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Fifteen councillors want answers over grants scandal

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grants scandalHAKIN councillor Mike Stoddart has submitted a requisition signed by 15 members to Pembrokeshire County Council chairman Cllr Arwyn Williams calling for an extraordinary meeting to reconsider his notice of motion to allow members access to information about the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock property grants.

His original notice of motion was rejected by the Independent Plus Political Group’s block vote at the December meeting of council.

But Cllr Stoddart claims that the process was flawed because the vote was based on a series of misleading and downright false statements by Cabinet member Cllr David Pugh.

Cllr Pugh was forced to issue an “unreserved apology” with respect to his claim that Cllr Stoddart’s failure to take into account “a third side elevation” at No 25 Dimond Street was either a “deliberate untruth” or “sheer incompetence” when the Hakin councillor proved conclusively that the third side elevation was a figment of Cllr Pugh’s imagination.

He is also challenging Cllr Pugh’s claim that most of the retail space at No. 29 Dimond Street (Paul Sartori) – the refurbishment of which is supposed to have cost £53,000 – was given over to an area set aside for storing and cleaning clothes.

Cllr Stoddart says the area in question amounts to about seven square metres out of a total of 50 square metres – less than 15%.

When he contacted Cllr Pugh to seek an explanation for this misleading claim, the cabinet member replied that he didn’t wish to continue the correspondence.

The original notice of motion followed a series of failed freedom of information requests and Cllr Stoddart also claims that Cllr Pugh gave a false account of the law on this subject.

Mike Stoddart’s website oldgrumpy.co.uk quotes Cllr Pugh as telling council: “ Before confidential information can be released permission has to be received from third parties” but he says this idea that third parties have a veto over the release of information is simply wrong, because, while they may be consulted, the final decision rests with the council after applying a public interest test. Indeed Cllr Stoddart points out that the council’s procedure manual, which is sent to all grant applicants, states quite clearly that, with regard to requests under the FoI Act, “it will be for the council alone to determine whether the documentation should be released” i.e. third parties do not have the final say.

Mike Stoddart told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “The decision taken on December 12 was based on patently false information and was in my view fundamentally flawed. I therefore emailed all councillors asking if they would support my quest to have the matter reconsidered at an extraordinary meeting of council where the issue can be decided on the basis of the truth. I am pleased to say that I had more than enough positive responses to enable me to collect the fifteen signatures required. Strangely, not a single member of the IPPG – the members who were persuaded to vote against my motion by Cllr Pugh’s false testimony – replied.”

The Chairman will now have seven days in which to call the meeting and, if he fails to do so, a request can be made to the council’s legal department to force the council to hold the meeting.

Mike Stoddart told our reporter: “It will be interesting to see whether our impartial chairman decides to act quickly, or whether he will try to delay proceedings by sitting on the requisition for the full seven days allowed in the constitution.”

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Closure of Tata Steel’s coke ovens sparks political and union backlash

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THE recent announcement by Tata Steel to close the coke ovens at its Port Talbot plant in South Wales has ignited a firestorm of political and industrial action, highlighting the deepening crisis within the British steel industry and the challenges facing the transition to green steel.

Jo Stevens MP, the Shadow Welsh Secretary, expressed her concerns over the impact of the closure on the Welsh steel industry and the workers affected. Stevens emphasized the need for assurances about the workers’ immediate future and pledged that a UK Labour government would invest in the steel industry to support the transition to green steel, harnessing the skills, talent, and ambition of Welsh steelworkers.

The closure, slated for Wednesday due to concerns over the ovens’ “operational stability,” has been criticized by regional Senedd Members for South Wales West, Tom Giffard MS, and Dr. Altaf Hussain MS. They accused the Labour Welsh Government of neglecting its support for the Tata Steelworks in Port Talbot, highlighting a lack of financial assistance since 2019 and calling for a change in response to the current developments.

Unite, the UK’s leading union, has been vocal in its opposition to Tata’s decision, describing it as a shock and a “result of years of betrayal.” The union criticized Tata for not disclosing the imminent risk of closure during recent consultations and announced a ballot for industrial action among 1,500 Tata workers. Unite insists there should be no job losses at Port Talbot or Llanwern and that a blast furnace should remain operational.

Peter Hughes, Unite’s regional secretary for Wales, called for Tata to halt its closure plans in anticipation of Labour’s promised £3 billion investment to rejuvenate the UK steel industry. He accused Tata of managing the decline of UK steel while accepting government subsidies, describing the company’s actions as “deliberate industrial vandalism.”

The closure has not only raised concerns about the future of steel production in the UK but also spotlighted the political and economic strategies required to ensure the industry’s survival and transition towards more sustainable practices. The unfolding situation underscores the need for a collaborative approach between the government, industry stakeholders, and the workforce to navigate the complex challenges ahead.

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Firefighters tackle blaze at block of garages in Monkton

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ONE person was injured as a result of a sunday afternoon garage fire in a block of garages in Monkton.

A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service told The Pembrokeshire Herald said: “At 1.31pm on March 17, Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven crews were called to extinguish a fire in an alight central garage and were forced to use two breathing apparatus and two hose reels.

“The firefighters reportedly left the scene at 3.02pm after continuing to dampen the fire and check for fire spread.

“The casualty was treated by ambulance service personnel also in attendance.”

The police confirmed that a garage fire had been dealt with by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Welsh Ambulance Service attended.

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Air ambulance called following incident at Aldi Pembroke Dock

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THE WALES AIR AMBULANCE, along with the Welsh Ambulance Service and police were called on Monday morning to an incident at the Aldi supermarket car park in Pembroke Dock.

The Herald understands that the alarm was raised after a car hit a person in the car park after 9am.

We have been told that the incident involved a local taxi.

The emergency services have been asked for a comment.

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