News

Block vote saves Bryn… for now

Published

12 years ago

October 21, 2013

AN ATTEMPT to discuss the matter of Pembrokeshire County Council’s highly controversial pension arrangement which has allowed the chief executive and another unnamed officer to avoid tax liabilities, was shouted down at yesterday’s meeting of full council.
It was the first full council meeting held since July, and t he only opportunity that was on the agenda for the topic to be raised came in the form of questions previously submitted by Cllr Paul Miller, Cllr Mike Stoddart, and Cllr Jacob Williams.
Following responses by council leader Cllr Jamie Adams to his questions on the topic, Cllr Paul Miller, the leader of the council’s Labour party, said he was “not happy” with the answers he had been given, and proposed that the council should take a vote to suspend the constitutional rule which prevents items being transacted that aren’t on the agenda. The reason Cllr Miller said he wanted to take the vote, was so that the council could discuss whether to refer the pensions arrangements saga to the Welsh Assembly, and to suspend Bryn Parry-Jones the chief executive.
A recorded vote was taken, which lost by 21 votes to 34. Of the ruling party, the IPG, only Cllr Reg Owens supported the discussion there and then, with all others voting it down. Of the opposition members, the Labour party was unanimous in its support for allowing the matter to be discussed, as was Plaid Cymru, however whilst Cllrs David Bryan and David Howlett for the Conservatives were for the proposal, their party colleague Cllr Stan Hudson was not. Of the council’s unaffiliated members, only Cllrs Mike Evans, Owen James and David Lloyd voted against, whilst all others voted for the move.
Following the loss of the vote, the agenda continued, and responses were provided by the leader, Cllr Jamie Adams, to questions that had been tabled by Cllr Jacob Williams, who wanted to know whose idea it was for the Council to introduce the pension arrangements scheme.
Cllr Williams also asked why no independent or legal advice was sought back in 2011 prior to the scheme’s introduction, which enables the highest paid officers to receive their pension contributions as a cash sum, thereby avoiding tax liabilities.
Cllr Adams responded by stating that: “HMRC made it clear that their expectations were that employers may implement alternative payment arrangements (to those that currently existed)”.
He also went on to confirm that the Authority had the appropriate powers to affect the change of remuneration packages, which also included pension arrangements, and that the reason no further advice was sought was so the scheme would not cost the authority any further expense.
Following this revelation, Cllr Williams said: “I understand there’s a full moon tomorrow evening, and we really would have to be totally barking mad to believe what Cllr Adams is telling us, that HMRC which is collecting this tax money, would notify Councils to introduce a scheme allowing senior officers to avoid tax on their pension contributions. If that was true, why did no other councils introduce it? It can be no coincidence that Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire are the only two councils to have done this.”
“So with that in mind, could the leader explain what collusion went on between the two authorities at or prior to that time?” he added.
In responding Cllr. Adams referred Cllr. Williams to information that he said was available on the HMRC website, which he said “supported the council’s view that HMRC suggested such a scheme be introduced by employers”.
In a separate supplementary question Cllr. Williams asked whether or not the council’s legal advice covered the issue over officer attendance during the controversial meeting and Cllr. Adams refused to answer the question.
Cllr. Paul Miller who had previously requested for the same matter to be discussed at an extra-ordinary meeting, told The Herald that he still intends to pursue the matter, and that the EGM will be held as there is no legal way that the Council can refuse.

News

Motorcyclist injured in Johnston crash after overtaking lorry

Published

17 hours ago

March 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Rider treated by paramedics following collision with van pulling out from junction

A MOTORCYCLIST was treated by paramedics after a collision with a van in Johnston on Monday morning (Mar 16).

The crash happened shortly after 9.15am as the rider was overtaking a lorry through slow-moving traffic on the main road. It is understood the lorry blocked the rider’s view of a van pulling out from a junction near KO Carpets.

Police units attended promptly to assist at the scene.

