Local Government

Swansea City’s councillors votes for hope not hate

Published

1 month ago

November 7, 2025

Council reaffirms ‘City of Sanctuary’ status in near-unanimous vote

SWANSEA COUNCIL has voted overwhelmingly to reaffirm its commitment to being a City of Sanctuary and to tackle misinformation about asylum seekers and refugees — a move described by campaigners as “a vote for hope, not hate.”

***Voted against: Cllr Francesca O’Brien***

The Notice of Motion on Social Cohesion, brought by councillors from across Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative groups, passed on Wednesday evening (Nov 6) with only two councillors voting against. Those opposing were Reform UK’s Francesca O’Brien, who represents Mumbles, and one independent councillor.

The motion states that the council “notes with concern the rise of misinformation and misconceptions relating to asylum and migration,” and recognises the contribution that refugees and those granted leave to remain make to local services, including health and social care. It also reaffirms Swansea’s identity as a City of Sanctuary and commits councillors to promoting equality, tackling racism, and engaging constructively with local communities.

Veteran Conservative councillor Lyndon Jones and his group voted with Labour and the Liberal Democrats, despite Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar’s criticism of the Welsh Government’s Nation of Sanctuary policy.

Seaview School controversy

The debate follows recent controversy over Seaview Primary School in Mayhill, after false claims were circulated on social media suggesting the school had banned Christmas celebrations to avoid offending Muslim pupils.

The claims, which were swiftly debunked by both the school and Swansea Council, were condemned by community leaders as Islamophobic and damaging to local cohesion. Anti-racism campaigners accused Reform UK councillor Francesca O’Brien of amplifying those claims, which she has denied.

During Wednesday’s meeting, councillors said the Social Cohesion motion was intended to push back against misinformation of that kind and to reaffirm Swansea’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive city.

Focus on refugees from war

The Nation of Sanctuary programme in Wales provides coordinated support for refugees and asylum seekers, but the majority of those arriving in recent years have been Ukrainian families fleeing the war.

Under the Welsh Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, thousands of displaced people have been housed across Wales, with councils including Swansea providing accommodation, language support, and community integration services.

Unlike asylum seekers, most Ukrainian refugees are granted the immediate right to work, access healthcare, and enrol in schools, helping them contribute to local life and the economy while rebuilding their lives in safety.

Following the vote, Reform UK issued a statement criticising the Conservatives for “leaving the playing field on illegal immigration.” Cllr O’Brien said she voted against the motion to represent “working families in Swansea who think our laws matter, our borders matter, and our safety matters.”

However, the anti-racism organisation Stand Up To Racism Swansea praised the outcome, describing it as “a vote for anti-racism and a defence of the Nation of Sanctuary supporting asylum seekers and refugees.” The group said councillors had sent “a clear message that bigotry and misinformation have no place in our city.”

Swansea became the first City of Sanctuary in Wales in 2010, pledging to foster a culture of welcome and support for people fleeing war or persecution. That pioneering move inspired other local authorities, including Cardiff, Newport and Wrexham, to adopt similar commitments to inclusion and community safety.

The motion commits the council to continuing its anti-racism work, strengthening community cohesion, and ensuring all councillors undertake equality and inclusion training.

Local Government

Carmarthenshire welcomes new council leader

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Tom Sinclair

New Cabinet confirmed following Full Council meeting

COUNCILLOR Linda Evans has been appointed Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council and Chair of the Cabinet following a meeting of Full Council on Wednesday (Dec 10).

A long-serving Plaid Cymru councillor for the Llanfihangel-ar-Arth ward, Cllr Evans has served on the authority since 2008 and has been a Cabinet Member since 2015.

Her appointment was formally confirmed during the meeting, where she also announced her Cabinet team — a 10-member executive responsible for the council’s overall business. The Cabinet meets fortnightly to make key decisions and recommendations to Full Council and, in some cases, decisions can be taken individually by Cabinet Members.

All members of the previous administration have retained their roles, with one change: Cllr Emlyn Schiavone joins the Cabinet as the new Cabinet Member for Homes.

The full Cabinet is as follows:

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism: Cllr Hazel Evans
Cabinet Member for Education: Cllr Glynog Davies
Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs, Communities and Welsh Language: Cllr Carys Jones
Cabinet Member for Organisation and Workforce: Cllr Philip Hughes
Cabinet Member for Resources: Cllr Alun Lenny
Cabinet Member for Homes: Cllr Emlyn Schiavone
Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services: Cllr Edward Thomas
Cabinet Member for Integrated Health and Children and Adult Social Services: Cllr Jane Tremlett
Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Decarbonisation and Sustainability: Cllr Aled Vaughan Owen
Leader of the Council: Cllr Linda Evans

Speaking after her appointment, Cllr Evans said:
“It’s an honour to be elected as Council Leader and I look forward to working with the Cabinet and all members across the chamber for the benefit of the residents of Carmarthenshire.”

