News

Wales Audit Office query over Bryn’s £330k

Published

10 years ago

October 29, 2014

Cashing in: Bryn Parry Jones

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL was thrown into chaos on Wednesday (Oct 29) when the controversial settlement agreement with Chief Executive Bryn Parry-Jones was ruled UNLAWFUL by the Wales Audit Office. Focussing on the proposal to compensate Mr Parry-Jones for loss of pay supplements he had previously deemed unlawful, Anthony Barnett from the Wales Audit Office, issued what he described as an “unprecedented” note debarring the Council from proceeding with the payment.

However, in a surprising twist, the Council says it has now reached agreement with the Wales Audit Office and the settlement agreement will proceed as scheduled.

A Council spokesperson told The Pembrokeshire Herald that the Council and its legal advisors have been in discussion with the Wales Audit Office since BEFORE the meeting of Council on 16^th October and have “reached a consensus with the Auditor”.

The spokesperson concluded: “The Council will not be incurring any unlawful expenditure.”

The revelation that the Council was discussing matters with the Wales Audit Office before October’s vote is sure to raise many more questions about the majority group’s commitment to investigating the serious allegations made against Mr Parry-Jones.

Speaking on Wednesday, Labour leader Cllr Paul Miller said: “The Welsh Audit Office has backed up what it has been saying all along and has declared Bryn Parry Jones’ pay-off from Pembrokeshire County Council as “unlawful expenditure.” After speaking with Anthony Barrett (the Appointed Auditor) on the telephone tonight, he informed me that his concerns over unlawful payments focused specifically around the pension contributions that formed part of the settlement. Contrary to reports by the council that a deal had been struck, he also confirmed that it had not and that he still sees the pay-off as unlawful.”

Cllr Miller added: “As I said in my response to Jamie Adams’ comments that he believes the payoff was the right thing to do – the payments were unlawful, nothing has changed and Bryn should finish being investigated for gross misconduct. Bryn’s position is clearly untenable while this sorry saga drags on but we now have a chance to make sure this unjust and “unlawful” pay-off doesn’t go ahead.”

Cllr Miller concluded by saying: “The council have released a statement tonight claiming that they have changed some of the wording in the settlement and the Auditors concerns are now resolved. I have spoken personally to the Deputy Auditor General for Wales, Mr Anthony Barrett, twice this evening and he has confirmed that he has not agreed to remove the stop notice and will not be doing so while the element relating to the Chief Executive’s pension remains in the agreement.”

Cllr Jacob Williams said on his blog: “I have spoken to Mr. Barrett this evening and he confirmed that contrary to the council’s statement, no agreement had been reached but that ‘a number of options’ were available to resolve the impasse, which may require an extraordinary meeting for all councillors to re-ratify a new deal.”

“Mr. Barrett also told me, among other things, that he raised his concerns over the content of the settlement agreement with officers PRIOR to the meeting on the 16th where the golden handshake was approved. Needless to say, councillors were NOT informed about this during the secret debate, despite several questions being asked – I can say this with some certainty as I was one of the councillors who queried this very topic.”

He added: “I have also become aware of other matters this evening, relating to the settlement agreement and the original pension opt-out scheme dating back to February, that I certainly intend to pursue.”

Cllr Bob Kilmister commented on the developments, saying: “The decision of the Appointed Auditor Anthony Barrett to issue an Advisory Notice to Pembrokeshire County Council halting the agreement to terminate the employment of Chief Executive Bryn Parry – Jones because it is in his view “unlawful” looks like yet another avoidable crisis for the Council and especially the Leader Jamie Adams. During the secret debate held on Oct 16, I asked Jamie Adams if this settlement had been cleared by the Welsh Audit Office, as we could not afford any more expensive interventions. His reply as recorded by the minute taker was: The Leader’s response to your query was that the S151 Officer and WAO had discussed the matter. That he was not privy to those discussions, but understood they were accepting of the position. They were mindful that Members have all information and that is why he encouraged the opportunity for the presentation by Eversheds on the strengths and weakness of the DIP. He also stated that the Public Services Minister had had the opportunity to see the settlement.”

Cllr Kilmister added: “Eversheds made no comment at all following my question. Part of the settlement concerned pension payments which had already been deemed “unlawful” by the Welsh Audit Office. It was therefore extremely predictable that the WAO would come to the same conclusion again, which is why I queried the matter. This looks like it could become another avoidable and costly fiasco.”

He concluded: “Many members were persuaded by the argument that voting for the settlement would bring about a swift and speedy end to this issue. This now looks a forlorn hope. I repeat my call for Jamie Adams to resign and for a new broad based administration which can provide the county with the fresh start to be formed.”

Crime

Proposed police precept to be scrutinised by police and Crime Panel

Published

15 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE PROPOSED precept for Dyfed Powys Police will be put under scrutiny at the first meeting of the Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Panel in 2025.

Panel members will meet on Friday 24 January 2025 at County Hall in Haverfordwest to discuss the precept and challenge Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn on his budget plans for the coming year.

The panel, made up of members nominated by the four councils in the force area plus two independent members, has the power to approve or veto the proposed police precept.

Local policing is funded from a Home Office grant, as well as contributions from the public via the Council Tax, known as the police precept.

During the meeting Mr Llywelyn will inform the panel of the findings of a recent public consultation on police funding.

