Politics

Haverfordwest interchange scrutiny call fails but project will cost millions less

Published

9 months ago

May 9, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL for Haverfordwest’s transport interchange to come under the scrutiny of full council was defeated by just one vote, but the project as a whole will see a cheaper version built, to the tune of more than £10m.

The second stage of building Haverfordwest’s transport interchange was backed by Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet last month, with members hearing it could cost the council more to not support it.

The transport interchange, which includes an integrated bus station and construction of a new multi-storey car park, is part of a wider series of regeneration projects in the county town.

The total cost of the Welsh Government grant-supported scheme in the approved budget is £18.881m, £1.987m coming from Pembrokeshire County Council.

At the April Cabinet meeting, a report for members warned that if the scheme was not backed then Welsh government could withdraw its grant funding, with some £3.376m spent on the project to date, which could be reclaimed.

After that meeting, a successful ‘call-in’ for the matter to be discussed at the council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting of May 7 was made by the council’s Welsh Conservative group, led by Cllr Di Clements.

It asked for “full and proper scrutiny” of the decision, saying the Cabinet decision had “little discussion on how the ‘value engineering’ of this project will affect the project overall”.

At the May 7 meeting, deputy leader Cllr Paul Miller labelled the ‘call-in’ politically motivated, saying: “The council had a car park that wasn’t very good, and we’re building a better one,” adding: “Cabinet didn’t vote for something they didn’t understand, every member in that room knew what they were voting for.

“It’s going to cost a lot more not to do this project than to do it; I think this is a purely political exercise, nonsense really, if Pembrokeshire County Council can’t rebuild a knackered carpark in its county town centre what is going on?”

Following a successful call by Cllr Aled Thomas for some confidential details of the ‘value engineering’ reductions in costs were made public; the cost of the overall project reduced by some £10m-plus, from an early estimate figure of £25m for the original scheme highlighted in the now-public documents.

The ‘value engineering’ includes a reduction in size of the scheme, from 320 to 290 larger parking spaces, including the removal of a ‘green roof’ and other infrastructure.

“I struggle to see how you can take £10m off a project and it fundamentally be the same project,” Cllr Thomas said.

Cllr Miller told members: “This has been an exercise in cutting our cloth, but we think we found the right balance.”

Councillor Tony Wilcox said: “We’re getting basically the same scheme for £10m less, virtually like-for-like, it’s good all round; I only wish it was in Pembroke Dock.”

The issue of the changed figures drew the ire of former council leader Cllr Jamie Adams, who said: “Part of the scandal surrounding the project is the figures [over time] have been so wildly fluctuating, £8m then £18m, we never really had an explanation as to why that was; then up to £25m, and now down to £14.5m.

“The public are rightly asking ‘what an earth is going on?’.”

He added: “We’ve had a fait accompli and such wildly conflicting reports about how much it’s going to cost; you would struggle to find 10 per cent of the people I’ve spoken to say they were in support of this scheme.

“We’re simply reflecting the views we’re being given; we’ve become a bit of a laughing-stock because the costs of this have gone up and down, up and down.”

Cllr Miller finished by saying: “Here we are, half way down the road to building this car park, it’s £1.9m to deliver, if we don’t deliver we’ll have to spend much more to have a gravel car park we have now.”

A call was made by Cllr Thomas for the scheme to return to full council, along with potential revisions to the scheme.

“The issue here isn’t the car park in itself, it’s the way it’s been handled; the fact is the Cabinet meeting was done and dusted in 10 minutes.”

He formally proposed: “Given the significance of this project, the committee wish for full council to provide full scrutiny of this project at a council level before returning its recommendation to the cabinet.

“The committee request that Cllr Miller engage with the Welsh Government as to whether it is possible for a revision to be made to this project and its funding as a result of town centres changing drastically post Covid-19, and that should also be discussed at the council meeting.”

That call was defeated by seven votes to six, the original Cabinet decision standing.

News

Boundary Commission publishes final recommendations for Pembrokeshire

Published

17 hours ago

January 29, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE DEMOCRACY and Boundary Commission Cymru has published its Final Recommendations for the future community arrangements for Pembrokeshire.

The recommendations follow two periods of public engagement, which saw many representations made on Pembrokeshire’s community arrangements.

These include the number of community and town councils, their boundaries, and the number of councillors within each community.