The motorcyclist is not believed to have been seriously injured.

The van suffered slight damage, including a broken wing mirror.

The road was not closed, police said.

Health

Plaid Cymru to hold public meeting over Withybush hospital surgery cuts

Published

18 hours ago

March 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Candidates say residents must be heard after emergency services decision

PLAID CYMRU candidates for the Ceredigion Penfro constituency will host a public meeting in Pembrokeshire to discuss concerns over the future of services at Withybush Hospital.

The event will take place at 6:30pm on Monday (Mar 31) at Letterston Village Hall, giving residents the opportunity to share their experiences and concerns following Hywel Dda University Health Board’s decision last month to remove emergency general surgery from the hospital.

Campaigners say the move will force many patients requiring urgent treatment to travel further for care, raising fears about the potential impact on patient safety in rural west Wales.

Elin Jones, Plaid Cymru lead candidate for Ceredigion Penfro, said: “Withybush is such an important hospital for the community and residents of Pembrokeshire. The decision to remove its emergency general surgery will severely weaken the life-saving capacity of this hospital.

“Plaid Cymru has long championed small rural hospitals such as Bronglais and Withybush. We need to ensure these hospitals remain strong local services within our communities. Withybush should have the basic life-saving and everyday treatment services it needs to function as a full general hospital.”

Kerry Ferguson, Plaid Cymru candidate for Pembrokeshire within the Ceredigion Penfro constituency, said the recent success of a public petition had demonstrated the strength of local feeling.

“It’s great to see that the online petition calling for Welsh Government intervention to restore emergency surgery and essential services at Withybush has reached its target, meaning it will now be debated in the Senedd,” she said.

“We are extremely disappointed by the Health Board’s decision to remove emergency general surgery at Withybush. Increased journey times for anyone in need of urgent medical treatment will put lives at risk. We need government intervention now to overturn this decision.”

Residents across Pembrokeshire have continued to raise concerns about the future of services at the hospital, which has long been a focal point in debates about healthcare provision in rural west Wales.

Climate

Research vessel begins mission to study seabed carbon in Irish Sea

Published

19 hours ago

March 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Bangor University scientists join £2.1m project investigating the impact of bottom trawling on carbon stored beneath the seabed

A STATE OF THE ART research vessel has set sail from Liverpool to investigate how bottom trawling may affect carbon stored in the seabed of the Irish Sea.

The scientific expedition is part of a £2.1 million research project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and led by Professor Jan Geert Hiddink of Bangor University.

A team of eighteen scientists has embarked on the RRS Discovery, one of the world’s most advanced research vessels, for a three-and-a-half-week voyage studying the impact of fishing activity on carbon held in seabed sediments.

Before the ship departed, a number of local dignitaries were invited aboard for a tour of the vessel, including Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram and National Oceanography Centre Operations Director Natalie Campbell.

Professor Jan Geert Hiddink, from Bangor University’s School of Ocean Sciences, said bottom-trawl fishing is both vital to global food supply and a major disturbance to seabed environments.

“Bottom-trawl fishing provides around a quarter of global seafood but is also the most extensive physical disturbance caused by human activities to stocks of carbon locked in seabed sediments,” he said.

“This is important because recent evidence suggests that disturbing the seabed could lead to the release of significant amounts of greenhouse gases from the seabed into the atmosphere.

“There are still major uncertainties about how this disturbance affects carbon stored beneath the seabed. As a result, the impact of these disturbances is largely unquantified and currently unregulated.

“The aim of this project is to gain a much clearer understanding of what is happening so that scientists, policymakers and regulators can make informed decisions in the future.”

Seven research organisations are collaborating on the project: Bangor University, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Heriot-Watt University, the University of Leeds, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the University of St Andrews, and Imperial College London.

Caption: Scientists prepare to begin their research aboard the RRS Discovery, one of the world’s most advanced research vessels.