Politics
Blue on blue violence increases

KEEN observers will know that it is a sure sign of division and disagreement when assorted MPs appear in the media saying that their party is a broad church and following that observation with a plea for unity.
Accordingly, you would have to have lived in a very deep hole indeed not to have come to the conclusion that there is something amiss within Conservative ranks.
The Brexit-ultras – the thirty to forty MPs who regard themselves as the keepers of the flame when it comes to Britain’s departure from the EU and the terms under which it should proceed – are cutting up rough. There are dark mutterings that the Chancellor is ‘selling out’ or ‘betraying’ the cause of freedom for which they and Boris Johnson fought and lied.
The mutterings against the chancellor follow the well-worn tactic of taking a pot shot at those close to the throne, rather than its occupant. Besides, off the record briefings about Theresa May’s uselessness made by those infamous ‘sources close to [insert name of one of the 57 varieties of MP groups here] are all too easy to place in the sort of newspapers whose proprietors are so fond of Britain they prefer to look at it from afar, rather than live there. Apart from the Daily Express, of course; its editorial line is not determined from afar, but from another dimension. Any day now it will pose the question of whether Philip Hammond is implicated in the deaths of Dodi Fayed and Princess Di.
The government, you might think quite sensibly, says it is proceeding with caution when it comes to determining quite what shape the future of the UK’s relationship with the EU might take. This means that all sides of the issue have to be examined. Brexiteers do not appear prepared to accept that this means potential downsides have to be considered as well as the prospect of the freebooting trade in chlorinated chicken favoured by Dr Liam Fox.
The cause of logic and clarity has, however, been thrown into disarray by the appearance of junior minister for Brexit Steve Baker MP before a Parliamentary Committee. Questioned about leaked impact assessments revealing that each of the three principal Brexit options lead to economic fallout for the UK, Mr Baker said the report needed “improvement”.
When asked about the accuracy of forecasts, the minister replied: “I’m not able to name an accurate forecast, and I think that they are always wrong.”
The leaked analysis forecasts that departing the EU on World Trade Organisation terms, as favoured by the claque of MPs around Jacob Rees-Mogg would see growth reduced by 8%.
It was not made clear what Mr Baker preferred to rely to inform his judgements, other than professional advice tendered to him in the course of his duties as a government minister. Runes, reading the entrails of sheep, possibly necromancy: on that he was noticeably not forthcoming.
As a member of the ministerial team charged with negotiating the UK’s exit from the EU, Mr Baker’s personal views on the EU are less of a mystery: ‘I think the European Union needs to be wholly torn down’.
Like Samson and the Philistines’ temple, Mr Baker appears to be resigned to the thought that pulling the edifice down could bury the UK.
News
Withyhedge site monitoring cost the council £170,000

PEMBROKESHIRE County Council’s monitoring of the controversial Withyhedge landfill site and unsuccessful legal challenge cost it nearly £170,000, councillors heard.
Last October, Pembrokeshire County Council went to court to seek an interim injunction against operators RML after asking it to give a legally binding undertaking to stop the odour coming from Withyhedge Landfill, near Haverfordwest.
The legal action came after months of residents complaining of foul odours and potentially harmful gasses coming from the landfill site.
A circuit judge found that the tip was causing nuisance, but believed that the council had gone about its application in the wrong way, refusing to grant an interim injunction.
The authority’s legal counsel had recommended the council appeal that decision, but this was not done due to costs involved and the situation at the tip had improved.
A report, presented by Cabinet member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett at Pembrokeshire County Council’s March 6 meeting, said: “Although our legal counsel did not believe this decision was correct and recommended an appeal, the Authority was in a difficult position when considering the costs of appealing and the costs outlay already incurred for taking the court action, as well as the provision of independent air quality monitoring and officer time dealing with this issue.
“This was due to the potential financial exposure considered against the fact that a marked improvement in the situation has been noted. We would like to stress that it is firmly believed that the legal pressure the council had placed on the operator in the period from April to October 2024 had a significant impact on the efforts and pace of the remedial works undertaken by the operator.
“Legal costs were ordered to be paid by the Authority in the sum of £169,110.87, although the actual sum was reduced by agreement to £100,000.”
The report also detailed other financial implications for the council: “Costs for air quality monitoring, legal and ancillary costs for translation of reports and some staff overtime in out of hours monitoring total £166,544 [to date]. This figure includes the additional static monitoring until 31 March 2025.”
Members heard that complaint numbers to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and PCC have been low since early January 2025 when waste tipping started again, other than a peak in mid-January from a Ricardo static monitor located at Spittal School, but were “not considered to be emanating from the landfill site,” with site inspections “indicating that the operator is following revised waste acceptance procedures which have previously been reviewed and accepted by NRW”.
Funding from Pembrokeshire County Council and Natural Resources Wales has been secured to allow the air quality monitoring via the static monitor at Spittal School to continue until March 31, but would cost £57,215 for an extra year, members heard.
Members agreed to note the report and to continue the air quality monitoring at Spittal school, reviewed on a quarterly basis, dependent on air quality results and the level of community odour complaints received.
Health
Planned west Wales ‘super hospital’ on hold for a decade

