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Badger enjoys the sweet smell of ‘success’

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badger_2087377bIt worries Badger that an administration so committed to cutting public services is headed by a man who finds remembering to file his expenses on time difficult and is a self-confessed bad book-keeper. All those alleged efficiency savings and service improvements (a.k.a. ‘cuts’) swimming around in the head of a man who forgot to claim £4649 in expenses; it cannot be easy for him, poor dab!

All the talk of those supposed service improvements, alleged efficiency savings and being kind to our environment cannot obscure the fact that Pembrokeshire County Council has embarked on a course of slashing low paid workers’ pay while preserving the obscene salaries paid to upper management as a reward for their collective past and continuing failure; on a policy (cutting bin collections) that will ensure that Pembrokeshire households will be regular stopping off points for Badger’s woodland chums Ratty and Foxy; and a policy that means that if you are caught short in a public place, you will be doing your bit for the environment by wearing reusable nappies.

How lucky we are then that the Council was this week able to announce that ‘Latest figures show that Pembrokeshire County Council’s performance improved again last year and was well above average when compared to other local authorities in Wales … Pembrokeshire’s performance was particularly positive in adult and children’s social care.’

Now that is good news, to an extent. If success is going to be measured as not failing as badly as everyone else, Jamie Adams’s breast must be swelling with pride.

We can all be proud of the Council’s achievement in closing a library before finding out how much it would cost to replace it and then having to back track on its plans for it; that its own estimate of capital works required to the education estate was wildly incorrect; that the Council’s view of success is maintaining ‘the lowest Council Tax in Wales’ by slashing public services and showering European grant money on a few private landlords and property speculators.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the figures that escaped Cllr Adams’s attention:

Cllr Jacob Williams’s motion about traveller pitches in Pembrokeshire and the need for the Council to ensure its procedures were appropriate rightly received widespread attention. The Council now has the chance to right a wrong and put its money where its mouth is. When the Council has an estimate for a requirement for expenditure of £1m in this financial year and has since the start of it spent £6,000, the need for rapid review instead of mere lip service is underlined.

Pembrokeshire County Council takes 78.6 days to discharge its primary duty to households determined to be homeless. That is 78.6 working days. Add in the weekends, because people don’t stop being homeless on Saturday and Sunday, and Pembrokeshire is proud to keep the homeless without a permanent roof over their heads for over four months. That is against a Welsh average of 128 working days and a target of 66 days. Hurrah. We are not the worst!

The Council’s desired ‘Key Outcome 1’ is that ‘Children, young people and families in Pembrokeshire have the opportunity to lead healthy, happy and fulfilling lives.’ Not if you are a child with special needs, however: for those children, Pembrokeshire’s performance is woeful. Out of 23 statements of Special Educational Needs, only 3 – 13% – were issued within 26 weeks. For the sake of clarity, the same period last year produced an 88% performance against the same target. Success, indeed, then! No explanation is given for this pathetic failure in the papers recording the Council’s performance for special educational needs assessments other than that reports are ‘awaited’ from Health and Social Care.

Still?

Rocking on for six months after the end of the year to which those figures relate, the Council is STILL awaiting an explanation? Perhaps there is only one manual typewriter in County Hall and the typist is on long term leave.

Perhaps best value for money in education could be achieved by making an effort to recruit the best available permanent staff for Pembrokeshire’s schools instead of the below, a response to a Freedom of Information Act request:

SCHOOLS PAYMENTS FOR TEMPORARY / SUPPLY STAFF IN THE 2012/13 FINANCIAL YEAR:

Staff on fixed term contracts 7,014,631.23
Supply staff 1,546,187.07
Agency staff 119,098.76
Total 8,679,917.06

Mind you, Social Care and Education are responsible for every Compromise Agreement the Council confirms entering into since 2009. Think of those agreements as ‘we pay you to go away, not make a fuss and keep your lip zipped’ ways of ending employment. Note the startling figures for the current and immediately past financial years.

01/04/13 2 @ £48,720 + Payment in Lieu of Notice
01/04/12 – 31/03/13 2 @ £35,200 + PILON
01/04/11 – 31/04/12 0
01/04/10 – 31/03/11 1 @ £7,000 + PILON
01/04/09 – 31/03/10 1 @ £3,672 + PILON

Three of those agreements were in senior management positions.

We can all take comfort in the thought that scarce resources are being spent wisely and well and not ploughed into rewarding failure and mediocrity.

Something smells sweet around Jamie Adams and the IPPG. Perhaps it is success, after all.

Community

Charity tractor and car run set to raise funds for Macmillan and Paul Sartori

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A CHARITY tractor and car run in memory of Charles Rees is set to take place in Pembrokeshire later this month, with funds raised supporting Macmillan Cancer Support and Paul Sartori Hospice at Home.

The Charles Rees Tractor & Car Run will be held on Sunday, December 28, 2025, starting and finishing at Dudwell Farm in Camrose.

Participants are being invited to “start their engines” in aid of the two charities, with gates opening at 9:00am and the convoy leaving promptly at 10:30am. Organisers have confirmed that the run will operate with no halfway stops, returning to Dudwell Farm at the end of the route.

The event will begin and finish at Dudwell Farm, Camrose (SA62 6HJ), and is open to tractors and cars. Registration and cash payment will take place on the day, with the price to be confirmed nearer the event.

Additional donations can also be made locally in the run-up to the event at Camrose Country Hardware and Croesgoch Stores.

The run has been organised to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, which provides vital care and assistance to people living with cancer, and Paul Sartori Hospice at Home, which supports patients and families across Pembrokeshire during some of the most difficult times of their lives.

