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Council has only recovered £25,000

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Cllr Stoddart: Still hasn’t received an answer

Cllr Stoddart: Still hasn’t received an answer

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has only recovered £25,000 of the £189,224.26 which was paid to Mr Cathal McCosker in relation to the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock Commercial Property Grant Sche me.

That was the revelation at Thursday’s (Oct 20) Full Council meeting, where it was also revealed that, in a letter sent in April 2014, Mr McCosker had offered to pay back the full amount.

Mr McCosker stated in his letter that he was prepared to pay off one of the projects before paying the rest back within 12 months.

The police were also handed a series of documents in 2014 but nothing has happened and Cllr Mike Stoddart suspects that another cover-up is going on.

WEFO has also removed £309, 603.73 of funding, but that came out of the council’s resources and was unbudgeted.

When asked why only £25,000 had been recovered, Council Leader Jamie Adams said he did not know and said he would write to Cllr Mike Stoddart with the answer. At the time of going to press, Cllr Stoddart had still not received an answer.

At Thursday’s council meeting, Cllr Stoddart asked: “How much of the £189,224.26 that the council is seeking to recover from Mr Cathal McCosker and companies under his control in respect of irregular payments under the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock Commercial Property Grant Scheme (CPGS) has the council received to date?

“What was the total amount removed by WEFO from the Authority’s CPGS allocation as a result of irregular payments to Mr McCosker and companies under his control?”

Council Leader Jamie Adams answered: “£25,000 of the £189.224.26 has been repaid to date. It should be noted that as charges were based on all properties, the council will not be financially disadvantaged.”

Cllr Stoddart responded: “I’m aware that Mr McCosker wrote this council a letter in April 2014, in which he offered to pay back £180,000 that he had in grants and he offered to pay one project back immediately – that was 10 Meyrick Street, Pembroke Dock – and the rest within 12 months.

“Now we’re two-and-a-half years down the road and he’s paid back £25,000. Why wasn’t that offer taken up when he made it?”

Cllr Adams said he did not know the reason why the offer was not taken up.

In response to Cllr Stoddart’s second question, Cllr Adams answered: “The WEFO approval for the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock regeneration scheme included an amount of expenditure for a commercial property grant scheme. Under EU funding rules, expenditure claimed against that approval but later found by WEFO to be ineligible is excluded from the claim but also acts to reduce the approved amount of eligible expenditure during the operation as a whole.

“The whole of the expenditure declared in relation to the properties owned by Mr McCosker or properties under his control was £309,603.73; therefore, the reduction in the approved expenditure was the same amount. This equates to a reduction in the ERDF grant approval of £220,262.29.”

Cllr Stoddart responded: “As this money was taken out of the council’s allocation and has never been claimed back from Mr McCosker, save £25,000, I think it follows that this money has come out of this council’s own resources. The money that’s been paid out on these projects in Pembroke Dock – it should have come out of WEFO’s resources and it’s come out of this council’s resources, so how was that budgeted for?”

Chief Finance Officer John Haswell said: “It wasn’t budgeted for but when the money was reclaimed, we had no choice but to pay it back.”

Cllr Stoddart replied: “As we’d already paid it out to Mr McCosker, it came out of this council’s resources.”

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Eluned Morgan: ‘2025 is the year of more pace, more action, more results’

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FIRST MINISTER Eluned Morgan has pledged to deliver tangible results in schools, healthcare, and road repairs before the Senedd term concludes in spring 2026.

Speaking in the Senedd’s Siambr, the Welsh Labour leader emphasised her government’s focus on delivering outcomes that matter to the people of Wales.

Eluned Morgan told Members of the Senedd: “Our priority isn’t about making speeches in here – it’s about making a difference out there, in our hospitals, in our schools, in our communities.”