A CALL for an urgent meeting between Pembrokeshire’s leader and the local health board has been made after the board recently identified nine ‘fragile’ areas of service.
Late last year, Hywel Dda University Health Board stated a planned new west Wales hospital, based at either Whitland or St Clears, would not be up-and-running for at least a decade.
That scheme would see both Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest and Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen being ‘repurposed’, with community hubs developed.
In the meantime, the board heard services across the UK have consolidated and standards increased and Hywel Dda risks falling significantly behind other areas with consequences for patient care and staff recruitment, with work to support nine ‘fragile’ services in the interim of a new hospital already begun.
The board’s executive director of strategy and planning, Lee Davies said at the time: “In the absence of a new hospital in the south of our area to address challenges, we need to consider other options to bring together some of our services.
“We anticipate the emerging model, informed by work on the Clinical Services Plan, will seek to build on the strengths of each of the hospital sites in a way that builds complementary areas of expertise.”
At the March 6 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, a submitted question by Cllr Alistair Cameron asked: “On November 28, 2024, Hywel Dda UHB announced that, since financial support is not secured, delivery of a new hospital (to be located in either St Clears or Whitland) is likely to be at least 10 years from now.
“In the same statement the health board stated that it risks falling significantly behind other areas [of the UK] with consequences for patient care and staff recruitment and that it has identified nine fragile services: Critical Care, Emergency General Surgery, Stroke, Endoscopy, Radiology, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics and Urology.
“Could the Leader of Council seek an urgent meeting between the council and the chief executive of Hywel Dda UHB so that he can explain his strategy for safeguarding these nine fragile services which are vital to Pembrokeshire residents and what action has been taken so far?”
Responding, Leader Cllr Jon Harvey said: “I share your concern about health service provision; contact has been made with the health board with regard to a meeting, a response is awaited,” adding that a seminar for councillors on the issue was also due to be held.
News
Pembrokeshire becomes latest council to consider devolution of Crown Estate

SENIOR councillors will consider a bid for Pembrokeshire to become the latest council to support the devolution of Crown Estate assets to Wales.
15 local authorities are currently backing calls for this economic asset to be placed in Welsh hands.
The latest to join the campaign are Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil (both on March 5), and Isle of Anglesey (March 6), bringing the total across Wales to 15.
The Crown Estate owns 65 per cent of Wales’ riverbeds and beaches, as well as more than 50,000 acres of land – valued at over £603m.
Proceeds from these go to the Crown Estate, funding the Royal Family and contributing to the UK Treasury.
Responsibility for the Crown Estate is already devolved to the Scottish Government, which has previously been reported as generating £103.6 million into the public coffers in Scotland in 2023.
A notice of motion submitted to the March 6 meeting by Plaid Cymru councillor Michael Williams said: “We ask PCC to support the proposal for the Crown Estate assets to be devolved to the people of Wales, so that profits can be used to invest in the economy and communities of Wales.
“A poll in 2023 showed that 75 per cent of the population were in favour of taking control of the assets of the Crown estate rather than the profits going to the Treasury and the Crown.
“Local Authorities are under huge financial pressure and placing the Crown Estate in the hands of Wales would be a significant step to address the lack of investment in our local government.
“We call upon the Welsh Government to ask Westminster to devolve the assets and revenue of the Crown Estates as a matter of urgency, as was done in Scotland in 2017.
“We demand that Wales is treated fairly and accepts management of the Crown Estate land for the benefit of the people of Wales.”
Members agreed the matter be referred to the council’s Cabinet for further consideration.
Earlier in that meeting, a submitted question by Independent Group leader Cllr Huw Murphy on the subject was heard.
He asked: “Can PCC provide the annual income the Crown Estates derive from Pembrokeshire as the Crown Estates map indicate that the majority of the Pembrokeshire Coastline to include much of the Milford Haven waterway is owned by the Crown Estates?”
Responding to that question, Cabinet member for finance Cllr Joshua Beynon said the total amounted to £59,005, including £26,600 for foreshore lease agreements, £8,520 for the land around Haverfordwest’s Riverside Market, and £12,800 for a sailing centre and care park at Cosheston Pill near Pembroke Dock.
Late last year councillors in neighbouring Ceredigion backed a call for the Crown Estate assets to be devolved to the people of Wales, following a notice of motion by Cllr Catrin M S Davies, seconded by Cllr Alun Williams.
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