Politics
Independent Group’s claims debunked by Cabinet Member for Finance
- Council is in turmoil as councillors grapple with how much to increase Council Tax
- Cabinet Member for Finance says Council Tax claims made in an email wrong
A CLAIM made in an email from the opposition “Independent” Group (IPG) to Council Leader David Simpson is ‘wrong’.
The email’s central claim that householders could be, in three years, paying an extra £1000 in Council Tax, has been debunked by Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Alec Cormack.
In this week’s news section this newspaper reports on that emailed claim.
The email says that the current administration could increase council tax by 16.31% not only for 2024/25 but also increase it by the same amount in 2025/26 and 2026/27.
That claim is wrong, Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Alec Cormack has said.
The Council’s Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP), to which Cllr Murphy refers to as the authority for his claim, states that after a 16.31% rise for the next financial year, a 7.5% rise will be needed in the following two years to balance the books over three years.
A further point the email makes, referring to the current rate of consumer price inflation, is also an irrelevant and egregious point.
Former Council leaders Jamie Adams and John Cwmbetws Davies, who sit on the IPG benches, know that the consumer inflation rate has nothing to do with inflationary pressures on the Council. Those pressures are cumulative and involve – amongst other things – energy prices, the cost of delivering services, staff pay rises and their accompanying pension contributions.
To pretend that the rate of inflation consumers face when buying goods in shops – and food inflation remains in double digits – has much of anything to do with the cost pressures facing employers and service providers is demonstrably false. Those making the claim either do not understand how inflation works or are disingenuous.
Giving the IPG the benefit of the doubt, the email’s author(s) are fools rather than knaves.
MURPHY’S LAW AS IPG GO FOR BROKE
The email, sent by Cllr Huw Murphy on behalf of the “Independent” Group, also contains a veiled threat to throw the Council into turmoil by voting down the annual budget and Council Tax resolutions.
The local authority may become insolvent if the Council cannot or councillors will not set a balanced budget. If that happens, local government commissioners will take control of the Council’s operations.
While that is an extreme event, it is not without precedent in Wales.
When Ynys Mon Council was riven by internecine strife and unable to perform its functions, the Welsh Government stepped in and took control. However, that had nothing to do with that authority’s financial position.
Local government commissioners are running several English councils after financial disasters. In those councils’ cases, speculative investments, and in Birmingham’s case, a devastating legal case, left them unable to fund statutory services.
The results have been massive service reductions, large hikes in Council Tax (from bases much higher than Pembrokeshire’s), and huge job losses.
The idea that the fault for that would lie with the Cabinet and councillors supporting the current proposal is laughable.
Suppose the Council descends into effective insolvency because councillors prefer striking poses to doing their jobs. In that case, the fault will be wholly on the IPG and anyone who supports their shameless manoeuvring.
Their ultimate goal is regaining control of the Council at May’s Annual General Meeting. Anything they do beforehand, including at March 7’s budget meeting, serves that end.
The “Independents” know that if the Council doesn’t significantly raise the Council Tax this year, it must make much larger rises in future years.
The IPG is gambling that, by the time those budgets are set, it will control the Cabinet and avoid making those rises by their favoured method of gutting services, avoiding expenditure on essential projects, and firing workers.
An IPG leader and Cabinet will make sad noises about those and blame its predecessors.
IPG REFUSED TO SWALLOW OWN MEDICINE
It is not as if the IPG is without its own ideas.
Cllr Murphy’s email artlessly reveals the true position.
As things stand, no alternative budget exists before the Council on March 7.
But there could have been.
The IPG produced its own budget and discussed it with the Council’s Director of Resources, Jon Haswell.
Mr Haswell, or so Mr Murphy claims, said that some of what the IPG proposed was feasible and would result in a lower-than-proposed Council Tax increase.
They baulked when Mr Haswell told the “Independent” delegation the size of the rise their proposals would entail.
In other words, the combined brainpower of the “Independent” Group came up with a practical alternative that would have reduced the size of the Council Tax rise, balanced the books, and met the Council’s statutory obligations but – and for entirely self-serving political reasons – pulled the plug on it.
That throws the 7.5% increase Cllr Murphy’s email refers to into stark relief.
It shows his “suggestion” is nothing more than a meaningless gesture that the “Independent” Group KNOWS is undeliverable. It attempts to blackmail the Cabinet into agreeing to a lower rise by raising the threat of political chaos, even though the “Independent” Group KNOWS the 7.5% figure is nonsense.
The IPG would rather blow up the Council and rule the wreckage than do anything constructive.
They will not bear that shame alone. If the Conservative group supports the “Independent” Group’s game-playing, the political fallout in an election year could be highly damaging in Mid and South Pembrokeshire, a seat it hopes to win.
Doubtless, there will be behind-the-scenes scuttling as the players of political games try and get a meaningless “compromise” over the line. They face the obvious question: how many social workers, teachers, and other job losses are you prepared to countenance for the sake of a sordid deal?
News
Tipi wedding venue refused by Pembrokeshire planners
A CALL to keep a wedding venue tipi where guests are greeted by alpacas has been turned down by Pembrokeshire planners.
Mr R Lloyd and Ms C Davies sought permission for the retention of a seasonal wedding events venue with the siting of a tipi and formation of ancillary parking area on land next to Redberth Gardens, Redberth, near Tenby.
Members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, meeting on April 23, were recommended to refuse the retrospective application for the ‘Serenity Garden’ tipi venue, erected in August 2023.
