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Plan to charge £23.70 to use day care centres thwarted

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cllrvivOPPOSITION councillors were successful last week in thwarting a move to impose a drastic charge on some people attending the county’s day care centres. 

In March, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Older Persons Health and Well-being Overview and Scrutiny Committee (O&S) rejected a proposal that attendance at day care centres be levied at £23.70 a day from May 1. This service had been free for all. The committee’s recommendation was sent off to the council’s Cabinet, who in April lobbed it back to the O&S with a request for an explanation as to why users who have the capacity to pay, shouldn’t pay for day care services provided to them. The controversial charge was again debated by the scrutiny committee on Thursday, with opposition councillors Tessa Hodgson, Alison Lee and Viv Stoddart repeating their concerns that if such a swingeing fee was imposed on those eligible to pay, this would cause some people to discontinue attendance at day care centres, with a knock-on detrimental effect on clients health and well-being, and those of their carers. Senior Independent Political Group members Cllrs Arwyn Williams (former chairman) and John Davies (former leader) proposed that the original £23.70 daily charge be recommended to Cabinet. An alternative suggestion from Labour’s Tom Tudor, that a more modest daily fee of £10 be imposed, found favour with the majority of the committee, and this will be recommended for consideration by Cabinet, who will have the final say.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Tomos

    July 11, 2014 at 1:28 pm

    This desire for money at all costs attitude of the Council just shows what the “leaders” primary concern is.

    Forgive if this is off topic – When the Council installed the parking meters in Asda in pembroke Dock i laughed and thought how jobs worth of the Council to have insisted that asda have the disabled spaces right next to the main door and then put the meters as far as possible from the main front door – I stopped thinking it was so funny when I saw how many disabled tourists get fleeced at Pembroke for instance – they park near the castle, the poor tourists never have to pay anywhere else in the UK so think nothing of walking off to enjoy the castle.

    There’s absolutely no warning of having to pay and of course the meters are as far as possible from the spaces. I guess the idea of £80 (40 if you pay early and don’t appeal) is so much sweeter than forty pence – you could be forgiven for thinking it was planned like that !

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Crime

Lamphey man stole £1,300 from train passengers’ bags

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A LAMPHEY man has been sentenced for stealing £1,300 in cash and bank cards from passengers’ bags on the Tenby-Pembroke Dock train.

The court heard that on August 11, Luke Brummit, 46, removed two rucksacks from the luggage rack and searched them.

“The defendant took the bags into another carriage, searched them, and removed a purse and wallet before leaving the bags beneath the seat,” Crown Prosecutor Derek Davies told magistrates.

Brummit also admitted stealing £86.06 worth of items, including two legs of lamb and bottles of beer, from Sainsbury’s in Tenby on September 19.

Defence solicitor Tom Lloyd said Brummit has since taken steps to address his behaviour: “He’s doing better than he’s ever done and is working to improve his conduct.”

Magistrates imposed an 18-month community order, including 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a 120-day alcohol monitoring programme. Brummit must pay £1,300 compensation to the victim, £86.06 to Sainsbury’s, a £114 court surcharge, and £85 in costs.

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Crime

Ex-refinery worker sentenced for harassment and stalking in Milford Haven

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A FORMER refinery worker has been sentenced after harassing his ex-partner by dumping rubbish in her garden and shouting through her letterbox.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard that on June 14, at around 6:20am, Kyle Allerton, 29, arrived at Leah Jenkins’ property in Milford Haven after attempting to call and text her earlier that morning.

“He rang her at around 6:00am, then turned up at her property at 6:22am,” Crown Prosecutor Derek Davies said.

“He shouted through the letterbox, demanding she come to the door or window to talk to him. He then emptied bins over her garden before driving off in a white van.”

Jenkins said in her victim impact statement: “I feel harassed by his actions and worried about what he might have done.”

Probation officer Courtney Colman explained that Allerton had struggled to cope with the end of their seven-year relationship, turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism.

“He was drinking up to ten cans a day, which contributed to his losing his job at the refinery,” she said.

Allerton pleaded guilty to harassment. Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order, including 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 10 hours of unpaid work. He must pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 in costs.

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Crime

Goodwick driver fined for crashing into van and outbuilding

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A 21-YEAR-OLD motorist has been sentenced for driving on a Pembrokeshire B road and colliding with a parked van and an outbuilding.

Luke Harvey was driving a blue Ford Fiesta along the B4313 at Llanychaer, near Fishguard, at around 11:30pm on May 16, with a male passenger in the car.

“A call was made to the police, reporting that he had hit a van as well as an outbuilding,” Crown Prosecutor Derek Davies told magistrates.

“The people living at the property advised him to stay at the scene, but he insisted on going home. He managed to free his vehicle and drove off towards Fishguard.”

Police traced the car to an address in Fishguard and located Harvey. He pleaded guilty to failing to stop after an accident, using a vehicle without third-party insurance, and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Magistrates fined Harvey £120 and ordered him to pay £85 in costs and a £48 surcharge. His licence was endorsed with eight penalty points.

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