Panel Chair, Professor Ian Roffe, said: “As a Police and Crime Panel, it is our role to scrutinise the Police and Crime Commissioner’s proposed precept to ensure that his financial budget is balanced and appropriate to serve the communities of Carmarthenshire, Powys, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. We are all acutely aware of the financial pressure upon households and it is incredibly important, therefore, that the Police and Crime Panel seek assurances that any increase in residents’ taxes reflect good value for their money.”

Visit www.dppoliceandcrimepanel.wales for more information about the Panel, its membership, forthcoming meeting dates, agendas and webcasting links, as well as submitting questions for the Panel to put to the Commissioner.

Questions can be submitted online, or in writing at [email protected] at least 10 days before a meeting.

News

Public urged to have their say on the future of waste and recycling in Pembrokeshire

Published

15 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has launched a draft environmental strategy outlining proposals for the future of waste and recycling, street cleansing, and green spaces in the county. Members of the public are being encouraged to provide feedback on the Draft Environmental Services Strategy 2025-2030.

Over the last 20 years, the council has implemented several changes, regularly earning its place among the top-performing councils in Wales for recycling. However, a detailed analysis of household waste in 2022 revealed that 48% of materials found in black bags could still be recycled.

The new strategy proposes improvements such as introducing additional recycling streams at the kerbside and changes to residual waste collections (black bags).

Call for public feedback

Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said:
“The aim of the strategy is to review the best available options for Pembrokeshire to meet its environmental aspirations of reducing waste and encouraging recycling, reuse, and repair, as well as improving the local environment.

“Considering your views is an essential part of the Council’s decision-making process, and we are open to ideas from households and businesses to help deliver the Environmental Services Strategy.”

Key priorities of the strategy

The strategy focuses on delivering four main priorities:

Improving prevention and reuse of resources
- Reduce the overall waste generated per household.
- Enhance reuse options through Waste and Recycling Centres.
Building on recycling performance to align with the circular economy and Net Zero goals
- Continue meeting statutory recycling targets.
- Expand kerbside recycling services to make recycling more accessible and promote material circularity.
- Review residual waste collections (including the potential for four-weekly collections) to reduce waste, increase recycling income, and cut disposal costs.
Enhancing the sustainability of streets, beaches, and green spaces
- Provide sustainable and cost-effective solutions to maintain and improve the quality of public spaces.
- Boost ecological resilience with biodiversity preservation projects, habitat protection, and climate change adaptation initiatives.
Driving engagement and compliance through behaviour change
- Deliver effective communication and engagement programmes.
- Support households and businesses in recycling and waste management.
- Encourage recycling at home, work, and “on the go.”
- Combat enviro-crime, including fly-tipping and littering.

How to have your say

Residents can share their views by completing the online response form on the council’s website. Those who require a paper copy can call the Customer Contact Centre on 01437 764551 or email [email protected].

The closing date for responses is February 19, 2025.

Crime

Drug dealers caught trafficking cocaine worth £2,000 to Steynton addict

Published

16 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A COURT has heard how two drug dealers were caught trafficking cocaine with a street value of up to £2,000 to an addict in Steynton.

On the morning of July 31, 2024, officers stopped a silver Mercedes on the A477 westbound as it travelled from Swansea into Pembrokeshire. The vehicle was driven by Leslie Thomas, 65, with dealer Adam Idris, 42, in the passenger seat.

A search of the car uncovered 13.6 grams of cocaine, with a purity of 74%, wrapped in small plastic bags. The drugs, hidden in a compartment under the driver’s seat, had an estimated street value of £1,360 to £1,700 in the Dyfed-Powys Police division area.

Officers also discovered a handwritten note containing the address of Jessie Thompson, a 30-year-old addict, who was expecting the delivery at her home in Plas Peregrine, Steynton. When police visited the property, Thompson was described as “noncompliant and intoxicated through drugs.”

Surveillance and phone evidence

Further investigations revealed that Thomas’ silver Mercedes had made two return trips between Swansea and Milford Haven on July 2 and July 24. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) checks also linked the car to journeys to Haverfordwest and Thompson’s home.

Mobile phone analyses showed 105 calls between Idris and Thompson from June 21 to June 30, with the last call made the day before the arrest. During the call, Idris asked if Thompson would be “about.” A map application on Thomas’ phone confirmed visits to Thompson’s address on July 24.

A search of Thompson’s property uncovered drug paraphernalia, including crack foil, several snap bags, and digital scales containing cocaine residue.

Debt and coercion

During a police interview, Thompson claimed she was contacted by an unidentified caller, later identified as Idris, who asked her to sell drugs.

“He’d heard that [Thompson] could shift drugs,” said prosecutor James Hartson. “She was told she didn’t have to pay up front and could sell the drugs on credit. Her debt eventually reached £6,000, which she tried to clear by selling drugs to fund her addiction. She kept a baseball bat at her home for protection.”

Sentences handed down

Idris and Thompson both pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cocaine possession. Idris also admitted possession with intent to supply cocaine. Thomas, of George Street, Neath, pleaded guilty to cocaine possession.

Idris was sentenced to 50 months in custody. Thomas received 29 months. Thompson was handed a 20-month sentence, suspended for 24 months. She was also ordered to complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work.