News

Council announces budget plans

Published

5 years ago

December 19, 2019

THE CABINET MEMBER for Finance presented his draft budget to Council members on Thursday, December 19.

In a key announcement, he said because of extra Welsh Government cash the Council could hold the line on services and make modest increases in spending.

A Council Tax of 5%, he said, would add £1.04 per week to the average Council Tax bill.

Cllr Bob Kilmister played up to the public perception of him as ‘Mr Doom and Gloom’ by a neat piece of self-mockery, saying: “This speech is going to confuse a few people as I outline what I believe is a very good news story.”

Cllr Kilmister began, however, by outlining to members that the budget before them was, necessarily, very much a draft.
Praising Director of Finance, Jon Haswell, and his staff, Bob Kilmister explained that he had only a total of thirty working hours to prepare the budget. The short time was because the Welsh Government provided details of the budget settlement for Pembrokeshire at noon on Monday.
Warning members that the budget might be affected by any changes Westminster made in its budget, he also said that – regardless of the good news on spending – austerity was far from over.

A series of options will now be presented to members to examine through the scrutiny committee structure. A public consultation will also take place.
Cllr Kilmister reminded councillors the budget required their approval by Feb 27. Providing options meant that both councillors and residents had the chance to propose amendments to the draft expenditure plans.
He told members that cost pressures on the budget are ‘very real’ and that not all services were hit equally by inflation, demographic and legislative pressures.
To illustrate his point Bob Kilmister pointed out that Adult Social Care, Children’s Services and Education have combined pressures amounting to £14.1 million just to stand still.
Combined with other cost pressures, the Council needs to find a further £3.1m for its budget to meet other demands.
The extra money from the Welsh Government will help ease those pressures, which means with a proposed 5% Council Tax rise the Council will have extra money to allocate to services.
It was not all good news: Cllr Kilmister announced a further round of restructuring, potentially shedding 66 full-time-equivalent jobs to save £2m.
With an extra £18.75m to spend, Cllr Kilmister set out the draft spending priorities.
Addressing a hot topic arising from a recent Education Scrutiny meeting, Bob Kilmister said the Council would NOT be charging for sixth form school transport.

EDUCATION
• £ 3 million to meet the pay and pension pressures on Individual school budgets.
• £ 2 million increase for Individual school budgets on top of the pay & pensions.
• £2 million on the Central Education budget which includes the Youth Service, Inclusion and intervention.
• £1 million to tackle Key stage 4 underperformance.

SOCIAL CARE
• £1.2 million to ease pay pressures for Adult Social Care staff.
• £ 2 million to ease pay pressures in contracted Adult Social Care staff.
• £ 1 million to ease pressures on Children’s out of County care.
• £ 800,000 to recruit new Social Workers and retain them.

ROADS
• £1 million for road safety schemes where currently no funds are earmarked, funded by the Programme for Administration reserve.
• £600,000 on Highways cost pressures.
• £500,000 on fixing potholes and poor road surfaces, funded by the Programme for Administration reserve.
• The cost of changing street-lighting to LED bulbs funded by the invest to save reserve.
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
• £500,000 for Holding accounts which will still require 50% to be found in cost reductions.
• £500,000 on IT
• £500,000 extra contingency ‘as we face such uncertain times’.

Among the other significant announcements on planned spending, Bob Kilmister announced £120,000 for repairs to historic buildings.
He explained the line of expenditure was part of a scheme to reduce the massive capital costs the Council faced on basic maintenance for historic buildings after years of neglect. Cllr
Kilmister remarked pointedly the budget he inherited was £6,400 per year.

Bob Kilmister also announced £100,000 for Public Toilets to prevent any further closures unless vandalism causes closures.

Addressing the problem of fly-tipping, Cllr Kilmister observed that the service had struggled for some time before recent changes to household waste collections. The service had suffered from ever-tightening budgets over many years. To ease the pressures, Bob Kilmister announced a £100,000 increase in funding to ease pressures on the service.
For the first time, the Council will have a specific budget line for major events, which it previously funded via grants. The £70,000 announced is not extra money but is allocated as a share of existing resources.
Public consultation on the draft budget will start on January 6 and end on January 27. There will be two Facebook live sessions and a Public Meeting during the day at County Hall which it is hoped will be webcast.
Cllr Kilmister urged residents to take part in the consultation exercise.
On Council Tax, Bob Kilmister said the Cabinet believe this should rise by 5% which is £1.04 per week for a Band D property or £54.60 per annum extra. He anticipated it will be one of the lowest cash rises in Wales.
He concluded: “In the last two years it has been very clear that residents have paid more for less.
“This year we believe they will pay a “little bit more but get a lot more”.