Serenity Garden, on its website, says the tipi offers a “very special wedding venue, set in the heart of the Pembrokeshire countryside,” with “friendly resident alpacas, teddy bear sheep, goats, ducks and Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs” greeting guests.
A planning statement supporting the application says it is anticipated that there would be approximately 15 wedding events during the season.
Concerns about the application have been raised by nearby St Florence Community Council, along with seven objections from the public, on issues including the potential impact on local residents, no site notice, added traffic, no local benefits, security concerns, and claims that bookings and deposits are already being taken for events.
A report for planners said: “Whilst the tipi is described as a temporary structure, it would have a level of permanence in that it would be erected in early April and remain on site until the end of October to minimise the effort of dismantling it after each planned event.”
It concludes: “The proposal represents an unjustified form of development in a countryside location. In addition, the application fails to include sufficient information to demonstrate that the suitable drainage infrastructure can be incorporated into the site, that noise levels would not have a detrimental impact on local amenity and that biodiversity would be protected and enhanced.”
Speaking at the April meeting, Agent Richard Banks said the tipi was not a permanent structure and there were no permanent homes near the site, those nearby being holiday cottages.
Referring to the retrospective nature of the application, he said the applicants were “guilty of being confused by permitted development rights” of 14 days, the intent to have 14 weddings, the application correcting that misinterpretation.
Objector Matt Sutton said the leaseholders of the holiday lets’ quiet enjoyment of their properties would be “significantly affected,” with fears music and corporate events would be held at the site.
He described the application as “riding roughshod over neighbours’ rights”.
Cllr Rhys Jordan, who later stressed the committee was “not anti-business,” moved the scheme be rejected.
Cllr Jordan stressed the need for applicants to work with planners.
“This committee is not anti-business, it’s a shame we’re in a position here where we could be having to refuse an application.
“Engage with us; that’s going to cost greatly to the applicant, this committee certainly isn’t anti-business and anti-growth.”
The application was refused by 13 votes, with one abstention.
News
52-home Pembrokeshire development backed by planners
A NEAR-£10m Pembrokeshire residential development of 52 homes has been backed by planners despite concerns it will provide just four affordable homes.
In an application before Pembrokeshire County Council’s April planning committee, Wakefield Pembrokeshire Ltd sought permission for the development, which includes four one-bed affordable housing units, on land near Pilgrims Way, Roch.
Committee members were recommended to approve the council’s head of planning be delegated to approve the application, subject to the completion of a Section 106 planning obligation, making community financial contributions.
18 objections to the scheme were received, raising concerns including an “inadequate” affordable housing level, it being a high density development for a rural area, a loss of green space, the size of some of the homes, and pressures on existing services and facilities, and fears it may lead to an increase in second homes.
Nolton & Roch Community Land Trust (N&RCLT) has raised its concerns about a lack of affordable homes at the development, calling for a 20 per cent affordable homes element, as recommended by policy.
An officer report for members, recommending conditional approval, concluded: “It is apparent that the proposed development is not fully policy compliant, insofar as it cannot deliver the indicative 20 per cent affordable housing sought [by policy].
“However, a substantial positive social impact will arise through the provision of housing, including four one-bed affordable housing units, in meeting identified needs for both market and affordable housing.
“Financial obligations identified to mitigate adverse impacts arising from the proposed development cannot be met in full. However, [policy] acknowledges that in such circumstances contributions may be prioritised on the basis of the individual circumstances of each case.”
Speaking at the meeting, agent Gethin Beynon said the project had a “significant economic value” of around £10m, and the local applicant had “a sense of stewardship to the local community,” offering affordable housing and community infrastructure towards highways and education.
He said that changes to the affordable homes provision would make the scheme unviable following “dramatic changes” in labour costs post-Covid.
Dave Smith of Nolton & Roch Community Land Trust said, on the issue of affordable housing, there was a local need for more two and three-bed properties, adding: “More than a third of dwellings are already second homes, holiday lets or empty properties; villages and communities are being hollowed out.”
Moving approval, Cllr Mark Carter said the scheme was good but “could be better for the community” with more and larger affordable homes.
Cllr Jordan Ryan expressed his concern at the small number of affordable units, and was told that, while officers shared disappointment at the number, it was based on two independent viability assessments.
The application was backed by nine votes to four.
News
Latest chance to access community grant funding opens
THE Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant is open and Expressions of Interest (EOI) are welcome.
More than £4million of funding has been distributed to areas where the impact of second home ownership is highest since Pembrokeshire County Council set up the Enhancing Pembrokeshire Grant.
Funded by the Council’s second home council tax premium, there is £700,000 available in 2024-2025 for small and large community groups and projects across the county.
A total of £300,000 is available for small grants up to £15,000 and £400,000 has been allocated for large grants up to £100,000. Small grants are assessed on a rolling programme throughout the year. The closing date for EOIs to the large grant scheme is 14th June, with full applications needed by 12th July 2024.
There is a focus on the well-being objectives including equipping learners with lifelong skills and knowledge for the future; prevention and ensuring vulnerable people are safe; initiatives that deliver decarbonisation, manage climate adaptation and tackle the nature emergency; projects that support communities and build active, resourceful, connected, sustainable and creative places to live and activity that supports the Welsh language within communities
More information about what can be funded and how to apply can be found on the Pembrokeshire County Council website.
To register a project, request an EOI form and access support please email [email protected].
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