News

Council announces budget plans

Published

6 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”.

Community

Concern grows after child hospitalised following Tenby sea swim

Published

9 hours ago

May 10, 2026

Tom Sinclair

PARENT SAYS BOY BECAME SERIOUSLY ILL AFTER SWIMMING DURING FAMILY VISIT

CONCERN is growing in Pembrokeshire after a parent claimed their child was admitted to hospital after swimming in the sea at Tenby.

The post, shared in a local Tenby Facebook group, said the family had visited the resort between Monday and Thursday, with the boy swimming in the sea on Tuesday (May 6).

His parent wrote: “My son swam in the sea on the 6th and the next morning came down with terrible sickness and diarrhoea — he’s been very unwell since and has tonight been admitted to hospital.”

They added: “It’s terrible we can’t swim in our seas and rivers safely anymore. Please be aware.”

The post prompted hundreds of reactions and dozens of comments, with many people expressing sympathy for the family and others raising wider concerns about sewage pollution and water quality around the Pembrokeshire coast.

One commenter said: “This is a national disgrace, please put in a written complaint to Dŵr Cymru and Natural Resources Wales.”

Another asked: “Why were there no signs put up on the beaches to warn people it was unsafe to swim in?”

Others claimed they or family members had suffered illness after swimming at locations including Tenby, Amroth, Newgale and Coppet Hall.

One person wrote: “I got sepsis from a cut in Newgale surfing. Took six weeks in hospital and seven months recovery and still not right to get over it.”

Another said: “Please check with your son’s doctors regarding E.coli and a condition called HUS, which can develop from E.coli. My daughter swam at Amroth in 2022 after a sewage incident in the area and became seriously ill.”

No medical evidence has been published linking the latest reported illness directly to seawater exposure, and there is currently no official confirmation that conditions at Tenby caused the child’s illness.

However, the post has reignited anger over sewage discharges, pollution alerts and the information available to visitors and local people before entering the water.

Lydstep warning

The concern follows a recent warning at Lydstep Haven after Natural Resources Wales informed Pembrokeshire County Council of an “abnormal situation” which could temporarily affect bathing water quality.

Pembrokeshire County Council said officers from its Pollution Control Team had placed warning notices at various locations around the beach, temporarily advising against bathing while the matter was investigated.

Some residents questioned whether warnings were clear enough, particularly during busy holiday periods.

One commenter wrote: “Why aren’t there any warnings to holiday makers and visitors to our local area? It’s not fair that they find out information after someone becomes ill.”

Another said: “There should be notices and announcements on the beaches if there is an outage.”

Others pointed out that Surfers Against Sewage’s water quality app was not showing an active alert for Tenby itself, and suggested some online comments may have confused the current Lydstep warning with previous pollution notices affecting beaches in the Tenby area.

Protest at Broad Haven

The issue comes less than a week before campaigners stage a Surfers Against Sewage paddle-out protest at Broad Haven.

The protest is due to take place on Saturday, May 16, at 1:30pm, as part of a UK-wide day of action calling for an end to sewage pollution in rivers and seas.

Surfers Against Sewage says communities across the UK will gather on beaches, riverbanks and in the water to demand stronger action on sewage pollution.

The campaign group said: “We are sick of it. Sick of the lies, sick of the greed and sick of a system that’s rigged against us.”

A large banner has already been placed on Broad Haven seafront encouraging people to attend the protest.

Tourism concerns

The row has also raised concerns about the potential impact on Pembrokeshire’s tourism industry, with Tenby, Broad Haven, Newgale and other seaside communities heavily dependent on visitors during the spring and summer months.

One commenter wrote: “Not very good for a holiday destination is it.”

Another said: “Tourism will be massively affected by incidents like this, and people’s health and lives are being put at risk.”

Others called for stronger action from Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales, Pembrokeshire County Council and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water.

The Herald has approached Natural Resources Wales, Pembrokeshire County Council and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water for comment.

Community

Milford Haven remembers those lost at sea

Published

10 hours ago

May 10, 2026

Tom Sinclair

National Fishing Remembrance Day marked by Port

MILFORD HAVEN came together on Sunday (May 10) to remember those who have lost their lives at sea.

The Port of Milford Haven joined the Fishermen’s Mission, Stella Maris – Apostleship of the Sea and members of the local community for a National Fishing Remembrance Day service at St Katherine’s and St Peter’s Church.

The service was followed by a gathering at the Fisherman’s Memorial on The Rath, where those who never returned home from the sea were remembered.

Canon Chancellor John Cecil and Reverend Paul Osunyikanmi led what was described as a moving service of remembrance.

The Port of Milford Haven said it was honoured to take part in the event, paying tribute to fishing families and the wider maritime community.

The annual day of remembrance holds particular significance in Milford Haven, a town with deep fishing and seafaring roots.

Local Government

Jonathan Grimes becomes 647th Mayor of Pembroke

Published

11 hours ago

May 10, 2026

Tom Sinclair

JONATHAN GRIMES has said he is “incredibly proud and deeply honoured” after becoming the 647th Mayor of Pembroke.

Cllr Grimes, county councillor for Pembroke St Mary South and Monkton, thanked those who had placed their trust and confidence in him.

He said: “With the support, commitment and dedication of Pembroke Town Council and our wonderful community, I am confident we can meet every challenge together, celebrate our successes, and continue building a brighter and more inclusive future for Pembroke.

“It is a true privilege to serve as Mayor, and I look forward to working alongside the people of Pembroke in the months ahead.”

Cllr Grimes said he was also looking forward to attending this afternoon’s service at St Mary’s Church in Pembroke for the Blessing of the Bells.

He added that he hoped to meet as many people as possible as the town celebrates the return of the historic bells.