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Politics

Important information arriving ahead of elections

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IMPORTANT information about the Senedd and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in May will be landing on all Pembrokeshire doormats this week.

Both the Senedd and Police and Crime Commissioner elections will be held on Thursday, May 6.

The letters will ensure electoral records are correct, detail how to add/change any entries and urge those who are not registered to do so before the deadline of midnight, Monday 19th April.

Please read the letter and check the details are up to date and only contact the Council if necessary.

You can register to vote at: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

For the first time, those who will be aged 16 or over on 6th May and are registered to vote can vote in the Senedd elections.

Foreign citizens who will be aged 16 or over on 6th May and are registered to vote can also take part in the Senedd elections.

For the Police and Crime Commissioner elections those aged 18 and over on 6th May who are registered to vote can cast their vote.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, you may wish to consider your voting options.

Polling stations will be open and will have undergone extensive preparations as well as ongoing monitoring to ensure that they are safe environments to cast your vote.

However, it is likely that more people than ever will wish to take up an option for a postal vote for the elections on 6th May.

Given the anticipated demand, please apply for a postal vote as early as possible to allow the Council’s elections team plenty of time to be able to process your application.

You can apply for a postal vote or proxy vote (someone you trust to cast your vote on your behalf) at: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voter

News

Pembrokeshire households could face £250 council tax rise

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COUNCIL TAX in Pembrokeshire could rise by nearly 17 percent this year, adding more than £250 to the annual bill, in a series of proposals to be considered by senior councillors next week.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet, meeting on February 10, is recommended to support one of four options for the council tax element of the forthcoming 2025-’26 budget.

The proposed rises, and the increase for the average Band D property are.

  • 9.85 percent (£148.81)
  • 11.14 percent (£168.29
  • 16.58 percent (£250.48)

The fourth option, proposed by the council’s Liberal Democrat group members, would see, amongst other changes to the three outlined above, a 12 percent increase (£181.29).

For many years Pembrokeshire has had the lowest Band D Council Tax in Wales.

Following the 12.5 percent increase in 2024-25 Pembrokeshire moved to the fourth lowest in Wales with a base Band D Council Tax of £1,510.72 per year, before town and community council and police precepts are added.

A report for members ahead of the Cabinet meeting says the council’s projected funding gap for 2025-26 has been reduced from £34.1m to £27.4m after a better-than-expected Welsh Government local government settlement but says: “Based on the current projected funding gap of £27.4m, it is evident that major budget savings as well as a significant council tax increase will be required in order to deliver a balanced budget for 2025-26. The lower the Band D council tax increase, the higher the budget savings requirement will be, with the consequential adverse impact on the provision of council services.”

The report lists 171 potential council savings to help balance the budget, ranging from green (achievable with impact) to red (very challenging with significant impact ) and deep red (statutory failings and/or very significant impact), saying: “The cumulative total of the Green to Deep Red savings (171 measures) is £23.9m.  Implementation of all these budget savings options will be challenging, with some considered to be particularly unpalatable to council and the public.”

Of the total savings listed, they are categorised as red from 105 onwards and deep red from 146.

Of the three main council tax increase proposals, a 9.85 percent rate would need savings up to 132, well into the red, 11.14 percent up to 128, and even the 16.58 percent rate going into the red savings at 108.

On the potential use of reserves, the report says: “The current analysis of reserves indicates that the absolute maximum of uncommitted reserves that council might consider using in exceptional circumstances is up to £1.3m but this remains subject to the Section 151 Officer’s continuing assessment.”

The S151 officer, in the report has said: “Unless there is a clear plan to replenish, any utilisation of reserves to balance the budget would only be a sticking plaster and will add to the projected funding gap for the following year.”

The final decision on the council budget will be made by all members of the council, meeting next month, with next week’s Cabinet choice forming a recommendation.

For this coming year, the Dyfed-Powys Police precept part of the overall council tax bill is rising by 8.6 percent, bringing the rate for a Band D property to £360.68.

