Politics

Time for a new relationship with local government

Published

7 years ago

February 26, 2018

Asking local government leaders for their ideas: Alun Davies

I LIKE to think that I’m not often lost for words in the Chamber. But during my oral questions session the other week, Plaid’s spokesperson, Sian Gwenllian, asked me a question that momentarily left me like a goldfish gasping for breath.

Sian asked me what would be my style as a minister. I guess that she wanted to know whether I’d be more Leighton or Mark. Whether I would seek to impose a policy or seek a consensus. I have no idea whether my response pleased her or not. But it was a good question and it has led me to think again how I would answer the question.

Over the years successive ministers have tried several different approaches and styles. Local government leaders have been flattered, cajoled, persuaded and been drawn into temptation by a whole feast of ministerial offerings. This is certainly one area of policy where there have been an embarrassment of riches with a whole government full of green papers, white papers, commissions and strategies and speeches and statements.

What all of this earnest activity has in common is that it has all failed to deliver any meaningful reform of either the structures or ways of working in local government. It has failed to deliver change or reform and it has failed to create a consensus on the shape of what any reform may actually look like. Maps have come and gone. Footprints debated and heads nodded. Within a month of my own appointment I was told at the WLGA’s seminar in Cardiff in no uncertain terms to put away the Bill and the policy that I had inherited only a couple of weeks previously.

And no report from the WLGA seminar would be complete without mention of Newport’s Debbie Wilcox who has taken the organisation by the scruff of the neck. Her powerful speech set the tone for the day and impressed all of us with her emphasis on the value and importance of localism within the devolved context.

And it was this speech which first helped me to understand that times are changing.

As well as telling me that the inherited policy of mandated regional working wasn’t a runner I was also told that the current shape and structure of local government is not sustainable. And it is this latter point that has dominated my conversations with local government leaders since November.

In my initial conversations I see a generation of leaders committed to their communities and to local government as a powerful and dynamic shaper of those communities. These are people that understand only too well that the failure to agree on an approach to local government policy reflects poorly on everyone – local government and Welsh Government. Repeating the word ‘no’ during difficult times engenders neither confidence nor conviction.

Since taking office I have tried to spend time talking with people. From the wonderful Guildhall in Swansea to the marvellous civic centre in Newport and a former cell in Caernarfon I have discussed and enjoyed the creative force of leaders with drive and energy and a determination to lead change. And I am left with the absolute belief that local government has the vision and the ambition to transform our communities. And to deliver on this vision they need the powers and the freedoms to chart their own courses.

So what is the role for Welsh Government? Great efforts have been made recently to re-build and re-set the relationship and there is certainly a sense that things have improved significantly. We need to build on these firm foundations. For me it is time that Welsh Government joined the debate over the future of local government with a degree of humility rather than an over-large helping of hubris. Too often in the past the tone from Welsh Government has been hectoring, arrogant and policy expressed in intemperate language with criticism that has been unwarranted and unjustified.

Perhaps it’s time for the Government to say sorry and to start again.

So this brings me to answer Sian’s question.

In resetting the relationship between the Welsh Government and local government we need to root our approach firmly in the values of local democracy. A belief in not only civic pride but in local government and local decision-making rather than the local administration of national priorities. A belief that local government leaders and strong councils are better able to deliver excellent public services and to protect the interests of public service workers than a series of instructions from the Bay.

So I have written to all local government leaders asking them for their ideas for powers that should be provided to local government. What are the freedoms and flexibilities that they need to deliver on their mandates and ambitions? I will publish the answers and will publish a route map to deliver those new powers.

But I cannot travel on this journey alone.

The new powers alone will not provide all the answers to the question of sustainability that were so powerfully put back in November. The leader of a rural authority told me last week of the reductions they were making – hundreds of jobs lost over the last few years. And it is this erosion of the public workforce with its inevitable impact on services provided and the terms of service for those who keep their jobs that worries me most. No-one is a winner today. And no-one that I have met wants more of the same.