By the end of the Senedd term, the First Minister committed to:

  • £400m more to support NHS service delivery and staff pay.
  • £175m towards modernising NHS infrastructure.
  • Repairing thousands of potholes and pavements.
  • Increased investment in sports, culture, and heritage.
  • £40m to support people with additional learning needs.
  • £144m to sustain the flagship apprenticeship programme.
  • Bringing buses under public control.
  • Restoring school attendance to pre-pandemic levels.
  • Providing targeted literacy and numeracy support for every school.
  • Ensuring every secondary school has a plan for mental health and wellbeing.

After fourteen years of Conservative governments reducing Welsh budgets, the First Minister welcomed the partnership with the UK Labour Government, which last October delivered the largest funding settlement for Wales since devolution.

Eluned Morgan highlighted the importance of collaboration between the two Labour governments, saying it marks a turning point for Wales’ future.

While Plaid Cymru offers “empty promises” and Reform UK relies on “snappy slogans,” Eluned Morgan stated that Welsh Labour is focused on meaningful action.

She said: “Together, we’re building a Wales that works. Where our NHS delivers. Where our kids have more chances. Where our communities thrive. Where good jobs grow.

“This conversation doesn’t end here. It’s just getting started.

“And every day, my promise stays the same – I will deliver for Wales, and I will deliver for you.”

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Man charged after tragic death of six-month-old baby in Tenby car park

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A MAN accused of causing the death of a six-month-old baby in a multi-storey car park in Tenby while allegedly under the influence of drink and drugs has appeared in court.

Flaviu Naghi, 33, from Wigan, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without a licence, and driving without insurance following the incident on Thursday (Jan 2).

The victim, baby Sophia Kelemen, from Leigh in Greater Manchester, was visiting the popular seaside town with her family when she was struck by a Nissan Qashqai on the ground floor of the car park near Sainsbury’s.

Tragic: Sophia could not be saved following the incident in Tenby (Image: DPP)

Sophia was airlifted to hospital with critical injuries, including a broken pelvis and a brain bleed, but tragically died the following day (Jan 3).

Her devastated family have since launched a fundraising appeal to help repatriate her body to Romania. Writing on GoFundMe, Sophia’s aunt, Adriana, said: “Never in a million years would I have thought I would have to write a post like this. A seemingly ordinary day turned into our family’s worst nightmare.”

She added: “Despite the efforts of the doctors, Sophia could not cope with the impact, the surgery, anaesthesia, and the brain bleed. All the injuries were too much for her fragile heart, which eventually gave out.”

The family is hoping to raise £7,000 to cover funeral costs.

Witnesses described chaotic scenes at the car park, with emergency services flooding the area and a helicopter hovering overhead. One bystander said: “I saw loads of blue lights and people gathered. It was clear something very serious had happened.”

Naghi appeared at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Saturday (Jan 4) and was remanded in custody. He is due to appear before Swansea Crown Court on February 7.

A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Our thoughts remain with Sophia’s family at this incredibly difficult time. They are being supported by specially trained officers.”

Naghi was also arrested on suspicion of drink and drug driving and remains on bail for those offences.

The investigation into the tragedy is ongoing.

The family is hoping to raise £7,000 to cover funeral costs (Image: DPP)

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County Council by-election called for Haverfordwest Prendergast ward

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A BY ELECTION will be held to fill a vacancy in the Haverfordwest Prendergast ward.

A Notice of Election was published on 6th January. Anyone wishing to stand for election must submit their nomination papers to the Returning Officer between the 7th and 15th January, between 10am and 4pm.

For further information and to obtain nomination papers please email [email protected] or call the Elections Helpline number 01437 775844.

The Statement of Persons Nominated will be published following the close of nominations. If contested the by-election vote will take place on Tuesday, 11th February.

If you are interested in becoming a Councillor there is more information available on the Democratic Services page of the Council website.

Details on registering to vote are available on the Pembrokeshire County Council website. Anyone in the Prendergast ward who is not registered to vote will need to do so by 24th January to vote at this election.

Poll cards will be sent to electors before the election that will indicate which polling station to vote at.

Photographic ID will not be required to vote at this election.

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