. Chief Officers are entitled to choose the car that they wish. I now vet all the applications, so somebody could get another Porsche but they wouldn’t because I wouldn’t allow it.” Cllr Tessa Hodgson asked why he wouldn’t let officers drive a Porsche and John Haswell replied it was down to reputation and that there would also be other cars he wouldn’t allow because the council wouldn’t want an officer driving certain types of car.

Council Leader Jamie Adams said: “We shouldn’t be in a position of penalising those in the scheme at the moment because of what has gone on in the past.” Councillors were all in agreement that the scheme should be looked at further including the scope of cars available that will provide savings based on Co2 emissions, clarity on insurance and infrastructure costs for putting in charging points.

Farming

Basic Payment Scheme 2025 balance paid to 95% of Welsh farmers

Published

7 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Final year of BPS as transition to Sustainable Farming Scheme begins

The WELSH Government says more than ninety-five per cent of farm businesses have now received their full or balance payment under the final year of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), ahead of the introduction of the new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) in 2026.

Announcing the update on Friday (Dec 12), Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, confirmed that over 15,400 Welsh farm businesses have been paid £68.7m. This comes on top of the £160m issued in BPS advance payments since 14 October.

Final round of BPS payments

The Basic Payment Scheme, which has been the backbone of farm support in Wales for a decade, provides direct income support to help farmers plan and manage their businesses. BPS 2025 marks the last year in which full BPS payments will be made before the scheme begins to be phased out.

The Cabinet Secretary said officials would “continue to process the outstanding BPS 2025 claims as soon as possible,” adding that all but the most complex cases should be completed by 30 June 2026.

Payments issued today represent the main balance due to farmers following earlier advances, giving many businesses the cash flow they need during the quieter winter period—traditionally a challenging time in the agricultural calendar.

Shift to Sustainable Farming Scheme in 2026

From 1 January 2026, the Welsh Government will begin rolling out the Sustainable Farming Scheme, a major reform to how agricultural support is delivered. The SFS will reward farmers for environmental outcomes such as habitat management, carbon reduction and biodiversity improvements, alongside continued food production.

The government has argued that the new scheme is essential to meeting Wales’ climate and nature targets while ensuring long-term resilience in the sector. However, the transition has been closely watched by farming unions, who have raised concerns about the administrative burden, income stability, and the speed at which BPS is being phased out.

Mr Irranca-Davies reaffirmed the government’s stance, saying: “This government is steadfastly committed to supporting Welsh farmers to sustainably produce quality food. This is demonstrated today in our payment of the BPS 2025 balance payments and will continue throughout the transition period.”

Sector reaction

Farming unions are expected to scrutinise the detail of today’s announcement, particularly around remaining unpaid cases. Last year, late payments led to frustration in parts of the sector, with unions calling for greater certainty as the industry faces rising input costs, supply chain pressures and continued market volatility.

The move to the SFS remains one of the most significant agricultural policy changes in Wales since devolution. Ministers insist the shift is designed to support both food production and environmental stewardship, while critics warn the transition must not undermine farm viability—especially for family-run livestock farms that dominate rural areas such as Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

What happens next

Farmers still awaiting their BPS 2025 balance will continue to be processed “as soon as possible”, the Welsh Government said. Officials will also publish updated guidance on the Sustainable Farming Scheme ahead of its launch.

The coming year will therefore become a pivotal moment for Welsh agriculture, as the long-standing BPS framework—which provided over £200m annually to Welsh farmers—makes way for a new results-based model that will shape the industry for decades to come.

News

Improved train timetable launches across Wales

Published

7 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Extra services, later trains and boosted Sunday routes as £800m rail investment takes effect

An improved train timetable has come into force across Wales today (Sunday, 14 December), with Transport for Wales (TfW) introducing more frequent services, stronger connections and additional late-night trains on key routes.

The winter timetable update brings one of the most substantial uplifts in recent years on the Wales and Borders network, forming part of the Welsh Government’s ongoing £800 million investment in brand-new rolling stock and reliability improvements.

More trains and later journeys

Among the upgrades, passengers will see:

A new hourly additional service between Chester and Wrexham, effectively doubling the frequency on one of the region’s busiest commuter corridors.
An extra train in each direction every day on the Heart of Wales line between Swansea and Shrewsbury.
Three later last trains from Cardiff to Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil, supporting shift workers and the night-time economy.
A new hourly Sunday service on the Coryton line in Cardiff.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, said improved connectivity was “absolutely vital” for economic growth and passenger confidence.

“These changes will make a real difference to customers, who will benefit from more services and greater connectivity,” he said. “This has been made possible by our £800m investment in brand-new trains for the Wales and Borders network.

“We will see the doubling of trains between Wrexham and Chester and a later service from the capital to valley communities. In South Wales, people will continue to benefit from simpler, fairer fares through TfW’s Pay As You Go service, and its forthcoming introduction in North Wales will help even more passengers access easy, transparent pricing.”

Full details of the updated timetable are available at: tfw.wales/service-status/timetables

News

Wrecked guard boat still under watch off north Pembrokeshire coast

Published

8 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Tidal changes monitored after dramatic early-morning rescue

A GUARD VESSEL that ran aground off the north Pembrokeshire coast in the early hours of Thursday morning (Dec 11) remains under close observation as tides continue to shift.

The Resolute, a 24-metre guard boat understood to be working for an offshore wind project off the Irish coast, had been sheltering in worsening weather when she was pushed onto rocks near Aber Hywel, Dinas, shortly after 3:25am.

Four crew members were onboard when the vessel grounded in rough seas and a strong southerly wind.

Major rescue effort launched

The crew issued an emergency alert, prompting a full multi-agency response.
A coastguard rescue helicopter, both Fishguard RNLI lifeboats, and coastguard teams from Fishguard and St Davids were sent to the scene.

Turbulent air made a winch rescue impossible and Fishguard’s all-weather lifeboat was unable to get close due to cliffs and submerged hazards. The inshore lifeboat was instead deployed to attempt a transfer in extremely challenging conditions.

During the evacuation, the third crew member descending to the vessel’s life raft slipped, fell into the water and was swept away. Speaking afterwards, RNLI crew member Cedwyn Rogers said the team immediately switched into “hyper-focused” mode as training took over.

Despite the casualty drifting, helm Warren Bean — a volunteer with more than 30 years’ RNLI experience — manoeuvred the lifeboat alongside, allowing crew to haul the man to safety. The remaining crew member was then retrieved, and all four were taken aboard the all-weather lifeboat and brought ashore to Fishguard.

All rescue units were later stood down.

Vessel still stranded and taking on water

The Herald understands that the Resolute remained aground on the rocks yesterday and was taking on water. The crew were later assisted back onboard by a local fisherman to assess damage on behalf of the vessel’s operators.

Management representatives from Ireland were due to arrive to draw up a recovery plan, including arrangements to remove fuel to prevent any potential environmental impact.

Further inspections have been taking place today as the team evaluates the next steps.

Coastguard statement

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: “At 3.28am on Thursday morning, HM Coastguard was made aware of a vessel with four persons onboard aground on rocks at Fishguard, Pembrokeshire. RNLI lifeboats and coastguard rescue teams from Fishguard and St Davids were sent to the scene. The four people aboard were rescued by lifeboat, and the helicopter was stood down. The vessel, which is still aground, is being monitored as tidal conditions change.”