Neighbouring authority Ceredigion is proposing an increase of just under 10 percent but an alternative proposal around the six percent mark is being mooted.

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Business

Giant solar farm could be built on edge of Haverfordwest

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THE EARLY stages of a scheme for a potential 20MW solar farm just a mile from Haverfordwest which it is said would provide power for 6,000 homes has been submitted to county planners.

Amberside Energy Ltd submitted a scoping opinion to Pembrokeshire County Council for the for the proposed solar farm and grid connection on land close to Haverfordwest golf club, just off the main A40 road, ahead of a formal application.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Screening Request for land to the north of the A40/Narberth Road, And East of Haverfordwest, Boulston and Slebech was prepared by Stephenson Halliday Ltd, on behalf of Amberside Energy Ltd has been adopted by council planners prior to the submission of a formal planning application.

Supporting documents with the request say: “The proposed development will export approximately 20MW which is anticipated to connect to the national grid at the nearby substation located approximately 500m west of the site’s access.  The proposed development will comprise solar photovoltaic panels, inverters, perimeter stock fencing, access tracks, and CCTV. Planning permission will be sought for a temporary period of 40 years from the date of first exportation of electricity.

“The planning application submission will include the private wire grid connection, facilitated via underground cables to connect the Solar Farm to the point of connection.”

It adds: “The photovoltaic panels within the Site would generate up to 20MW of electricity, to be exported to the national grid. The Proposed Development will produce enough clean energy for approximately 6,000 homes, helping to contribute to the Government’s legally binding Net Zero target and to secure the nation’s energy supply in the context of a volatile global market.”

It says the site is adjacent to two separate solar developments with separate grid connections; Shoalshook Solar farm and Fenton Home Solar farm, but would operate in isolation to any of these neighbouring solar farms.

A formal planning application will be supported by a Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA), the application says, adding: “Overall, given the siting and nature of the proposed development, no significant visual impacts are anticipated.”

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Politics

Council stops woman living in caravan on her parents’ land

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A CALL to allow a static caravan to remain on agricultural land as accommodation for the applicants’ pilot daughter, and as AirBnB accommodation, has been turned down by Pembrokeshire planners.

In a retrospective application before Pembrokeshire County Council, Mr and Mrs Rees of Lands End, Cross Lane, Crundale, near Haverfordwest sought permission for an extension of the curtilage of the property and for ancillary accommodation, the caravan having been sited some 60 metres from the house in 2021.

A supporting statement through agent Harries Planning Design Management said: “This application seeks approval for one unit of ancillary accommodation to support their daughter who works as a pilot at the neighbouring airfield. Lands End is served by a small area of curtilage to the rear and side garden, with not enough space to provide any ancillary accommodation. Therefore, the unit would have to be placed outside of the existing curtilage.

“Additionally, her work pattern is scattered, working long hours frequently returning during the night and leaving early in the morning. Therefore, the choice to provide her accommodation down from the house also allows minimal disturbance to the occupants of the main dwelling during the night.

“Whilst not being occupied by their daughter the unit is being let out as AirBnB rent-a-room. As we are seeking to apply for residential use associated (and tied via planning condition) with the main farmhouse at Lands End, this would be in accordance with the AirBnB policies of renting a room within a dwelling’s curtilage.”

It said the unit “is sited away from any neighbouring dwellings, is well-screened from the main road by the strong existing roadside hedge,” and was “of modest scale and size” and would “introduce no greater impact than the existing dwelling at Lands End”.

The application was refused, following a planning officer recommendation, on the grounds including the caravan, sited on a hardstanding area some 60 metres from the applicants’ home, complete with its own amenities and services, is considered as an independent unit of accommodation.

It added: “The proposal does not relate to an enterprise for which a countryside location is essential and would introduce a new residential development, including for holiday use in an unsustainable location which is not within a settlement,” adding it would “result in unjustified visual encroachment into the countryside, and would not be of a nature which is compatible with the character of the site”.

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