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Pembroke Dock: Town Council in rent payment controversy

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paterPEMBROKE DOCK TOWN COUNCIL is in a dispute with the Pater Hall Trust over its rent payments.

The Town Council has a 25-year lease with the Pater Hall Trust for use of the Pater Hall and other facilities.

However, the Council have been relocated to the Bridge Innovation Centre on a temporary basis and say they will relocate back to the Pater Hall once the ground floor offices are up to a standard which will allow for normal working regulations.

Cllr Phil Gwyther submitted a notice of motion which called for the Council not to break its lease with the Trust by entering into negotiations over a new lease when the new offices are completed.

At the November meeting of the Council, Cllr Gwyther revealed that he had been in contact with the Town Council’s solicitor who had said that it would be a breach of contract if the council stopped paying the rent.

There were also doubts as to whether or not the lease had been signed but again the solicitor said that because the agreement had been in place 10 years the lease was legal regardless of it being signed or not.

At Thursday’s (Jan 14) meeting of the Town Council, Cllr Gwyther’s notice of motion was discussed at length but no agreement was reached and the motion was deferred until the next meeting.

Cllr Gwyther, who is also a member of the Pater Hall Trust, said: “We must not be the legal equivalent of squatters and the council must be legal and proper. If we do maintain the rent the current lease we’ve got is still valid.

“I do feel that the trustees have been put in a very difficult situation and it is very awkward for us.

“As trustees we have to do our duty to the trust and ensure that it is financially viable.

“I know some councillors are keen to stop paying the rent but we haven’t voted as a body to do that. There will need to be a written agreement between the council and trust about the rent because the rental figure was never mentioned in these documents and we have been paying the rent based on a council decision made in 2005.

“When the Trust was set up the Council gave a written guarantee to the charity commissioners that the rental payment was the part that the council would give the trust in order for it to be financially viable.

“I don’t feel we should be breaking our promise with the charity that we made in writing. We should hope that the Trust will keep going.”

Cllr Sue Perkins said: “I am quite concerned that the five trustees have already taken a vote on this and made their decisions because the decisions of what we do should be done in this council and its very obvious that five trustees have already voted on the notice of motion. They should have taken their views to the council first.

“I haven’t seen any legal advice to say that we can’t withdraw funding. If it’s there I am more than happy to see it and then I will make a decision.”

Councillor Tony Wilcox said: “We are here now because the Trust has neglected the Town Council offices when they knew full well that they weren’t occupied.

“The rooms upstairs are unfit for purpose and that’s why we moved out.”

Cllr Gwyther then read part of a letter to the Charities’ commission from the Council in June 2005 but members were unhappy that a copy had not been circulated to them.

Cllr Perkins added that there was ‘no way’ she would vote on the notice of motion and asked for it to be held in abeyance.

Cllr Andrew McNaughton suggested that the council should pay the rent for the coming month before discussing the matter again.

Cllr Gwyther said his notice of motion was about principles and not about the money but that was challenged by Cllr Perkins who said that the Trust relied on the Town Council.

It was also revealed that the council paid £1820 for the office and a further £1560 for the chamber which they had not been using.

The Town Council had agreed to pay £7000 in rent for the first three years but that was not reviewed.

After a lengthy debate it was agreed that the matter would be deferred until the next meeting of the council.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Terry

    January 17, 2016 at 4:49 pm

    councillors, don’t you just love them for being so loud and proud about their stupidity

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Crime

Former Reform candidate faces drink-driving trial

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FORMER Reform UK parliamentary candidate Stewart Marchant has appeared before a district judge charged with driving over the legal alcohol limit.

Marchant, 44, is accused of driving a Dacia Duster on the A40 between Penblewin and Llanddewi Velfrey on February 1 with 76mcg of alcohol in his breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Appearing at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week, Marchant pleaded not guilty to the charge. He chose to represent himself in court.

His trial is scheduled to take place at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Feb 20). He was released on unconditional bail.

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Crime

Owner sentenced after Shetland ponies found in poor condition —one died

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A WEST WALES man has been sentenced after two Shetland ponies—one dead and one alive—were found in a severely poor body condition.

Stephen Edward Griffiths (born 12 December 1962), of Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, appeared at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Feb 13) for sentencing after pleading guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act.