The overriding aim of the review was to ensure effective and convenient local government.

Part of this is to ensure that representation on town and community councils is, as far as is practicable, similar across all councils in Pembrokeshire.

The Final Recommendations Report contains all of the Commission’s recommendations for Pembrokeshire. Where it has made changes to the existing arrangements a description of the change, the representations received, the reasons for change and a map of the recommendations are contained in the report.

The Final Recommendations Report has been submitted to Welsh Government Ministers, and it is now for Welsh Government to decide how to proceed. Usually they will make an Order.

Any changes included in the Order will come into effect at the next Local Government elections in 2027.

County Councillor Neil Prior, Cabinet Member for Communities, Corporate Improvement, and the Well-being of Future Generations said:

“We would like to thank the Commission for the thorough and balanced work undertaken throughout the review. We would also like to thank the organisations and individuals who took the time to make representations during both periods of consultation.

“As the Welsh Government take the next steps, changes will be implemented in 2027 for the next round of local elections.”

The Pembrokeshire Community Review’s final recommendations propose specific changes to community boundaries and electoral arrangements to better reflect local identities and improve governance. Key proposed changes include:

Amalgamation of Communities: The communities of Ambleston and Spittal are recommended to merge into a single community named “Spittal,” comprising two wards: Ambleston and Spittal.
Boundary Adjustments: Several communities, including Clydau, Crymych, Eglwyswrw, and Boncath, are proposed to have boundary modifications to better align with local identities and improve electoral parity.
Community Ward Changes: In the community of Fishguard and Goodwick, it’s recommended to replace the existing Fishguard North East and Fishguard North West wards with a single “Fishguard” ward, and to rename the Goodwick ward to “Goodwick and Harbour.”
Councillor Representation: Adjustments in the number of councillors are proposed for various communities to ensure fair representation. For instance, the new Spittal community would have a total of 12 councillors, with 5 representing the Ambleston ward and 7 representing the Spittal ward.

These recommendations aim to ensure effective and convenient local governance, reflecting the evolving needs and identities of Pembrokeshire’s communities.

The Final Recommendations can be found on the Commission’s website: https://www.dbcc.gov.wales/reviews/01-25/pembrokeshire-community-review-final-recommendations

News

Kurtz challenges Welsh Government on skilled jobs

Published

21 hours ago

January 29, 2025

Tom Sinclair

SAMUEL KURTZ, Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, has pressed First Minister Eluned Morgan on how the Welsh Government plans to meet the skilled employment demands of emerging industries and technologies.

Speaking in the Senedd, Kurtz emphasised Pembrokeshire’s strong industrial heritage and the continued importance of the hydrocarbon sector, including Valero oil refinery and RWE power station. He highlighted new opportunities arising from the Celtic Freeport and potential investment in Floating Off-Shore Wind, which could bring renewed prosperity to the region.

Following the plenary session, Kurtz said: “Pembrokeshire is home to a diverse mix of established and emerging industries, and it is vital that our workforce has the flexibility to transition into the jobs of the future.

“Businesses understand their needs better than anyone, so the Welsh Government must engage directly with the industries that will be creating these opportunities.

“It is unacceptable that the Welsh Labour Government has yet to present a clear plan to support workers in traditional industries should they wish to reskill. Their slow response is damaging investment, harming businesses, and failing those whose future careers depend on decisive action.”

News

Paul Davies backs new autism bill petition

Published

21 hours ago

January 29, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A PETITION calling on the Welsh Government to reconsider its stance on an Autism Bill has gained the backing of local Senedd Member Paul Davies.

Campaigners are urging a fresh debate on autism legislation, arguing that many individuals still struggle to access essential services and support. Mr Davies previously introduced an Autism Bill in 2019, but it was voted down by Welsh Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Davies said: “People with autism have waited long enough, and I’m pleased to see this matter back on the political agenda. An Autism Bill would ensure that a national autism strategy for Wales becomes a statutory requirement, guaranteeing the services available to people with autism are enshrined in law. This provides accountability and sends a strong message that Wales is committed to ensuring high-quality, accessible services for autistic individuals.”

He added: “I wholeheartedly support Mr Grennan’s petition and urge the Welsh Government to seriously reconsider the case for autism legislation. Urgent action is needed now to help people with autism receive the support they need.”