Organisers say more information will be released closer to the event and are encouraging the local community to support the run, whether by taking part, donating, or lining the route to show support.

The event is expected to attract strong local interest, continuing Pembrokeshire’s tradition of community-led fundraising in support of much-valued charities.

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News

Late Griffiths strike caps dramatic Clarby fightback in nine-goal thriller

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CLARBESTON ROAD staged a remarkable comeback to edge out Pennar Robins in a breathless Division One contest that delivered nine goals, wild swings of momentum and a hat-trick that ultimately counted for nothing.

Despite falling behind on three separate occasions, Clarby showed resilience and attacking intent to secure a 5–4 victory, sealed late on by Emyr Griffiths after the hosts had earlier trailed 3–1 in the first half.

For Pennar, the result was a bitter one. Jack Jones struck three times and the Robins led at 1–0, 3–1 and 4–3, but each advantage slipped away as Clarby refused to lie down.

The opening exchanges hinted at little of what was to come. Ben ‘Rocky’ John tested Pennar goalkeeper Ryeley Clark early on, while Tom Davies dragged an effort wide at the other end. The game burst into life after nine minutes when Pennar opened the scoring following a slick team move. Nicholas Willis drove forward down the right, combined neatly with Kieran Smith and Noah Davison, and was tripped inside the box. Jack Jones made no mistake from the penalty spot.

Clarby responded almost immediately. Player-manager Matthew Ellis, keen to atone for conceding the penalty, rose to head home Travis Jones’ corner at the near post just two minutes later.

Pennar regained control midway through the half. Tom Grimwood’s curling corner was met by Jones, who nodded in at the back post, and moments later the same duo combined again as Jones completed his hat-trick, finishing from close range after Grimwood beat his marker and cut the ball back.

Crucially, Clarby struck back before the break. Matthew Bowen delivered an inviting cross from the left and John powered a header past Clark to give the hosts renewed belief heading into half-time.

With the wind at their backs, Clarby came out flying after the restart. John levelled matters by cutting inside and firing low into the corner, before sustained pressure saw Matthew Davies have a goal ruled out for offside and substitute Josh Woods flash a shot across goal.

Against the run of play, Pennar edged back in front on 69 minutes when substitutes combined — Adam Phillips delivering a cross that Conner Phillips met unmarked to head home.

Once again, Clarby refused to fold. Jack Ashman drove forward from the edge of the area and thundered a high finish into the net to make it 4–4, before the decisive moment arrived 12 minutes from time. Griffiths broke through the Pennar back line and showed composure to lift the ball beyond Clark, completing a stunning turnaround.

Clarby managed the closing stages well to see out a vital win ahead of the Christmas break.

Man of the match: Jack Jones
Despite ending on the losing side, Jones’ clinical finishing and constant threat were impossible to ignore. Kieran Smith and Noah Davison were also influential in Pennar’s first-half dominance, while Ben John was central to Clarby’s revival before limping off with a knee issue.

Clarby player-manager Matthew Ellis said: “It’s a huge three points. After nine goals your head’s spinning a bit, but you’ll take it when you’re on the right side of the result. Pennar caused us problems early on, but we really turned it around after the break.”

Pennar manager Craig Butland said: “The second half wasn’t good enough. Individual errors are hurting us and conceding just before half-time changed the momentum. We’ve got to see games out better.”

Clarbeston Road: Rhys Mansell, Matthew Bowen, Greg Brown, Matthew Griffiths, Samuel Hurton, Jack Ashman, Emyr Griffiths, Matthew Davies (capt), Matthew Ellis, Ben John (Jake Wesley 62), Travis Jones. Sub not used: Joseph Jones.

Pennar Robins: Ryeley Clark, Nick Willis (Ryan Walters 80), Alex Wheeler (Adam Phillips 53), Ethan Ball, Bobby Jones (Conner Willis 53), Connor Roberts, Tom Grimwood, Kieran Smith (capt), Noah Davison, Jack Jones, Toby Davies.

Referee: Stefan Jenkins.

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Crime

Ex-Gwent police officer now living in Pembrokeshire cleared of corruption

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A FORMER police officer from Pembrokeshire has been found not guilty of corruption following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.

Luke Silver, aged 34, formerly of Gwent Police, had denied three charges relating to the improper use of police power or privilege. The allegations centred on claims that he made sexually inappropriate and unwanted comments to two women he encountered while on duty.

Jurors heard that one allegation involved remarks allegedly made to a woman during a police interview, while other claims related to similar conduct during separate encounters. Mr Silver denied all wrongdoing throughout the proceedings.

After hearing the evidence, a jury acquitted him of all charges.

Despite the verdict, Gwent Police confirmed that Mr Silver is no longer a serving officer. The force said he was dismissed in April following an accelerated misconduct hearing that dealt with matters separate from the criminal case.

Reporting restrictions had previously been imposed on the misconduct proceedings to prevent any potential prejudice to the criminal trial. Those restrictions were lifted following the conclusion of the court case.

The misconduct panel found that Mr Silver had breached standards of professional behaviour on two occasions, relating to honesty and integrity, and conduct likely to bring discredit on the police service.

As a result, he has been placed on the College of Policing barred list, preventing him from working for any police force in the future.

Assistant Chief Constable Nick McLain said Mr Silver was no longer employed by Gwent Police and stressed the force’s commitment to maintaining public trust.

He said the public rightly expects officers to uphold the highest standards of behaviour, adding that the force would continue to act decisively where conduct falls short.

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