Education

South Hook delivers vital safety lessons to Pembrokeshire children

Published

4 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKESHIRE’S CRUCIAL CREW event returned earlier this month, delivering essential safety lessons to year six pupils from across the county.

Now in its 31st year, Wales’ longest-running Crucial Crew programme hosted nearly 1,300 children from 44 schools at Scolton Manor Park’s Barn – the event’s first time at this venue. The initiative, organised by Pembrokeshire County Council’s Road Safety Team, is supported by South Hook LNG Terminal.

Since its inception in 1993, more than 40,000 Pembrokeshire schoolchildren have taken part in the interactive workshops designed to teach critical safety skills. Aimed at year six pupils, the programme continues to play a key role in preparing children for a safer future as they transition to secondary school.

Covering a wide range of everyday scenarios, the workshops provide guidance on water, fire, road, and rail safety, as well as school bus evacuation, electrical hazards, internet safety, and handling dogs. The programme also addresses serious topics such as domestic violence. Through these hands-on scenarios, children develop practical knowledge that can stay with them for life.

Hamad Al Samra, General Manager of South Hook LNG Terminal, expressed pride in supporting the initiative: “Having backed Crucial Crew for the past fifteen years, we are incredibly proud to continue our involvement in a programme that teaches our children such diverse and valuable safety skills. Our thanks to all the dedicated individuals from various agencies who make this event possible.”

Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, echoed this sentiment: “Pembrokeshire County Council is proud to be a partner in this fantastic scheme, supporting our young people to be safer now and in the future. We are grateful for the commitment of everyone involved in delivering Crucial Crew.”

This year’s event featured contributions from key organisations, including:

Pembrokeshire Domestic Abuse Services
Road Safety and School Transport teams
National Grid and Network Rail
Welsh Ambulance Service
Dyfed Powys Police
Mid and West Wales Fire Service
John Burns Foundation
HM Coastguard and the RNLI

Charity

Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society donate £1,400 to all-Wales charity

Published

4 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Tom Sinclair

WALES AIR AMBULANCE has continued to benefit from being the chosen charity of Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s president Adam Thorne.

Throughout the year the society has come together to raise much-needed funds for the Wales Air Ambulance.

Adam chose the Wales Air Ambulance Charity because of how valuable the service is to the rural and farming community in West Wales.

Following a successful harvest festival service and pre-Pembrokeshire County Show service, donations were made towards the charity of £1,400.

Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury. For the patient, this can mean hours saved when compared to standard care and is proven to greatly improve survival and early recovery.

This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.

As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.

The Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise £11.2 million every ensure to keep its helicopters in the air and its rapid response vehicles on the road.

Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s fundraising journey will continue, with a carol concert on 16 December and a luncheon in February.

Mike May, the Charity’s Regional Fundraising Manager for West Wales said: “Firstly a huge thank you to President Adam Thorne for picking our Charity as Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s Charity of the Year. Thank you to everyone who has helped to raise the funds and will continue to assist with fundraising events for Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society.

“The Charity relies on donations, like these to be able to continue to provide our lifesaving service for the people of Wales. We hope the up and coming concert and luncheon is just as successful as their previous fundraisers.”

Business

Millin Brook Luxury Dog Boarding wins three top industry awards

Published

4 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Tom Sinclair

MILLIN BROOK Luxury Dog Boarding, a family-run business in Wiston, has received three major industry awards this year, cementing its place as a leader in pet care services.

The first accolade came in September when the business was named Business Service of the Year at the PetQuip Awards. Co-owner Sian Smith said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded Business Service of the Year. We put our heart and soul into providing the highest possible level of service to our wonderful clients, and it’s great to have this recognised by industry experts.”

THE UK’S BEST

On November 7, Millin Brook was crowned Best Kennels in the UK at the Pet Industry Federation (PIF) Awards. These awards, which celebrate excellence across the pet care sector, saw Millin Brook score highly in customer satisfaction.

Nigel Baker, CEO of the Pet Industry Federation, said:

“Millin Brook particularly impressed the judges. They scored very highly on their customer satisfaction scores.”

Co-owner Dave Smith added: “This is the biggest accolade we can receive in the pet industry, and we are so very proud.”

A LONDON CELEBRATION

The year was rounded off on November 21, when Millin Brook won the Kennel and Home Boarding category at the Dog Friendly Awards, held at the Kennel Club in Mayfair, London.

Mrs Smith reflected on the occasion, saying: “It is such a beautiful venue and full of history. Following the award ceremony, we were treated to a fabulous spread of afternoon tea. One of the highlights was meeting Ted, the dog from Gone Fishing. We finished the day with a tour around the Kennel Club museum and enjoyed a few celebration drinks.”

These three awards highlight Millin Brook’s commitment to providing outstanding pet care and confirm its status as a standout name in the UK pet industry.