The court heard that Griffiths caused unnecessary suffering to a male Shetland pony by failing to investigate and address its poor body condition. He was also convicted of failing to ensure the needs of two ponies—a female grey Shetland and a male skewbald Shetland—by not providing a suitable environment, adequate diet, or treatment for rain scald and lice infestation.

Griffiths was sentenced to a 16-week prison term for each offence, to run concurrently, suspended for two years. He was also disqualified from keeping equines for 10 years, given a one-year community order, ordered to complete 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days, and told to pay £250 in costs. The court heard he was remorseful.

RSPCA investigation

RSPCA Inspector Keith Hogben visited the location on June 18 last year following concerns raised about the welfare of two Shetland ponies.

“When I arrived, I observed a dead grey Shetland pony in thin condition with hair loss. A chain was attached to a collar around its neck but not secured to anything at the other end,” he said.

Nearby was a skewbald Shetland pony in an emaciated state. Its spine and ribs were clearly visible, and it had a skin condition. The pony had been sprayed with purple spray and was tethered by a chain to a tree.

A bucket of water was found near the pony, but the caller who alerted the RSPCA had placed it there.

Griffiths told Inspector Hogben that the grey Shetland pony had been dead for a few days but he had been unable to move the body due to a broken tractor. He also claimed he had only had the ponies for a few months and had rescued the skewbald pony from Cross Hands.

Veterinary findings

An equine vet attended and deemed the skewbald pony fit to travel. It was later signed over into RSPCA care.

In a witness statement, the vet described the skewbald Shetland stallion as being in very poor condition, tethered on a short chain of approximately eight feet.

“He had very limited access to forage due to the tether, and the available space was well grazed. He also had a severe lice infestation,” the vet said. The pony was given a Body Condition Score of 0.5 out of five.

The dead grey Shetland mare was also in extremely poor condition, with a Body Condition Score of 0.5 out of five.

“Her spine and spinous processes were protruding, her ribs were clearly visible despite her long coat, and her pelvis was skeletal. She had been dead for several days,” the vet reported.

Rescue and recovery

The male Shetland pony, later named Groovy Bob, has since recovered following veterinary treatment and has been rehomed by the RSPCA.

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Crime

Pembrokeshire learning support assistant to be sentenced for child neglect

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A PEMBROKESHIRE Learning Support Assistant has appeared before magistrates charged with ill-treating and causing unnecessary suffering to her two children.

This week, Haverfordwest magistrates were shown shocking photographs of the appalling living conditions the children endured between November 2019 and June 2024.

Their bedding was infested with maggots and flies, while a potty containing faeces was left in one of the bedrooms. Faeces were also smeared across the walls and floors.

“It’s difficult to say what effect this will have on those children,” said Crown Prosecutor Nia James.

The children’s beds had no appropriate bedding, only dirty rags. Magistrates heard that concerns were initially raised by one of the children’s teachers after noticing a maggot on the carpet near where the child had been sitting.

“The child said there were flies in his bedroom because of the rubbish,” said Nia James. “He also said he was unable to sleep because of the maggots in his bed.”

Following the school’s concerns, a welfare check was carried out at the family home in Milford Haven.

“Significant issues were noted,” continued James. “There was a stale odour, numerous flies, and a foul smell coming from the fridge. There was a limited amount of food in the cupboards, and the dining room was inaccessible due to clutter, as was one of the bedrooms.

“Faeces were smeared across the walls and floors, and there was no bedding on the beds, just dirty rags. Takeaway boxes and large quantities of rubbish were strewn over the floor, and in one bedroom, a toilet-type potty still contained excrement.

“These were the conditions the children had been living in for years, not just a couple of months.

“This was severe, long-term neglect, with flies and maggot infestations and the smell of urine on the children.”

James told magistrates that the defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is employed as an LSA.

“As an education worker, she should have been aware of the circumstances, given her day-to-day job,” added James.

After hearing the prosecution’s evidence, magistrates declined jurisdiction after the 39-year-old woman pleaded guilty to both charges. As a result, she will now be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on March 11.

She was released on conditional bail, with restrictions preventing her from having unsupervised contact with her children unless approved by social services or police. She must also continue to reside at her home address.

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