So the Welsh Government needs to change its approach and to provide for a new relationship. And that also means a new tone. A tone rooted in the respect for local mandates and the pressures faced by local councillors and public service workers. A tone and an approach which seeks to build together a joint venture to provide local authorities with the new powers they need. And then we need to build together the structures that will enable authorities to deliver on those new powers.

It may well be the case that after nearly two decades of devolved government that our democracy is maturing and that the relationship between a more powerful Welsh parliament and more powerful local authorities will be one where we can learn to govern together as a single Welsh public service and leave the arguments and negative debates in the past.

I certainly hope so.

This article appeared originally on the personal blog of Alun Davies AM and is reproduced with his kind permission.

Alun Davies is the AM for Blaenau Gwent and the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services

Politics

Pembrokeshire County Council needs to find £28m funding

Published

8 hours ago

December 19, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A BETTER-than-expected settlement from the Welsh government has lowered Pembrokeshire’s funding gap for the next financial year by millions but the county still faces a £28m challenge.

In a draft budget report before the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, presented by Cabinet member for finance Cllr Joshua Beynon, members heard a projected funding gap for the next financial year of £34.1m had now been reduced to £28.1m as Pembrokeshire received a higher than expected Aggregate External Finance (AEF) settlement increase of 3.6 per cent from Welsh Government – amounting to just over £8.1m – against a predicted two per cent; the average across the 22 local authorities being 4.3 per cent.

Of the 22 authorities in Wales, Pembrokeshire ranked 15th in its rate of settlement, neighbouring Ceredigion also receiving 3.6 per cent, to rank 17th, and Carmarthenshire receiving 4.1 per cent, ranking 12th.

The report added: “In the current financial year, Pembrokeshire received an AEF settlement of £218.87m, representing 72.1 per cent of the 2024-25 Net Expenditure budget of £303.496m, the remainder (27.9 per cent) being funded by council tax.

“There is now more reliance on council tax funding due to AEF reductions during the austerity period whilst council tax increased. Council tax accounted for only 18.4 per cent in 2013-14. This trend is likely to continue whilst anticipated AEF increases are proportionally below council tax increases in future years.”

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Beynon referenced ‘unpalatable’ options listed in an online council budget modeller giving options for the final figure for the next financial year.

“It’s not a fun time to be in local government, it’s about what we can cut, making really difficult decisions; in that [online council] budget modeller there are some unpalatable things we could do, it is more and more difficult for us to get these savings, years and years of reduced budgets mean we are finding it difficult.”

Members backed recommendations including the outline draft budget be noted, with final decisions on any budget being made by full council next February.

The funding gap figures are based around a 11.14 per cent council tax increase in the next financial year.

News

Greyhound racing in Wales: Future hangs in balance as decision delayed until 2025

Published

18 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT’S decision to postpone a ruling on the future of greyhound racing until 2025 has sparked mixed reactions, with animal welfare groups voicing disappointment and industry representatives welcoming the extended timeline for discussion.

Welfare groups demand urgent action

Animal welfare organisations, including Dogs Trust, RSPCA Cymru, Blue Cross, Greyhound Rescue Wales, and Hope Rescue, have expressed dismay at the delay. The coalition, known as Cut the Chase, has long advocated for an end to greyhound racing in Wales, calling the postponement a missed opportunity to prevent further harm.

Their concerns mirror recent developments in New Zealand, where greyhound racing will be banned by August 2026 due to concerns over injuries and fatalities. Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, stated:
“The call to end greyhound racing in Wales has received overwhelming support from the animal welfare community, Members of the Senedd, and the public, with over 35,000 people signing a petition demanding change.

“It is unacceptable that so many dogs die or are seriously injured every year, all in the name of entertainment. Wales now stands alongside only a handful of countries, including England and Scotland, where this outdated and inhumane practice persists. The Welsh Government must take the only meaningful action to stop this cruelty: end greyhound racing once and for all.”

Public supports a phased ban

A consultation conducted by the Welsh Government revealed that 64.69% of respondents supported a phased ban on greyhound racing. Despite this, officials have opted to extend deliberations, with a final decision now expected in 2025.

