News

‘Be fair’ on funding for rural policing

Published

9 years ago

September 22, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Christopher Salmon: Front-line police are safe

CONSERVATIVE MPs and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed Powys have written to the Home Secretary expressing concerns about planned changes to funding allocation across the police force.

The letter, which has been signed by Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MP Simon Hart, as well as Glyn Davies and Chris Davies, and Christopher Salmon, urges Theresa May to ‘support fair funding for rural areas’.

The letter goes on to say that ‘measures proposed as part of the formula focus heavily on density. Deprivation, measured by people living in flats, for example, or estate density, does not reflect rural reality well. Flats may be less common in rural areas, and estates less dense, but the deprivation is just as real. Bar density measured by the hectare seriously misunderstands Dyfed- Powys. The force covers 1m hectares, twice the size of Thames Valley Police. The majority of these hectares are agricultural where bars are clearly not a problem. In towns where bars and clubs are concentrated, however, alcohol has much the same effect as elsewhere. A ‘per hectare’ formula misses this.’

At present, Police funding is allocated based on the Police Allocation Formula. This is based on the estimated workload of each police force area, and covers:

C rime related activity
N on-crime activity (eg providing public reassurance or road traffic accident assistance)
P olicing special events
P olicing sparsely-populated areas
W orkload weighting calculation for cost and time which include an area cost adjustment for variation in labour market costs in different areas.

The proposed new funding model will ‘be based on three broad levels that capture the drivers of crime and demand on police time,’ according to the review. These are:

Population levels
The underlying characteristics of the local population
The environmental characteristics of police force areas.

The police budget has already been reduced by as much as 26% over the last five years, and any changes in the way that this money is allocated could have serious repercussions for policing in rural areas.

In an exclusive interview with The Herald, Christopher Salmon explained why he shared his concerns with the Home Secretary, and reaffirmed his commitment to protecting front-line policing.

Mr Salmon said that the proposed budget changes were based on two separate things; a comprehensive spending review which will reduce the overall budget by between 25 and 40 percent, and a review of the formula, which decides how the money is allocated. This second part could have a potentially serious impact on Dyfed Powys Police force.

“I was very keen, along with my parliamentary colleagues to make the case for rural police forces,” he said, pointing out that they faced very different challenges, including the need to keep buildings open, and greater fuel costs. “I don’t work for the Home Office, I work for the people of Dyfed-Powys,” he added.

Police Minister Mike Penning has previously said: “The current model for allocating police funding is complex, opaque and out of date. This consultation sets out proposals to deliver a police funding model for the future which is fair, robust and transparent.”

Mr Salmon agreed with this synopsis: “The formula does need changing, no one disputes that. It is opaque and we need clarity. As P&CC I am responsible for all money spent.

“It is right that they change it, my concern is that the formula is fair to rural areas.”

When we quoted figures suggesting that the police budget had already been cut by 26% in the last five years, Mr Salmon thought that the figure was nearer to 20%, but agreed that significant cuts had been made.

In terms of future reductions, he said “Civil service departments will be asked to provide models, but in Dyfed Powys we are anticipating cuts of 5.5% per year.”

When we asked what the effects of these hypothetical cuts would be, Mr Salmon told us that he believed Dyfed Powys Police force could still make ‘significant savings.’

“These would be in the area of management – less ‘bosses in the office’, he said. “We could also work more closely with other bodies like the fire and rescue service.

Mr Salmon insisted that whatever reductions were made, front line policing would be protected.

“As long as I’m in the job, I will protect front-line services. Dyfed- Powys has already made savings of £8.8m, at the same time as recruiting 30 extra officers. Crime and anti-social behaviour have gone down by 12%

When we asked about comments made by the Chief Constable of North Wales Mike Polin, who said that the Police force would “bear the brunt” of Home Office budget cuts, Mr Salmon said that he was broadly right, in that the police force received the largest part of the Home Office Budget, but he stressed that it was up to the Home Office to decide where they made their savings.

We pointed out to Mr Salmon that while the police force across the country has been reduced in size by around 17,000 police officers and 3,000 PCSOs over the last 5 years, Dyfed Powys has actually increased the size of their front-line force.

“That’s down to better management and better leadership,” he said.

As an example of savings made that have seemed unpopular, we asked Mr Salmon about the cessation of monitored CCTV in Carmarthen Town Centre.

“I completely understand people may seem nervous about changes, but there was no evidence to support CCTV monitoring. This year crime rates in Carmarthen are down,” he said.

“I make these difficult decisions to protect front line policing, and I will continue to do this for as long as I am in the job.”

Community

Officials announced for 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire

Published

3 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD returns to Pembrokeshire in 2026, and organisers have named the officials who will steer this major cultural event over the next year and a half.

With the artistic and local committees already established, meetings to finalise competitions and adjudicators are underway to ensure the List of Competitions is ready by spring. Committee members have also been voting over the past weeks to elect key officials for the Executive Committee.

