News

Motions ‘kicked into the long grass’

Published

11 years ago

February 13, 2015

County Hall

MEMBERS of the Corporate Governance Committee felt that two notices of motion were being ‘kicked into the long grass’ on Monday.

Cllrs Viv and Mike Stoddart both saw their motions sent to the Constitutional Issues Working Group, a group which has not met since April 2014.

The working group was the subject of much debate and Council Leader Jamie Adams stated that he was happy to commit to the group meeting by the end of February but other councillors were not convinced.

Cllr Mike Stoddart proposed that a person putting forward a Notice of Motion, if he/she wishes, could propose that it be debated on the day and the council would vote on the matter.

Cllr Michael Williams said: “I find the recommendation a bit strange because in the leaders’ meeting last week there was a general acceptance that the Constitutional Issues Working Group was at best in a state of complete torpor. When did it last meet? This is certainly a boot into the long grass”.

Acting Head of Paid Service Ian Westley added: “This particular issue was raised by myself because whilst I understand there are issues about how often this group has met and how affective it might have been, the issue that was raised at that meeting was in fact that it is still in place and we should bring it back on track and use it for its intended purpose. This is nothing to do with kicking things into long grass”.

Cllr Kilmister added: “We already have a constitution which says how a notice of motion should be dealt with and that should be that it goes to this committee for a decision and then it goes on to council. This committee is being used in the wrong way. We need to put it back to council and stop referring these things. We shouldn’t be extending this process. We need to determine this and if it goes to the working group it will be lost for months to come. They haven’t once looked at the notices of motion and it is a complete farce!”

Cllr Jacob Williams said: “These issues do not need to go off to a Constitutional Issues Working Group, which is, in my opinion, kicking it into the long grass and I would also disagree that this committee should be able to kick it there without it going back to council”.

Cllr Viv Stoddart proposed that non-executive members should be allowed to ask questions or comment on an agenda item at an executive meeting.

She said: “My motion seeks to close the gap at Pembrokeshire County Council. A non-executive member can send representations to the Cabinet member who may inform the Cabinet of the issues brought to his or her attention. The key word there is ‘may’. Non-executive members should not have their representations subject to the whim of the Cabinet member. This discretion affords the Cabinet member an opportunity to abuse their positions of power.

“If we go back to autumn 2013, when the proposed merger of schools in my ward was on the agenda for the November Cabinet meeting, I emailed my contribution to all members; did the cabinet member raise my email? There wasn’t a word from the cabinet member.

“There is no equality of arms between the non-executive member and the cabinet member. The Cabinet member, during the debate, can make the case for his ward. This gives them an unfair advantage over the non-executive members.

“When it comes to scrutiny, in September, the leader accepted that Cabinet members needed to be more inclusive in the way they dealt with members.

“If this is accepted it will be seen by the public as being more open and transparent”.

Council Leader Jamie Adams said: “We need to recognise that the process of undertaking a complete review of the constitution is the way forward to provide a firm footing for the council to operate.

“The opportunity is with us to shape how we operate in the future; we’ve got an opportunity in our grasp within three months we could have that on the table. I would suggest our efforts be concentrated on that rather than adopting well-meaning aspects of change when we can have a fundamental review”.

Cllr Jacob Williams said: “I completely support the proposal and it is interesting as the leader says it’s got merit so I can’t see why he would be keen to kick it into the long grass. We’ve got to grab the bull by the horns and get on with it”.

Cllr Kilmister stated that Cabinet should be more accessible and that it was time for councillors to speak for themselves.

Ian Westley added: “I share your frustrations. As officers we are being told of the need to redraft elements of the constitution, it’s in all of our interests to do. You’ve heard the leader commit to calling a meeting of the Constitutional Issues Working Group before the end of this month and his commitment to attempt to get the constitution redrafted by the annual council which is not four months away”.

Speaking earlier in the meeting, he stated that he saw the recommendations for the two agenda items as a positive way of moving forward.

Council Leader Jamie Adams added: “It has proved difficult and we’ve probably got bogged down which is why we agreed a set of principles to guide the council forward. If we’re chipping away at the current constitution I don’t believe we would be doing ourselves much of a service and I gave the commitment at the leaders meeting and I am happy to do it again here that I see a real opportunity to get a new working constitution to council by the AGM this year. I’d like to think that is a far better way forward”.

Crime

Pembrokeshire man sent to Crown Court over death by careless driving charge

Published

46 minutes ago

December 18, 2025

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been sent to the Crown Court to stand trial accused of causing a death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

Alexander MacCallum, aged 28, of Beach Road, Llanreath, Pembroke Dock, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Dec 18).

