News
Park welcomes planning officers

PEMBROKESHIRE Coast National Park’s head planner took up a prestigious role as Chair of the Planning Officers Society for Wales last week, at its annual conference in Gwbert.
The event saw the Authority’s Head of Development Management, Vicki Hirst elected Chair of the society, which comprises of chief planning officers from Wales’ 25 planning authorities. The conference also saw the planners embark on a walk along a stretch of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail at Moylegrove, where they were welcomed by National Park Authority Chairman Cllr Mike James. Vicki said: “The society is in the privileged position of meeting regularly with senior officials in the Welsh Government which provides a unique opportunity to discuss current and emerging proposals and issues which impact on the way that local authorities deliver their planning functions. “The planning system is under intense scrutiny at present with an emerging Planning Bill for Wales; the first time that Wales has had its own planning framework. I hope to continue the good working relationship that POSW has with the Welsh Government and to have a positive input to the changes to the forthcoming planning system.” The Coast Path walk was organised as part of the Royal Town Planning Institute’s centenary celebrations, which includes an attempt to have every step of the Wales Coast Path walked by RTPI members from across Wales. Current RTPI president Cath Ranson of Pembrokeshire County Council was one of those to join the walk as part of the effort. The Wales Coast Path, which is currently celebrating its second birthday, was the overall winner of the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence in 2013.
News
Councillor faces vote on job with Henry Tufnell MP

A SENIOR member of Pembrokeshire County Council will be able to speak and vote for himself in a forthcoming call for him not to be allowed to work for the local MP.
In a Notice of Motion submitted to the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, Independent Group leader Cllr Huw Murphy appeared to target deputy leader of the Labour Group and Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies Cllr Joshua Beynon, the man who will present the county council’s budget.
In the registration of interests for the eight members of Leader Cllr Jon Harvey’s Cabinet, only Cllr Beynon lists a politician as an employer, in his case newly-elected Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell.
Cllr Murphy’s motion said: “While it is acceptable for Cabinet members to hold other employments, no serving county councillor should hold a Cabinet position within Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) while simultaneously being employed by a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of the Senedd (MS).
“Cabinet members hold executive responsibilities, and such dual roles risk potential conflicts of interest, particularly if Cabinet decisions conflict with the policies of their employer, often a political party. This concern is heightened in a council where most members are Independents.”
Cllr Murphy’s notice of motion was heard at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, where it was agreed the matter be referred to a future Constitutional Review Committee.
At Pembrokeshire County Council’s standards committee meeting of February 13, Cllr Beynon sought a dispensation to both vote and speak on the notice of motion, describing it as “a politically motivated effort to target my lawful employment as a Cabinet Member and a part-time parliamentary employee”.
“The assertion that such roles inherently create a conflict of interest is unfounded. My professional obligations are entirely distinct, and I have taken all necessary steps to ensure that no conflicts arise.”
He added: “To adopt such a motion would not only contravene established principles of fairness and freedom but also set a dangerous precedent of overreach by the council.”
At the February 13 meeting, chair Nick Watt said he had been a member of the committee since 2018 and had “never seen anything like this before”.
Cllr David Edwards – who moved Cllr Beynon be allowed to vote and speak on the matter – expressed his concerns: “I’m a bit concerned that what we seem to be addressing is an application by a member to be able to speak as a member of the county council just because he has a particular form of employment.”
He added: “I’m at a loss to see really why Cllr Beynon should need a dispensation to be able to work as a normal member. The motion, what it seeks to do is fetter the council leader as to his choice of who he has in his Cabinet; I find that a little bit difficult to get my head around as well.
“Having considered everything, I’m quite happy to support Cllr Beynon in what he’s seeking to do.”
He finished: “I find it difficult to see any reason to curtail a member’s rights to be able to speak on who should be appointed to any particular role in the authority.”
A voice of concern was raised by Moira Saunders, who said her only concern was “the public’s idea of what is happening,” adding there could be “a public worry about him [Cllr Beynon] voting and speaking on his own behalf”.
Members backed the proposal by five votes to one, with two abstentions.
Cllr Beynon will now be allowed to vote and speak on matters connected with this notice of motion.
News
Ceredigion farmer’s plea to build bungalow on his own land

A CEREDIGION farmer’s call to convert a derelict building last occupied in the 1930s as a downsizing home on land he has farmed all his life has been put on hold while planners visit the site.
At the February meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s development management committee, members were recommended to refuse an application by Mr and Mrs I and A Evans, of Fronlwyd, Llangrannog to erect a dwelling, agricultural shed and associated works on the site of the nearby abandoned dwelling at Fronlwyd/Pen-yr-Allt, just over a mile from Llangrannog, which was last occupied in 1936.
It was recommended for refusal on grounds including it was “unjustified new housing in open countryside”.
Giving an impassioned plea to be allowed to build the bungalow, Mr Evans, who warned he was “not a big fan of public speaking,” said: “I have farmed the land all my life, I live in a five-bed house, just me and the wife, we’re getting older.
“We want to build a bungalow just so we can future-proof as we get older; I don’t want to leave the land I’ve farmed all my life, I like being out in the fresh air and listening to the birds and the animals.”
He said there was more of the ruined building present when he was a child, the building declining after “years of not being looked after”.
He told members he wanted the site to go back to “what I remember as a kid”, adding: “In the olden days they knew how to build houses, it’s in a little dip and only visible from one direction, it’s ideally situated.
“I would look after the land and me and my wife in our old age; I just want to satay there, that’s where I’ve lived all my life, and I want to stay there.”
A site inspection panel visit before any decision was made was proposed by Cllr Gareth Lloyd, with Cllr Maldwyn Lewis saying: “In my mind heritage is important for Ceredigion, the backbone of the fabric of the community.”
Members unanimously backed a site inspection panel viewing of the application, the application returning to a future meeting.
Crime
Pembroke Dock Police warn of penalties for illegal e-scooter use

PEMBROKE DOCK police have issued a warning about the legal status of e-scooters, reminding residents that they are classed as motor vehicles under the Road Traffic Act. This means they are subject to the same requirements as cars and motorcycles, including the need for a licence, insurance, and tax.
Currently, it is not possible to obtain insurance for privately owned e-scooters, making their use on roads or in public spaces illegal. Those caught riding an e-scooter without a valid licence or insurance could face penalties, including:
⚠️ A £300 fine and six penalty points for riding without insurance.
⚠️ A fine of up to £100 and three to six penalty points for not having the correct licence.
Offenders may also be penalised for:
❌ Riding on pavements.
❌ Using a mobile phone or handheld device while riding.
❌ Ignoring red lights.
❌ Riding under the influence of alcohol, which carries the same penalties as drink-driving a car, including court-imposed fines, a driving ban, or even imprisonment.
Police are urging residents to be aware of the rules and avoid using e-scooters illegally to prevent fines and legal action.
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