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BRYN VOTE LOST: IPPG Still backing embattled chief executive

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listen to the people

COUNCIL IN CRISIS

PEMBROKESHIRE held its breath yesterday as councillors decided on the future of their chief executive.

Fourteen councillors had laid notices of motion for a vote of no confidence in Bryn Parry-Jones. Many members gave passionate speeches saying that it was the day for change.

At the end of a very long meeting, lasting all day, a recorded vote was taken where twenty-three councillors voted no confidence in the chief executive.

Five councillors abstained; but it was not enough to see off the embattled CEO, the highest paid in Wales.

Thirty councillors voted against the motion meaning that Mr Parry-Jones can stay in his post.

‘Listen to the people’

IN A devastating attack on beleaguered CEO Bryn Parry Jones, leader of the Pembrokeshire Alliance Bob Kilmister highlighted repeated failures in Pembrokeshire County Council’s administration over the last four years and laid the blame for those failings clearly at the door of Bryn Parry Jones.

Hammering home the point, Cllr Kilmister quoted the reports made by Estyn, CSSIW and the Welsh Government into the running of Pembrokeshire County Council and the cosy and complacent culture among senior officers and Cabinet members.

Cllrs Pat Davies and Gwilym Price continued the attack, citing a moral failure of leadership at the top of the Council. Cllr Phil Baker, cited declining staff morale, as the lowest paid had their pay cut while their employer offered tax breaks and the highest pay in Wales to senior officers while the Council lurched from iceberg to iceberg, like the RMS Titanic.

Cllr Tony Wilcox anticipated the line followed by other speakers, as he pointed out to Councillors that the buck had to stop with the CEO when things went wrong.

Cllr Mike Stoddart told a sombre and hushed chamber that there was contempt in the Council for the rule of law: can we get away it is the only question these people ask?

Cllr Jacob Williams told members that the CEO had presided scandal after scandal, and pointed out there had been a complete lack of accountability in dealing with the CEO and that Councillors had the opportunity to represent their constituent’s views.

Cllr Vivian Stoddart, pointed out that the reputation of the Council was in tatters, the reputation of the Council has been on a downward spiral and that downward spiral has been throughout the tenure of the CEO. She pointed out that in excess of £400,000 had been wasted on defending Judicial Review proceedings in the High Court and pointed out the headline “Council put reputation before children”. She quoted Bryn Parry Jones’ own words that “leadership meant taking responsibility” and that it was time for him to face up to that and accept for responsibility for the problems that have engulfed Pembrokeshire County Council under him.

More press clippings

more clippingsANGRY councillors who were prevented from voting at the last meeting of full council made an attempt to turn the tables on the leader of the council, Cllr Jamie Adams yesterday. Cllr Phil Baker stood up waving a envelope saying to the chairman: “I have a brown envelope here filled with clippings from the Western Telegraph”

Next, Cllr Jacob Williams said to the Chairman: “Mr Harding had his arm outstretched to receive the envelope. Should he not be allowed to receive it?”

The chairman barked: “Cllr Williams: We do not have time for this – we have a lot on the agenda to get through; and if you continue these comments I will have to deal with you!”

Opposition councillors booed and jeered. Cllr Jamie Adams then addressed the meeting: “The interview in the Western Telegraph is an accurate reflection of what I said, but I did not write the headline. I have not predetermined the issues in-front of me today.”

Stoddart amends minutes

A ROW broke out at yesterday’s full council meeting at County Hall about the accuracy of the minutes. At last months farcical meeting, opposition councilors were prevented from participating in a vote over suspending the Chief Executive. This was because the Council’s barrister said they had ‘pre-determined’ their views by talking to The Pembrokeshire Herald and the Western Telegraph.

At the start of yesterday’s meeting Councillor Mike Stoddard said that he was unhappy with what was on the record because it had failed to mention that Cllr Keith Lewis had withdrawn from the meeting twice. Cllr Stoddart said: “There are code of conduct issues with what happened after his return to the meeting, and I would like that recorded.”

Cllr Keith Lewis said: “The reason that I returned to the meeting was to make my point absolutely clear.”

However, Cllr Nutting interrupted saying: “Yes, but after returning you spoke again!”

Councillors eventually voted to amend the minutes, so that Cllr Stoddard’s concerns were dealt with.

However, Councillor Jacob Williams was prevented from raising further issues. He wanted to ask questions as to which officer of the council may have shown bias by requesting that two councilors return to the meeting.

Council reveals cost of advice over unlawful payments

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has spent over £27,000 on advice in a desperate attempt to justify the making of unlawful pay supplements to its Chief Executive Officer.

The sum spent was revealed by IPPG leader Jamie Adams, and follows the revelation that the unlawful pay supplement was worth in excess of £45,000 over two years it was made.

The IPPG administration has previously indicated that it intends to revisit the pay policy in an attempt to make the pay supplement lawful. With significant further cost, including further external expert reports (which the Council failed to commission before making the unlawful decision and payments), it seems as though the cost neutrality of the scheme, acclaimed by the IPPG administration – and Cllr Adams in particular – lies in tatters.

The costs included £14,480 for Tim Kerr QC, and £12,562 for Mr. Watson who had prepared an experts report for the Council following the Welsh Audit Office’s report in the public interest.

 

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Teifion

    March 17, 2014 at 8:49 am

    Very sad and disappointing for me, I had hoped that there would be some people in the IPPG would vote for decency and honesty rather think of their wallets and handbags first(& their special responsibilty allowances)

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Campaigners urge Welsh Government to adopt proportional representation for Local Elections

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CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the Welsh Government to introduce the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system for local elections, following moves by two councils to shift away from the First Past the Post (FPTP) system being blocked on technical grounds.