Animal welfare groups highlighted troubling figures from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), which reported 359 racing greyhound deaths and 4,238 injuries in 2023 – a 47% increase in fatalities compared to the previous year. Concerns extend to off-track welfare, including reports of poor living conditions, inadequate nutrition, and lack of enrichment for retired greyhounds.

Industry defends its welfare standards

The GBGB has countered criticism by emphasizing welfare improvements at licensed tracks such as Valley Stadium in Wales. Mark Bird, GBGB Chief Executive, said:
“Valley Stadium’s licensing has brought significant welfare improvements, overseen by expert veterinarians and our national network of professionals. Racing greyhounds receive more oversight and protection than many pet dogs across Wales.

“We remain committed to working with the Welsh Government to promote and protect greyhound welfare through effective and proportionate regulation.”

Broader calls for change

The debate in Wales reflects a growing movement to end greyhound racing across the UK and beyond. In Scotland, a Proposed Prohibition of Greyhound Racing Bill aims to outlaw the sport, while New Zealand has committed to a ban, citing ethical concerns.

Decision delayed but debate intensifies

The Welsh Government has emphasized the need for thorough consideration before making a final decision. However, the delay has intensified divisions, with animal welfare groups urging an outright ban and the industry advocating for improved regulation as a viable alternative.

A final verdict is not expected until 2025, leaving the future of the sport – and the welfare of thousands of greyhounds – uncertain.

Community

Only three anti-social behaviour warnings in Haverfordwest in two years

Published

20 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

DESCRIBED as a “waste of taxpayers’ money”, a protection order introduced in the centre of Haverfordwest to tackle antisocial behaviour has been “an unnecessary tool” which only resulted in three warnings in two years.

Prior to its backing in mid-2022, a plan to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Haverfordwest town centre had been under discussion for some time, with a public consultation on the matter, as well as previous debates by Pembrokeshire County Council.

The proposals were brought by the town’s then five county councillors, initially prompted by anti-social behaviour and drinking issues at the skate park but later expanded to a large part of the town centre, and were developed in partnership with Dyfed-Powys Police.

Claims had previously been made that “gangs of feral children are roaming around town”, with members of the public subject to verbal and physical abuse in Haverfordwest, and a “criminal element” dealing drugs in the town.

The PSPO gives police and PCSOs additional powers for three years to issue a fixed penalty notice of £100 if someone fails to comply with a request to cease consumption of intoxicating substances in a designated area.

At the time, Cllr Jacob Williams said on “civil liberties grounds” he was shocked to see what was being proposed.

“I think this is way over the top and not a proportionate response,” he said.

The PSPO area includes the Withybush retail area, the river alongside Morrisons, Barn Street, Horsefair roundabout, Rifleman Field, skatepark, Fortunes Frolic and out to the train station.

The December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council received a submitted question by Independent Group leader Cllr Huw Murphy, who had opposed the scheme.

“At full council on July 14, 2022 a decision was made to implement a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) within certain areas of Haverfordwest.

“A Partnership Panel held on May 23, 2024, received confirmation that since this PSPO was implemented there have been no prosecutions or fixed penalties issued. There was a cost implication in implementing this PSPO for PCC, money that we can ill afford to spend when ample legislation exists for dealing with antisocial behaviour.

“Therefore, can it be agreed that in future such applications are given greater scrutiny to avoid further waste of taxpayers’ money and what actually reduces antisocial behaviour is increased pro-active policing not more legislation?”

Responding to Cllr Murphy’s question Cllr Williams, now Cabinet Member for Planning & Regulatory Services, said he agreed with the questioner.

“Cllr Murphy and I were among several who opposed this introduction, among the things I said was I was aghast at this proposal which had snowballed; I would’ve been in support around the skate park rather than the town.”

He added: “The way the council was proceeding was not justified and I voted against it; as Cllr Murphy’s question states there have been no prosecutions, but on three occasions police have warned people about offences.”

Cllr Williams said any potential renewing of the order – up for review next year – would go to scrutiny committee before coming before council, “should there be an appetite for this PSPO to be renewed”.

He concluded: “It could be argued there’s no prosecutions so it’s worked; but only three persons have been warned [by police], I think that paints a story that it was probably not only was not a success but probably a tool that was not necessary.”