News
Why is Pembrokeshire looking at a massive council tax hike?
SENIOR Pembrokeshire councillors are expected to call for council tax increase as high as 21 per cent next week against a backdrop of the council facing its worst-ever financial position.
Pembrokeshire is currently facing a projected funding gap of £31.9m, by far the largest funding gap ever seen by the council.
This figure is even bleaker in the next few years; the projected funding gap for the Medium Term Financial Plan 2024-25 to 2027-28 is £82.2m.
A report before Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet, meeting on February 12 says: “This projected funding gap will need to be bridged through a combination of an increase in council tax, use of council tax premiums and budget savings.
“Any use of reserve funding will only be considered where there is a clear plan in place to reduce base budgets by the levels required for 2025-26 onwards and to replenish the reserve balances over the term of the Medium Term Financial Plan, in line with the Strategy for Holding and Utilising Reserves.”
In total, Pembrokeshire is facing financial pressures totalling £41.3m, partly offset by funding – some of which is yet to be fully confirmed – bringing that figure down to £31.9m.
Simple options to address this gap are
- to cut expenditure, which would require £31.9m in savings
- increase funding through a council tax rise alone, which would need an eye-watering 42 per cent rise
- a combination of the two, which is proposed.
Cabinet members are asked to recommend one of three options for a council tax increase, along with large budget savings.
The increases range from 16.31 per cent, 18.94 per cent, to a 20.98 per cent increase.
These increases would raise the annual council tax bill by £219.02, £254.34, and £281.73 respectively for the average Band D property.
Associated savings needed for the three levels would be £12.8m, £10.9m, and £9.3m.
A report for members stated: “Any Band D Council Tax increase below 16.31 per cent will have very significant impact, including statutory failure in some service areas and so is not considered to be a financially sustainable option.”
The report said options for a 15 and 12.5 per cent council tax increase were modelled, but “this would have resulted in very significant budget savings being required and some services no longer being able to meet their statutory requirements”.
One of the reasons for the financial situation in Pembrokeshire – and in neighbouring Ceredigion – is a lower-than-expected Provisional Local Government Settlement from Welsh Government.
Every year the Welsh Government allocates funding for each local authority, and for 2024-25 Pembrokeshire will only receive a 2.5 per cent increase in that funding against a 14.4 per cent increase in service costs.
This equates to £5.3m additional Aggregate External Finance (AEF) funding for Pembrokeshire County Council, £1.3m lower than assumptions of a 3.1 per cent increase.
This lower than-expected settlement is part of a general decline in central government support for councils, council Leader David Simpson has said.
“During the past decade, funding levels from UK Government to Welsh Government and on to councils have not kept pace with the ever-increasing pressures.
“Due to this, we have had to make significant budget savings of £96.7 million over this time, supported by your suggestions in our annual budget consultation. We have always endeavoured to minimise the impact to service users, especially the most vulnerable in our communities.”
Council Tax accounts for 26.05 per cent of the council’s general funding, with more reliance on council tax funding due to AEF reductions during the austerity period whilst council tax increased.
Council tax accounted for only 18.4 per cent in 2013-14.
Pembrokeshire is also facing an “unprecedented” increase in demand for both adult and children’s social care that has added more than £23m in pressures.
In five years, children’s social care costs have risen from six per cent of the budget to 10.3 per cent.
Social care and education costs now make up 78 per cent of overall pressures with social care costs exceeding education costs for the first time this year, Council Leader David Simpson has said.
In 2024/25 the budget for social care will be more than all other services combined, excluding schools.
There has also been a huge increase in the number of people needing temporary accommodation, from 78 in March 2019 to 507 in March 2023, leading to a £1.145m pressure for 2024/25.
Another issue in Pembrokeshire has been historically low levels of council tax, the county still having the lowest rate in Wales, despite having increases of 12.5%, 9.92%, 5.00%, 3.75%, 5.00% and 7.50% since 2018-19.
The average Band D base council tax for Pembrokeshire is £1,342.86, compared to Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire at £1,553.60 and £1,490.97 respectively.
If the council had Ceredigion’s level of council tax for 2023-24, it would have had an additional £11.758m income and if it had Carmarthenshire’s it would have had an additional £8.264m.
Ceredigion County Council Cabinet’s has proposed a 13.9 per cent increase in council tax, which would take a Band D property to £1,769.55 per year; if Pembrokeshire increased its Band D rate to £1,769.55 it would generate an additional £23.902m.
The final decision on the council tax level – and any savings – will be made by full council when it sets the annual budget on March 7.
Neighbouring Ceredigion will make its final decision on February 29.
News
St Davids Choir performs at historic Hampton Court Chapel
ST DAVIDS Cathedral Choir has returned from an inspiring weekend of music-making at the iconic Chapel Royal in Hampton Court Palace. The group, comprising the Vicars Choral and Choral Scholars, was invited to perform at the historic venue and took part in a series of high-profile services attended by both music enthusiasts and chapel visitors.
The weekend began on Saturday with a unique bilingual Evensong, where the choir performed stirring pieces by renowned composers Thomas Tomkins and Thomas Tallis. The highlight of the visit came on Sunday, when St Davids Choir joined the esteemed Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal for a morning Eucharist and an evening Evensong. This collaboration featured sacred music by Palestrina, Tallis, John Shepherd, and William Byrd, creating an atmosphere that resonated through the halls of the 16th-century chapel.
The weekend’s success was credited to the warm welcome extended by the Chapel Royal team, including notable figures such as James Elliot Harris, Sophie Baylis, Carl Jackson, and Simon Bloxam-Rose. “Their hospitality was exceptional,” said a spokesperson for St Davids Choir. “They made us feel truly at home.”