Yesterday (Nov 14), Ceredigion Council voted narrowly, with an 18 to 17 majority, in favor of adopting STV. This follows Gwynedd Council’s decision last month, where 65% of councillors backed the move. However, both councils have been prevented from implementing STV due to a requirement for a two-thirds majority under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

In recent consultations, public support for STV has been overwhelming, with over 70% in Gwynedd and 67% in Ceredigion favoring the change. Only Powys Council rejected the proposal, despite 60.5% of its respondents supporting STV. Campaigners argue that the current system deprives voters of representation, citing that over 100,000 people were denied a vote in the 2022 elections due to uncontested seats.

The Electoral Reform Society Cymru (ERS Cymru) highlights the contrast with Scotland, where the introduction of STV for local elections in 2007 has significantly reduced uncontested seats. According to ERS Cymru, Scotland has had fewer uncontested seats in the last four elections combined than Gwynedd Council recorded alone in 2022.

Jess Blair, Director of ERS Cymru, said:

“Decisions made in council chambers affect everyone in those areas, so every vote should count. It’s absurd that councils choosing STV are blocked by a technicality, leaving them stuck with an outdated system that denies representation to thousands. The Welsh Government must act to avoid repeating the undemocratic outcomes of the last elections.”

Campaigners are now calling on the Welsh Government to introduce STV across all councils in Wales, ensuring representation that reflects the electorate’s wishes.

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Business

Upgrades completed at Port of Milford Haven’s simulator suite

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UPGRADES have been completed to state-of-the-art equipment within the Port of Milford Haven’s navigation simulator suite at Milford Waterfront enabling marine professionals to receive bespoke specialist training. The virtual reality simulation system can safely replicate a range of scenarios that seafarers may experience in real world situations such as extreme weather conditions, emergency situations and escort tug work.


The upgrades provided by Netherlands-based company MARIN contain the latest hardware in terms of processing power and graphics, as well as upgrades to MARIN’s ‘Dolphin’ software, increasing the capability to create scenarios. These are complemented with new 4k visuals on 75” screens which increase the depth and field of vision, adding to the realism.

Recently, a training day was led by Training Pilot Captain Mark Johnson, assisted by ex-Pilot Andy Hillier, involving members of the Svitzer team as well as Pilots Matt Roberts and Ian Coombes. As part of the scenario, they were faced with a loss of engine power and steering along with worsening weather and sea conditions. The Pilots had to communicate with Svitzer in order to successfully instruct them on how to tow and direct a drifting tanker. While scenarios like these are uncommon within port operations, it is important to rehearse procedures that would be implemented if they are required and enhances participants’ skill sets.

Marine Pilot and Simulator Instructor, Captain Ewan McNicoll, said “This simulator suite has future proofed our training capabilities, both internally for Pilots and marine staff, but also externally for clients wishing to use the facility, be it for training purposes or research and development. We can create any type of scenario with any type of ship, ranging from practicing ship handling manoeuvres to emergency situations, it really is game changing! Working with our partners at MARIN has been a complete success and I am very proud of our new facility.”

For more information about training at the navigation simulation suite please contact the Port of Milford Haven at [email protected] or 01646 696100.

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Business

Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost

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RURAL Wales is seeing a major upgrade in mobile connectivity, with faster 4G now live in several areas. Seven locations across North, South West, and West Wales are benefitting from new 4G mast upgrades funded by the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN), aimed at closing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.

The upgrades, which went live on Thursday (Nov 14), bring improved 4G coverage to communities including Bontddu, Llanelltyd, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Penmaenpool, Tabor, Snowdonia National Park, and Bontgoch. Local businesses, emergency services, and residents are expected to benefit from faster internet access, which supports daily communication, business opportunities, and economic growth.

There is a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for modern life and should be available from Cardiff to the remotest parts of Wales. Today’s upgrades bring us closer to making this a reality.”

SUPPORTING DIGITAL INCLUSION

As part of the rollout, Peter Kyle and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant visited Ebbw Vale to discuss digital inclusion with charity and industry leaders. They met with representatives at BGfm, a digital inclusion hub in Blaenau Gwent, to learn about how connectivity impacts daily life in Welsh communities.

Telecoms Minister Bryant said: “We are working tirelessly to make sure rural communities aren’t left behind online.

“These upgrades mean businesses can now operate without connectivity limitations, 999 services are better equipped to respond, and residents and tourists can stay connected across the Welsh countryside.”

ADDRESSING CONNECTIVITY GAPS

An estimated 1.5 million homes across the UK remain without internet access, limiting people’s ability to access essential services such as banking and healthcare. In addition to the SRN upgrades, the Chancellor has allocated over £500 million in next year’s budget for digital infrastructure expansion, targeting these underserved areas.

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the importance of this investment, particularly for rural Wales, where fast, reliable internet can be transformative.

“Connectivity is critical for day-to-day life in rural areas – from supporting local businesses to ensuring emergency services are just a call away,” Stevens said.

The upgraded masts, previously limited to EE customers and emergency 999 calls, now serve a wider user base, bringing essential internet access to more people without requiring new infrastructure.

Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “With the activation of five new SRN sites, Wales is seeing the tangible benefits of the Shared Rural Network, bringing crucial connectivity to rural communities.”

GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN REMOTE WALES

The improvements come alongside a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties, helping future-proof digital access in even the most isolated locations.

The latest upgrades mark another step in the Government’s mission to improve mobile coverage and close the connectivity gap across Wales, creating opportunities and supporting economic growth across rural communities.

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