News

Council improve report published

Published

6 years ago

May 7, 2020

Pembrokeshire County Council has become the first local authority in
Wales to publish a Corporate Peer Challenge Report.

The report – compiled by the Local Government Association (LGA) –
will inform measures for the Council’s improvement in the future.
In the past decade around two-thirds of councils in England have
undertaken a Corporate Peer Challenge.

A small team of peer officers and councillors, compiled by the LGA,
spent a week with the Council in mid-February.

The process involved engaging with elected members, employees
and a wide range of people connected with the Authority to get views
and perspectives.

The report highlights a number of areas of good practice while also
identifying areas for improvement.

For instance, the peer team was impressed with the Council’s delivery
in relation to social care integration which the Authority’s partners
view as being ‘leading-edge’ within Wales.

Partners also pointed to an improved set of relationships with the
County Council.

The peer team found that the Cabinet’s Programme for Administration
provided increased clarity around priorities and noted delivery of the
vision.

Examples included removing the tolls on the Cleddau bridge; plans to
enhance digital infrastructure and related broadband connectivity
across the county and building new council housing.

The team complimented the Council on how it has addressed the
budget gap to date and the bold decisions taken – including raising
Council Tax – and noted the progress its transformation programme,
especially the technology element and the much-enhanced ability for
staff to work in more agile ways.

The report includes twelve recommendations including building on the
locality planning model used for health and social care; tackling
relationship issues and strengthening corporate processes including
decision-making, transformation, organisational development and
communication.

In a joint statement Council Leader, David Simpson, and Chief
Executive, Ian Westley, said: “We are both very grateful to the peer
team for facilitating and sharing the review and making
recommendations that they believe can improve how the Council is
run.
“We are as one in recommending to all senior leaders – members and
officers – that the report and its recommendations should be accepted
by the Council as a whole.

“The team noted the real commitment, extensive goodwill and huge
pride our employees have in serving their communities.
“The current crisis has underlined the dedication of employees and
elected members to Pembrokeshire and its communities. This
dedication, working alongside the resources of our public, private and
third sector partners, cannot be underestimated.”
The statement added: “The peer challenge and the resulting report
has held up a mirror to the Council and highlighted the need for it to
tackle some difficult issues. We know that Pembrokeshire County
Council can, and will, address the report’s recommendations.”
Councillor Neil Prior, Cabinet Member for Transformation and IT,
said: “I welcome the constructive challenge that the report brings and
the Council will develop a detailed action plan to address the report’s
recommendations.
“Of course, at the moment we must devote our efforts to tackling
Covid-19 and keeping all our communities safe but that doesn't stop
us from being absolutely committed to our improvement journey.”
A copy of the report is available at:
https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/improvement-planning/how-do-we-
know-whether-or-not-we-are-improving

Crime

Uxbridge motorist banned after Pembrokeshire drug-drive stop

Published

21 minutes ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Driver was heading home after visiting former girlfriend when police stopped him on the A477

A WEST London motorist has been banned after being caught driving on the A477 in Broadmoor with a cocaine metabolite and cannabis in his system.

Danny Small, 32, was stopped by police carrying out routine checks at around 11:30am on January 28.

After providing a positive roadside drug swipe, Small was taken to a police station, where blood tests showed he had 157mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 2.9mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The legal limit is 2mcg.

Small, of Little London Close, Uxbridge, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to two drug-driving offences.

Probation officer Julie Norman told the bench that Small had been visiting his former girlfriend in Pembrokeshire and was driving home to Uxbridge at the time of the offence.

Ms Norman said Small was a regular cannabis and cocaine user.

“This helps treat his undiagnosed ADHD,” she said.

“He didn’t think the drugs would still have been in his system, as he’d consumed the drugs several days earlier. But drugs can often remain in the system for several weeks.”

Small was sentenced to a 12-month community order, during which he must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was fined £80 and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs. He was disqualified from driving for 15 months.

News

Uxbridge motorist banned after Pembrokeshire drug-drive stop

Published

24 minutes ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Driver was heading home after visiting former girlfriend when police stopped him on the A477

A WEST London motorist has been banned after being caught driving on the A477 in Broadmoor with a cocaine metabolite and cannabis in his system.

Danny Small, 32, was stopped by police carrying out routine checks at around 11:30am on January 28.

After providing a positive roadside drug swipe, Small was taken to a police station, where blood tests showed he had 157mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 2.9mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The legal limit is 2mcg.

Small, of Little London Close, Uxbridge, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to two drug-driving offences.

Probation officer Julie Norman told the bench that Small had been visiting his former girlfriend in Pembrokeshire and was driving home to Uxbridge at the time of the offence.

Ms Norman said Small was a regular cannabis and cocaine user.

“This helps treat his undiagnosed ADHD,” she said.

“He didn’t think the drugs would still have been in his system, as he’d consumed the drugs several days earlier. But drugs can often remain in the system for several weeks.”

Small was sentenced to a 12-month community order, during which he must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was fined £80 and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs. He was disqualified from driving for 15 months.

Crime

Carpenter banned after drug-driving in camper van

Published

31 minutes ago

June 24, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Pembroke Dock man was five times over the cannabis limit

A PEMBROKESHIRE carpenter has been banned from driving after being caught behind the wheel of his camper van while five times over the drug-drive limit.

James Toulouse, 35, was stopped by police shortly before midnight on December 20, 2025, as he drove his white Mercedes Vito along Buttermilk Lane in Pembroke.

“There was a strong smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle and the driver, who was James Toulouse, appeared glazed, as his eyes were red and bleary,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.

A roadside drug swipe proved positive. Further tests showed Toulouse had 11mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The legal limit is 2mcg.

The court heard this was Toulouse’s second drug-driving offence in ten years.

Toulouse, of Clarence Street, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to drug-driving.

He was represented by solicitor Michael Kelleher, who said the defendant works as a carpenter.

“Obviously it’s not going to be easy for him to carry on with his work, but he’s fully intending to do so,” he said.

Toulouse was disqualified from driving for 36 months. He was fined £350 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £140 surcharge.