Special thanks also went to Canon Leigh Richardson, Laurence John, Ben Richards, and Christa Richardson of St Davids, whose Welsh readings added a personal and cultural dimension to the service.
St Davids Cathedral Choir expressed their desire to continue this partnership, extending an invitation for the Chapel Royal team to visit St Davids Cathedral in the future. For many, the weekend was a moving testament to the power of music to connect communities and celebrate heritage across borders.
News
Missing photographer Chris Ellery safe in Ireland after two-day ordeal
A KEEN photographer from Bristol, Chris Ellery, has made a miraculous landing in Ireland after his small boat broke down in the Irish Sea, sparking a two-day search effort along the Pembrokeshire coastline.
The 54-year-old set off from Fishguard on Thursday (Oct 31) on a solo outing, expecting a brief return journey. When he failed to arrive back as scheduled, family members and authorities were alerted, leading to a large-scale, multi-agency search across the waters and shores of Pembrokeshire and Cardigan Bay.
Breakdown in the Irish Sea
According to HM Coastguard, Mr. Ellery ran into engine trouble while heading west towards Ireland. The three-metre (10ft) black inflatable boat suffered a breakdown mid-journey; although he managed to restart the engine, his phone had also stopped working, cutting off any chance of communication. Stranded and without a working phone, Chris continued his journey until he eventually came ashore on Saturday in County Wicklow.
After making landfall, he walked to the nearest police station, where he was able to contact authorities. The Gardaí confirmed he was “tired but okay,” ending days of intense worry for his family and friends.
Chris’s family had travelled to Fishguard after losing contact with him and grew increasingly concerned. His daughter, Kenzie Ellery, issued a heartfelt appeal on social media, urging anyone with information to come forward. On Saturday afternoon, she shared a joyful update: “MY DAD IS ALIVE HE HAS BEEN FOUND IN IRELAND,” bringing much relief to all those involved in the search.
Two-day search operation
HM Coastguard resumed its search efforts early on Saturday, deploying aircraft, RNLI boat crews, and Coastguard teams across North Pembrokeshire, Cardigan Bay, and St Brides Bay. Dyfed-Powys Police had joined the search as well, after the Coastguard retrieved some of Mr. Ellery’s personal items on a remote cove earlier in the operation.
A Coastguard spokesperson commented, “He came ashore in County Wicklow and made his way to a local police station. They contacted Dyfed-Powys Police. It’s good news.”
The family has expressed their gratitude for the extensive support received from search teams and the local community. The remarkable journey, from the initial breakdown at sea to reaching safety on Irish shores, has brought relief and closure to what could have been a tragic outcome.
St Davids RNLI said their crew were part of the major multi agency search operation
St Davids RNLI said: “Volunteers on both our all-weather and inshore lifeboats were delighted to receive freshly cooked bacon, sausage and egg sandwiches from our own crew member Judd and his FPV Rhodri Morgan crew.
“This was a very welcome boost for morale during the intensive search.”
Fishguard RNLI confirmed: “Our volunteer crew were paged to launch both lifeboats on Friday to assist with the search for a missing person.
“Both lifeboats were again out on the water this morning conducting a further search of the coastline.
“[On Saturday] there was good news that the individual had been located in Ireland, and so a positive outcome to the search over the last few days.
“Eight lifeboats across five stations played their part in searching the Welsh coast from Skomer Island up to Mwnt and out into Cardigan Bay along with Coastguard volunteers and aircraft crew.”
Daughter Kenzie Ellery took to social media on Saturday afternoon, saying: “I just want to say thank you for all the amazing support from everyone.
“The details are still vague but we will be able to answer questions in time, the important part is dad is alive, safe and well!
“It’s been great how social media can bring people together positively and see communities come together to help.
“Thank you to everyone involved.”
News
Plane, helicopter and lifeboats in search for missing man Chris Ellery
A MULTI-AGENCY search continues in the Fishguard area for 54-year-old Chris Ellery, missing since Wednesday (Oct 30) after setting off alone from Fishguard Harbour in a black RHIB.
Concerns for Chris’s safety were raised after he failed to return home as expected on Thursday (Oct 31). The last sighting of the experienced sailor was captured on CCTV at 2:00pm on Wednesday, just as he left the harbour.
Since then, Dyfed Powys Police, HM Coastguard, and RNLI have been conducting extensive land and sea searches. Helicopters, fixed wing aircraft and search vessels are combing the sea off Fishguard.
Rescue efforts were paused Friday evening due to fading daylight but resumed early Saturday morning.
Personal items found amid search
During Friday’s search, personal belongings linked to Chris were discovered on a secluded cove, accessible only by boat. While this discovery intensified efforts in the remote area, there has yet to be any sign of his boat or other trace of Chris.
In a Facebook appeal, his daughter, Kenzie Ellery, described her father as “always very prepared” and pleaded for help from the public. She shared a photo of the boat he was last seen on and encouraged local residents to stay vigilant along the coast. Kenzie also mentioned an AirTag device her father carried, which last pinged in the sea near Fishguard.
Public plea for assistance
Kenzie’s heartfelt plea has been shared widely, with family and friends in Bristol circulating the information in hopes of reaching those closer to the search zone. “We all need him to be home, and we pray that he is safe,” she wrote. “Please share this post—we need him to be safe and home as soon as possible.”
Police appeal for information
Dyfed Powys Police have asked anyone with information on Chris’s whereabouts to get in touch. Residents along the Fishguard coastline are urged to report any unusual sightings immediately.
Anyone with information can contact police through:
- Direct message on social media
- The police website: Dyfed Powys Police
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 101
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired, text 07811 311 908. Quote reference: 102 of the 1st Nov.
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