News

Council has only recovered £25,000

Published

8 years ago

October 28, 2016

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.”

News

Milford Haven honours fishermen with annual memorial service

Published

1 hour ago

September 28, 2024

Tom Sinclair

MILFORD HAVEN held its annual Fishermen’s Tribute Service on Saturday (Sept 28) at The Rath, in a heartfelt event that drew members of the community to honour its maritime legacy.

The Milford Haven Town Band played, adding to the solemnity of the occasion, attended by Mayor Councillor William Elliot, who laid a wreath on behalf of the town.

This year’s service, led by Reverend Samuel Patterson, focused on commemorating those connected to the fishing industry, reflecting on their contributions to the town’s prosperity. The event underscores the challenging conditions faced by fishermen and the pivotal role the fishing industry plays in Milford Haven’s economy and culture.

As part of the ceremony, attendees paid their respects at the memorial, which bears the inscription, “A Tribute to Our Fishermen,” affirming the community’s gratitude and remembrance of their efforts.

(Photos Lloyd Jones / Fiona Galliford)

Community

Narberth Food Festival: A feast of flavours and fun for all ages

Published

2 hours ago

September 28, 2024

Tom Sinclair

NARBERTH’S annual Food Festival has returned this weekend, bringing together a delicious mix of food, music, and educational activities that highlight the best of Welsh culture and cuisine. Held in the picturesque town of Narberth, the festival promises an exciting lineup of chefs, musicians, and local artisans, showcasing the rich diversity and culinary talent of Wales.

The festivities began with an Education Day, an enlightening experience for local school children from Narberth School and St Oswald’s VA School. The day was packed with engaging workshops hosted in a large marquee, including sausage making by Andrew Rees Butchers, seaweed discoveries with Câr y Môr, cake decorating skills by Ysgol Greenhill School, essential food preparation with Corinne Cariad, and delightful chocolate making with Wickedly Welsh Chocolate Co.

This educational initiative, heavily supported by local businesses and volunteers, is designed to teach the young attendees about the origins and production of food, a foundational knowledge that the festival organisers are keen to impart to the next generation.

As the festival opens to the public, attendees are invited to a culinary journey through the Food Theatre events on Saturday. Highlights include chef demonstrations from noted chefs like Dougie Balish of The Grove and engaging taste sessions with local food innovators such as Owen Rosser from Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm.

The Music Stage offers a melodic backdrop to the delicious fare, with a lineup that spans folk, rock, and acoustic performances. Saturday’s performances will see the likes of Abbie Jebbers and the dynamic duo BoxSet, while Sunday welcomes talents like Rosey Cale and the unique sounds of Ella Guru.

The festival is not only a platform for food and music but also a spotlight on the innovative local traders. Among them is James from Still Wild, who returns to share his foraging insights and his latest creation, Oystershell Vodka, already lauded with two Great Taste stars.

For the youngsters, the festival is packed with additional fun. Entry is free for under 16s, encouraging families to enjoy the face painting, circus skills workshops, and the antics of beloved street performers. These elements ensure that the Narberth Food Festival is a weekend where learning, fun, and gastronomy delightfully intersect.

Whether you’re a foodie, music lover, or just in search of a vibrant community event, Narberth Food Festival offers a rich tapestry of experiences that cater to all tastes and ages. With its commitment to education, local entrepreneurship, and cultural celebration, the festival continues to be a standout event in Wales’s festival calendar.

Health

MS slams decision to proceed with St Davids GP surgery closure

Published

22 hours ago

September 27, 2024

Tom Sinclair

SENEDD Member Paul Davies has criticised Hywel Dda University Health Board’s decision to
proceed with the transfer of patients from St David’s surgery to surgeries elsewhere in
Pembrokeshire. In a board meeting held on the 26 th September 2024, the Health Board also
confirmed that it is in discussions with Shalom House in St David’s about the establishment
of a branch surgery to deliver some services.

Mr Davies said, “It’s shameful that Hywel Dda University Health Board is pushing ahead with
these plans, despite the vocal opposition shown by the local community.

“The city of St David’s will soon be the only city in the United Kingdom without a GP surgery,
and I’m appalled that the Health Board has allowed this to take place. For many people the
travel to other surgeries from St David’s is just too far and too stressful and a weak
commitment to coordinate surgeries with bus times is just not going to cut it.”

“Residents have been trying to engage with the Health Board and urging the management to
look at a range of other options and it appears as though the Health Board is unwilling to
consider the views of the people of St David’s. The people of St David’s deserve better, and
I hope all political representatives in Pembrokeshire can work together to stand up for the
local community.”

But Hywel Dda University Health Board says it is continuing the work to prepare for the transfer of patients from St David’s Surgery in Pembrokeshire to nearby surgeries ahead of the end of October when the current contract will come to an end.

The Health Board agreed that the care of patients at St David’s Surgery in Pembrokeshire would be transferred to local practices as close as possible to where they live, in a meeting of the Board at the end of July.

The Health Board also committed to work on establishing a Branch Surgery in St David’s providing services for part of the week for those patients transferring to nearby Solva Surgery.

Jill Paterson, Director of Primary Care, Community and Long-Term Care, at Hywel Dda announced at a Board Meeting today (Thursday, 26 September) that the Health Board is in discussions with Shalom House in St David’s about the establishment of a Branch Surgery

“The location on Nun Street is convenient for patients and is a well-established organisation which is well-supported by the local community and we are delighted to be working with the Shalom Trustees to take forward this development,” said Ms Paterson.

“We are in the process of planning services to be delivered by a multi-disciplinary team and are planning community services there and some cluster-based services too.”

The decision to transfer patients from St David’s Surgery was made following an extensive period of engagement with patients at the practice and Llais, the patient’s voice organisation for Wales. This followed the decision by the one GP who runs the surgery to resign his General Medical Services Contract.

From 1 November 2024 the Solva GP Surgery will be known as the Peninsula Practice/ Meddygfa Penrhyn to reflect the broader reach of the Practice. The name was proposed by the Peninsula Working Group, which includes representatives from St David’s City Council and Solva and Llanrhian community councils.

The employed staff at St David’s Surgery will transfer to Peninsula Practice to join the growing team there, including administration and nursing staff and the salaried GP.

All patients at St David’s Surgery will have been sent a letter informing them which Practice they will be transferred to, and everyone will be contacted soon with a welcome letter with further information.

Ms Paterson said: “The planning for the transition is well under way. Patients don’t need to do anything – we will be transferring all records and registrations.

“Meanwhile, work to adapt the surgery building in Solva to accommodate the additional staff and patients will be taking place in the coming weeks. This involves internal alterations to the surgery building which will be taking place over the coming weeks to convert underused rooms into consulting and treatment rooms, and to move some office space to the first floor.”

Ms Paterson said that she was aware that some of the St David’s Surgery patients were concerned about travelling to Solva for appointments.

“In terms of travel, we recognise that this is a challenge. Some individuals are going to have to travel three miles to the Solva Surgery, but we hope that that need will not be significant because we are working to provide as many services in the local community that we can.

“We have also been working with PACTO – the Pembrokeshire Association of Community Transport Organisations. They have helped us develop a leaflet and they are looking for volunteer drivers to assist with this process, so that they can respond to need where buses are not available for individuals.

“We have also had a commitment from the surgery that, as far as possible, when people do need to go to the surgery, they will try to co-ordinate appointment times with bus times.”

For those who need to travel to the Peninsula Surgery in Solva, there will be information regarding public transport options for patients on the surgery website.

Patients who require help or further information should contact the Health Board by telephone us at 0300 303 8322 (option 5), or email [email protected].