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Audit Committee to complain about delayed investigation

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PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL’S Audit Committee has agreed to complain to Dyfed-Powys Police over the length of time taken in investigating the Commercial Property Grants Scheme in Pembroke Dock.

The meeting was held on Tuesday (Jan 30), where a notice of motion from Cllr Mike Stoddart was discussed which called on the council to complain about the situation.

The council has previously written to the police about the investigation with Cllr Jacob Williams saying in 2016 that the investigation was ‘dragging its heels’.

Cllr Stoddart found that there were irregularities in payments made to developer, Cathal McCosker, for two properties in Pembroke Dock on Dimond Street and Meyrick Street.

The Commercial Property Grant Scheme is run by the Council and is also funded by the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO).

WEFO has already claimed back some money from the Council and Cathal McCosker had offered to pay back the amount he had received under the council’s scheme.

Following a lengthy battle by Cllr Stoddart, he was able to see a number of documents relating to the scheme and in 2014 the police commenced an investigation into what had gone on.

The Council has also had a number of assurances that action would be taken ‘soon’ but nothing has materialised.
Cllr Stoddart said he was ‘disappointed ‘ with the recommendation that stated that the Chief Executive could have a conversation with the Chief Constable, adding: “That isn’t how things are done.”

He said: “I just cannot understand why it’s taken the police so long. You can go back two years and find them promising that something would be happening in the next couple of weeks.

“If you go back to the scrutiny committee in September 2013 there was a report there; ‘Internal audit has shared its findings with the council’s Monitoring Officer and is satisfied there is no mal-administration or non-compliance with the governance arrangements’.

“I then put a notice of motion calling for all the information to be made available to members because I knew there was something amiss but I wasn’t quite sure what and I wanted to see the bills of quantities and various other documents and that was the infamous meeting of December 2013 when the Cabinet member spent ten minutes calling me a liar and eventually I did get to see the documents and I did find several irregularities.

“There was £60,000 worth of irregular payments that I identified, in fact the developer who received the payments offered to pay back £180,000 and every penny that he had received on these contracts. Why he would do that is anybody’s guess.

“Cllr Jacob Williams and I found a tender document which there was a defect in it as much as the preferred builder was tendering on an entirely different specification to all the others which gave him a £10,000 lead over all the others.

“We took it to Mark Lewis, who was then the Head of Finance, and Mr Haswell and eventually the police were involved.

“In January of 2014, the council sent their own quantity surveyor to no.29 Dimond Street or Paul Sartori and he wrote a report and there was a payment for electrical work which is added to my submission and he wrote about that payment; ‘this is assumed non-eligible works and therefore no further consideration has been given to this work’.

“Well of course, he didn’t have to make that assumption because the final account for this job had been in the council’s possession six months before that and at Item F13, electrical improvements and additions, £9,800, it attracted a grant of £3,920.

“So the council knew or ought to have known about that before Jacob and I turned up this information and I’m sorry to say there was a huge attempt at a cover up by this council which is why I don’t trust this cosy chat between the Chief Executive and the Chief Constable as a method of going forward.”

Cllr Guy Woodham added: “There is too much that hasn’t happened in relation to this that should have happened by now and I think we would be failing in our duty as a committee if we didn’t refer this as a complaint to the right body within the police.”

Cllr Jacob Williams said: “The smoking gun that we found showed indisputably that the awarded tenderer was bidding on a contract which was different to all of the other tenders and that was clear evidence of favourable treatment to a contractor which happened to be for that applicant, always the awarded contractor.

“One thing we can be clear on is that there is a lot of doubt where this case now sits. In May 2016, the Audit Committee was told by Detective Inspector Anthony Griffiths that he was confident that arrests and criminal prosecutions would follow, when pressed on a time frame he was not committal but there was certainly an impression it was imminent.

Cllr Stoddart stated he felt there were two or three previous incidences where the police and the council had ‘conspired to pervert the course of justice’ and was ‘suspicious’ that something similar was going on.

The committee resolved that they would write to the police to complain about the length of time of the investigation and that Cllr Stoddart’s notice of motion go before the next full council meeting.

News

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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