John Davies, former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, has been appointed Chair of the Executive Committee. Known for his deep connection to Pembrokeshire and extensive experience with national organisations, Davies aims to make the Eisteddfod a true community event, welcoming involvement from all corners of the region.

Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, takes on the role of Deputy Chair (Strategy). With a strong passion for Welsh culture and language, Jones brings a wealth of experience working with local communities, visitors, and volunteers across three counties.

Deputy Chair (Culture) is Carys Ifan, Director of Canolfan Egin and a seasoned cultural organiser. Based in Llangrannog and originally from Llandudoch, Ifan has led numerous artistic and community projects across the region.

Cris Tomos, a community development veteran with over 30 years of experience, will lead the 2026 Eisteddfod Local Fund. Working with PLANED, a community development charity, Tomos has supported countless community enterprises and co-operatives in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire.

Non Davies, recently elected as Executive Committee Secretary, brings extensive cultural management expertise as Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Manager for Culture. Having chaired the Cardigan Local Fund Committee for the 2022 Ceredigion Eisteddfod, Davies is well-versed in managing cultural projects.

National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said: “We’re looking forward to working with John and the team over the next few months as we prepare for the 2026 Eisteddfod.

“There’s almost a quarter of a century since the Eisteddfod was last held in Pembrokeshire, and we’re very much looking forward to returning to the area. 2026 is an important year for us as we celebrate 850 years since the first Eisteddfod was held in Cardigan Castle in 1176.

“We’re looking forward to working in a new way within a catchment area which includes parts of another two counties, which is, of course, a chance to work with local people in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire again.”

Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks, including the sale of competition prizes and opportunities to donate the Crown and the Chair.

The National Eisteddfod will be held in Llantood from August 1–8, 2026.

News

Campaigners urge Welsh Government to adopt proportional representation for Local Elections

Published

4 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the Welsh Government to introduce the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system for local elections, following moves by two councils to shift away from the First Past the Post (FPTP) system being blocked on technical grounds.

Yesterday (Nov 14), Ceredigion Council voted narrowly, with an 18 to 17 majority, in favor of adopting STV. This follows Gwynedd Council’s decision last month, where 65% of councillors backed the move. However, both councils have been prevented from implementing STV due to a requirement for a two-thirds majority under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

In recent consultations, public support for STV has been overwhelming, with over 70% in Gwynedd and 67% in Ceredigion favoring the change. Only Powys Council rejected the proposal, despite 60.5% of its respondents supporting STV. Campaigners argue that the current system deprives voters of representation, citing that over 100,000 people were denied a vote in the 2022 elections due to uncontested seats.

The Electoral Reform Society Cymru (ERS Cymru) highlights the contrast with Scotland, where the introduction of STV for local elections in 2007 has significantly reduced uncontested seats. According to ERS Cymru, Scotland has had fewer uncontested seats in the last four elections combined than Gwynedd Council recorded alone in 2022.

Jess Blair, Director of ERS Cymru, said:

“Decisions made in council chambers affect everyone in those areas, so every vote should count. It’s absurd that councils choosing STV are blocked by a technicality, leaving them stuck with an outdated system that denies representation to thousands. The Welsh Government must act to avoid repeating the undemocratic outcomes of the last elections.”

Campaigners are now calling on the Welsh Government to introduce STV across all councils in Wales, ensuring representation that reflects the electorate’s wishes.

Business

Upgrades completed at Port of Milford Haven’s simulator suite

Published

4 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

UPGRADES have been completed to state-of-the-art equipment within the Port of Milford Haven’s navigation simulator suite at Milford Waterfront enabling marine professionals to receive bespoke specialist training. The virtual reality simulation system can safely replicate a range of scenarios that seafarers may experience in real world situations such as extreme weather conditions, emergency situations and escort tug work.

The upgrades provided by Netherlands-based company MARIN contain the latest hardware in terms of processing power and graphics, as well as upgrades to MARIN’s ‘Dolphin’ software, increasing the capability to create scenarios. These are complemented with new 4k visuals on 75” screens which increase the depth and field of vision, adding to the realism.

Recently, a training day was led by Training Pilot Captain Mark Johnson, assisted by ex-Pilot Andy Hillier, involving members of the Svitzer team as well as Pilots Matt Roberts and Ian Coombes. As part of the scenario, they were faced with a loss of engine power and steering along with worsening weather and sea conditions. The Pilots had to communicate with Svitzer in order to successfully instruct them on how to tow and direct a drifting tanker. While scenarios like these are uncommon within port operations, it is important to rehearse procedures that would be implemented if they are required and enhances participants’ skill sets.

Marine Pilot and Simulator Instructor, Captain Ewan McNicoll, said “This simulator suite has future proofed our training capabilities, both internally for Pilots and marine staff, but also externally for clients wishing to use the facility, be it for training purposes or research and development. We can create any type of scenario with any type of ship, ranging from practicing ship handling manoeuvres to emergency situations, it really is game changing! Working with our partners at MARIN has been a complete success and I am very proud of our new facility.”

For more information about training at the navigation simulation suite please contact the Port of Milford Haven at [email protected] or 01646 696100.