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Politics

Simon Hart suspends Matt Hancock’s whip

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SIMON HART MP has called out Matt Hancock after it has been revealed the former health secretary will be appearing in ITV’s Im a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

Throughout the Covid pandemic, Mr Hancock was a regular on our screens with his covid briefings, but was closely followed by the alleged cheating scandal, where CCTV footage of Mr Hancock canoodling with a secretary was leaked to the press.

Whilst Mr Hancock no longer holds the role of Health Minister, he is still an active MP for the Conservative party.

Newly appointed Chief Whip, Simon Hart has called for Mr Hancock’s whip to be suspended. 

He said: “Following a conversation with Matt Hancock, I have considered the situation and believe this is a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect.”

MP’s who have their whip suspended are in effect expelled from their party and sit in parliament as an independent party until it has been reinstated.

Many other MP’s have joined in with Mr Hart’s sentiments.

Tory MP Tim Loughton said: “I’m completely disappointed and disgusted that he’s put himself and a so-called celebrity career ahead of serving his constituents.”

Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Gwynne, took to twitter to heckle Mr Hanocock’s decision. 

He tweeted: “To be fair to Matt Hancock, I’d sooner eat wallaby anus than be a Tory MP too.”

General secretary of the FDA union, Dave Penman, which represents senior civil servants, said: “Oh to have a job where you can decide for yourself you’re taking a month off, abandon your work and responsibilities, get paid shedloads and face little consequence.

“I’m sure he’ll be an inspiration to other public servants.”

Community

Calls for ‘dangerous’ speed limit in Pembrokeshire village to be lowered

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A PETITION calling for the speed limit to be reduced through a north Pembrokeshire village to address “a serious safety concern for the community” is to be heard by councillors later this week.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, meeting on November 15, are to consider a petition, entitled Reduce the Speed Limit at Square and Compass, calling for a reduction of the current 50mph limit on that section of the A487 Fishguard-St Davids road.

The petition, which attracted 127 signatures on the council’s own website, was started by Emma Tannahill, and has met the threshold for committee debate.

It reads: “We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to reduce the current speed limit of 50 miles per hour on the main road (A487) through Square and Compass as it is a serious safety concern for the community. This road is home to many families with young children.

“A school bus from Croes Goch Primary School has a drop-off point on this stretch of road which further exacerbates the risk of accidents. In addition, there are young families that cycle to and from Croes Goch primary school along this road.

“This section of road also serves as a thoroughfare for traffic to and from Croes Goch petrol station and Torbant caravan-site. Both of which see a high volume of traffic and pedestrian activity. The high speeds of traffic on the main road is a risk to those coming in and out of these sites.

“In addition to the petrol station and caravan-site there is also a pub and public bus stop, both of which are adjacent to this 50 mile per hour section of road. Reducing the speed limit would significantly improve safety for pedestrians and cyclist.”

Committee members will hear the petition at their November meeting.

A further speed reduction call petition, by Emma Pritchard of Broadway Community Group, for the Pembrokeshire village of Broadway will also be heard by the committee.

That petition reads: “We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to reduce the speed limit through the community of Broadway.

“The road is shared with pedestrians, children, dogs, horses and cyclists. It is the ‘pavement’ through Broadway. The current speed limit is dangerous to those sharing the road with vehicles.”

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Community

Angry locals fight ‘cash grab’ Porthgain parking charge plan

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A CALL to stop national park-approved council “cash grab” parking and traffic changes in a rural north Pembrokeshire seaside village will be heard by councillors later this week.

Pembrokeshire County Council, in an application before the September meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee, was granted approval for a long list of changes to Porthgain Harbour, Porthgain.

It includes highway and environmental improvements, including new parking bays, a realignment of the existing Llanrhian Road carriageway, resurfacing of existing parking areas, designated pedestrian footways and crossings, and traffic calming features.

The National Park owns the land subject to the application, historically a quarry port prosperous in the early 1900s; the scheme recommended for conditional approval.

The village of 260 residents is dominated by the village green and informal car parking area and high visitor numbers during peak months cause traffic congestion, parking problems, and safety issues for pedestrians and emergency vehicles, a report for planners at that meeting said.

Local concerns raised in the report said the proposal would “change the ‘feral and free’ nature of Porthgain,” and is “a complete urbanisation of a very rural historic working harbour village” and the “natural charm of village will be ruined”.

Speaking at the September meeting, local county councillor Cllr Neil Prior said there had been much local division over the proposals, and he had been to “numerous meetings trying to smooth things out,” adding: “There have been some strong objections, there have been village tensions, which I regret; what started as harmonious and collegiate has been quite divisive.

“There’s been a number of strong objections but a number in quiet support, who perhaps haven’t made their views because of the tensions.”

Since then, a 517-strong e-petition was received on the council’s own website, started by Andrew Harries, which will now be heard at the November 15 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The petition reads: “We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to stop Porthgain changing.

“We are all dead against the proposals to change Porthgain. The village has been trapped in time since the quarry closed in the 1930s. The original houses, foundations, grounds and landscape have all remained the same since that day all of the workers lost their jobs.

“The proposed plans for Porthgain were drawn up by PCC and The National Parks. The plans would add dedicated parking spaces around the village, zebra crossings, pavements and more.

“To replace the grounds of where the workers and its buildings once stood with pavements and car parks is absolutely disgraceful.

“This is nothing more than a cash grab by PCC and National Parks. The new car park will most likely charge visitors, which will also affect the businesses as well as decrease the villages footfall.”

Committee members will now consider the petition at their November meeting.

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Politics

Pembrokeshire County Council huge overspend expected

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PEMBROKESHIRE County Council is expected to overspend in its annual budget by nearly £4m, with the potential for huge budget pressures next year, senior councillors heard.

Members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s November meeting of Cabinet received a report on the quarter two figures for the 2024-25 budget, highlighting an expected overspend of £3.9m by the end of the financial year.

The budget for 2024-25 was approved by council on March 7. This is the second budget monitoring report for 2024-25, with the predicted overspend up from £2.9m in the quarter one figures.

A report for members, presented by Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies Cllr Joshua Beynon said the budget for 2024-25 is “set against a backdrop of increased level of demand, complexity and cost of packages within our School ALN provision, Children’s Services, Adult Services and Homelessness”.

It added: “This increase in demand, complexity and cost of packages has continued into 2024-25 with material projected overspends within social care & housing totalling £8.8m. Although work is being undertaken to try to reduce the cost of packages, it should be noted that these demand levels are projected to continue into 2025-26 and future years, creating further additional permanent budget pressures that will either need to be met through additional budget savings, income generation or increased council tax.

“The projected outturn at Q2 2024-25 is £307.1m, representing a projected overspend of £3.6m.  There is also a projected shortfall in 2024-25 council tax collection which will result in a £0.3m reduction in funding received. The resulting £3.9m shortfall will need to be funded from reserves in 2024-25.”

Cllr Beynon said a hoped-for increase in funding from Welsh Government following increased funds from Westminster announced in the UK Budget was not confirmed at the moment, but was expected to lead to an increase in funds to Pembrokeshire of one or two per cent; that funding figure due to be announced next month.

Members also noted a predicted funding gap scenario of £33.6m for 2025-’26, which, with the current medium term financial plan budgeted council tax increase for 2025-26 of 11.14 per cent would leave a shortfall of £23.2m to be met through budget savings, dependent on what the final settlement from Welsh Government is.

Cabinet agreed that, if the projected overspend of £3.9m is not recovered during the financial year, it will be funded from reserves, and that relevant members and officers work to identify potential savings to assist in addressing the indicative budget gap of £33.6 million for 2025-26.

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