The court heard that MacCallum is charged with causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving following an incident on Thursday (June 13, 2024).

No plea was entered at this stage of the proceedings.

Magistrates were told the case was too serious to be dealt with at magistrates’ level and ordered that it be sent to the Crown Court for trial.

MacCallum was sent to the Crown Court on unconditional bail, with further proceedings to take place at a later date.

The prosecution was brought by Dyfed-Powys Police. No defence solicitor was formally recorded at the hearing.

Health

NHS Wales spends more than £15.5m on agency radiographers as pressures grow

Published

2 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

NHS WALES has spent more than £15.5 million on agency radiography staff over the past five years, as mounting pressure on diagnostic imaging services raises concerns about long-term workforce sustainability.

Figures obtained by the Welsh Liberal Democrats through Freedom of Information requests show that spending on temporary radiographers almost doubled between 2020/21 and 2023/24, despite relatively low headline vacancy rates across Welsh health boards.

Radiographers carry out X-rays, CT, MRI and ultrasound scans, which are essential to emergency care, cancer diagnosis, trauma treatment and elective surgery. Delays or shortages in imaging services can have a knock-on effect across patient pathways, slowing diagnosis and treatment.

The data also highlights an ageing workforce. More than a quarter of radiographers in Wales are aged over 50, with more than one in ten aged 55 or above. In some health boards, a significantly higher proportion of staff are approaching retirement age, raising concerns that experienced radiographers could leave faster than they can be replaced.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board recorded the highest agency spend, at more than £8.1m over the period covered by the FOI requests. Other health boards also reported growing reliance on temporary staff to maintain services, particularly where specialist skills are required.

While official vacancy figures remain comparatively low, professional bodies have previously warned that vacancy data does not always reflect pressure on services, as posts can be held open or covered through overtime and agency staff rather than filled permanently.

Diagnostic imaging demand has increased steadily in recent years, driven by an ageing population, advances in medical imaging technology, and rising referrals linked to cancer and long-term conditions.

Commenting on the findings, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:

“Radiographers are absolutely vital to the NHS. From diagnosing cancer to treating people in A&E, the vast majority of patient journeys depend on timely access to scans.

“These figures show a system increasingly relying on expensive agency staff while failing to plan properly for the future workforce. That is not fair on patients, and it is not fair on staff who are already under huge pressure.

“The Welsh Labour Government must take urgent action to improve recruitment and retention, support experienced staff to stay in the workforce for longer, and ensure NHS Wales has a sustainable radiography workforce fit for the future.”

The Welsh Government has previously said it is working with health boards to improve recruitment and retention across NHS Wales, including expanding training places and supporting flexible working arrangements to help retain experienced staff. Ministers have also pointed to record numbers of staff working in the NHS overall, while acknowledging ongoing challenges in hard-to-recruit specialties.

However, opposition parties and professional bodies continue to warn that without long-term workforce planning, reliance on agency staff could increase further, adding to costs and pressure on already stretched diagnostic services.

Local Government

Essential bridge maintenance and repairs planned for January

Published

3 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Works on Westfield Pill Bridge to affect A477 traffic

ESSENTIAL maintenance and repair work is set to begin on Westfield Pill Bridge, with traffic management in place on the A477 between Neyland and Pembroke Dock.

The programme of works is due to start on Monday (Jan 19) following a Principal Inspection carried out in 2022, which identified a number of necessary repairs to maintain the long-term durability and safety of the structure.

Westfield Pill Bridge is a key route linking communities in south Pembrokeshire and carries a high volume of daily traffic. While major works were last undertaken in 1998 — which required a full closure of the bridge — the upcoming refurbishment has been designed to avoid shutting the crossing entirely.

Instead, the works, scheduled to take place in early 2026, will be managed through traffic control measures to keep the bridge open throughout the project.

The planned refurbishment will include the replacement of both eastbound and westbound bridge parapets, the renewal of expansion joints, and full resurfacing of the bridge deck.

The work is expected to take no longer than three months and will involve weekend and night-time working to help minimise disruption. All construction activity will be carried out from the bridge deck and has been scheduled to avoid clashes with other planned trunk road works, as well as periods of higher traffic demand.

Two-way traffic signals will be in place for the duration of the works. These will be manually controlled during peak periods, with particular efforts made to reduce delays affecting school transport.

Motorists are advised that there may be delays to local bus services during the works, including the 349 (Haverfordwest–Pembroke Dock–Tenby) and 356 (Milford Haven–Monkton) routes.

Drivers are encouraged to allow extra time for journeys and to follow on-site signage while the works are underway.