Climate

Urgent calls for action on Pembroke Commons flooding

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

TWO PEMBROKESHIRE councillors have submitted an urgent call for action following recent heavy flooding in parts of Pembroke.

Pembroke councillors Aaron Carey and Jonathan Grimes have submitted an urgent notice of motion ahead of tomorrow’s December 12 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council following heavy flooding in the town’s Commons and Castle Pond area.

The notice of motion covers six points.

“That this council notes with concern the repeated and increasingly severe flooding experienced in our coastal, estuarial and river-fringe communities over recent weeks — in particular the flooding events affecting the Commons/Castle Pond area.

“That the council further notes that, according to correspondence from the Coastal, Rivers & Drainage Team Manager, the tipping gate at the barrage remains out of operation until mid-January due to mechanical issues; meanwhile high tide, heavy rain, wind-driven tidal surges and overspill at the sluice have combined to overwhelm the drainage/outfall infrastructure.

“That we recognise the current maintenance schedule (delayed till after the summer season) and the justification given — but further that such planning failed to foresee the likelihood of severe winter storm and surge events, which climate change makes more frequent and more intense.

“That this council therefore calls on the Cabinet to commission an urgent review of:

The adequacy of the current drainage/outfall and tidal-sluice infrastructure (barrage tipping gate, sluice/sluice-valve, flap valve, outfall capacity) for current and projected climate/tide conditions.
The maintenance scheduling policy for coastal and estuarial flood-risk assets, with a view to ensuring critical maintenance is completed before winter high-tide / storm-surge season, rather than — as at present — being delayed until after summer for ‘recreational / biodiversity’ reasons.

“That, pending the outcome of the review, the council should allocate appropriate emergency capital funding to remediate the barrages / sluices / outfalls at risk of failure or blockage — to safeguard residents, properties, highways and public amenities from further flooding.

“That, further, this council resolves to publish a public flood-resilience plan for the county, identifying all coastal and river-fringe ‘hotspots,’ maintenance schedules, responsible teams, and a transparent timeline for upgrades or remedial works — so residents have clarity and confidence in flood prevention measures.”

The submission also includes a question for Cabinet Member Cllr Rhys Sinnett.

“In light of the repeated flooding events across the county – including the recent overflow at Castle Pond and the acknowledgement by your own Coastal, Rivers & Drainage Team that the barrage tipping gate remains inoperable until mid-January can you explain what assessment has been made of the adequacy of our tidal outfall infrastructure in the face of current and projected future storm surges and sea-level rise?

“If no such assessment has yet been undertaken, will you commit now to commissioning an immediate structural and risk-capacity audit, with a report to full council within three months, and with proposals for funding any remedial works required — to avoid recurring damage and disruption to residents, highways, and public amenities?”

A Pembrokeshire County Council spokesman has confirmed the 11th hour call will be heard by full council tomorrow.

Image: Martin Cavaney

Local Government

Welsh Government funding boost for Pembrokeshire welcomed

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A BETTER financial settlement for Pembrokeshire from the Welsh Government worth millions of pounds, following an agreement with Plaid Cymru, has avoided “a disaster for public services,” a senior councillor has said.

While council tax makes up a proportion of the council’s annual revenue, a crucial area of funding is the Aggregate External Finance (AEF) rate from Welsh Government.

Pembrokeshire was to receive a 2.3 per cent increase on its settlement, a total of £244,318,000, amounting to an extra £5,493,000, placing it at joint 13th of the 22 local authorities in Wales.

Now, following a Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru agreement which will allow the budget for 2026-27 to pass there has, amongst other agreements, been additional funding for local government in 2026-27, an extra £112.8m, which provides an overall 4.5 per cent increase to the local government settlement, with all councils receiving increases above 4 per cent.

The agreement will be reflected in the Final Budget – together with other allocations to be made by the Welsh Government, which do not form part of the agreement – which is published on January 20.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance Efficiencies Cllr Alistair Cameron responded, saying: “I am pleased that an agreement has been reached which will be supported by the Senedd. It would have been disastrous for public services in Wales if there was no agreement.

“For Pembrokeshire, this means that the funding from Welsh Government will increase by 4.2 percent. This equates to over £10 million which will help us to deliver local services such as education and social care.

“However, I still have great concerns that the Welsh Government’s funding mechanism does not sufficiently recognise the challenges of delivering vital services in a rural county and providing care for an older population as we have in Pembrokeshire.

“By contrast, some urban councils have been awarded bigger increases such as 6.1 percent in Newport and 5.2 percent in Swansea. We are therefore writing to Welsh Government to express our concerns about the unfairness of the funding mechanism.”

2024 saw Pembrokeshire receive a higher-than-expected settlement increase of 3.6 per cent from Welsh Government – amounting to just over £8.1m – against a predicted two per cent.