Decision finds ‘no evidence’ of code breach as fallout continues from Dennison suspension

THE PUBLIC SERVICES OMBUDSMAN FOR WALES has concluded there is “no evidence” that Cllr Guy Woodham breached the Members’ Code of Conduct in relation to the long-running Imperial Hall planning dispute in Milford Haven.

The decision, issued on Wednesday (June 10), brings to an end a complaint made by Imperial Hall director Lee Bridges following the controversial Planning Delegation Panel meeting which considered whether the venue’s retrospective planning application should be referred to Pembrokeshire County Council’s Planning Committee.

The ruling lands less than two weeks after Milford Haven councillor Alan Dennison was suspended for four months by Pembrokeshire County Council’s Standards Committee over his involvement in the same planning matter.

Complaint dismissed

The Ombudsman investigated allegations that Cllr Woodham had failed to declare personal and prejudicial interests while acting as Chair of the Planning Delegation Panel meeting on February 25, 2025.

The complaint also alleged Cllr Woodham had improperly used his position while participating in the panel’s consideration of whether the Imperial Hall application should be referred to councillors for determination.

However, after reviewing evidence, interviewing witnesses and viewing the webcast of the meeting, the Ombudsman concluded there was no evidence of wrongdoing.

The decision notice states: “The evidence did not suggest that the Member had a personal or prejudicial interest.”

It added there was no evidence the decision could reasonably be regarded as affecting Cllr Woodham’s wellbeing or financial position, or that of someone with whom he had a close personal association.

The Ombudsman therefore decided there was “no evidence of a breach of the Code.”

Why the complaint was made

The complaint had been made by Mr Bridges following the Planning Delegation Panel meeting, during which councillors declined a request to refer the Imperial Hall planning application to committee.

Mr Bridges had argued there were potential conflicts involving Cllr Woodham linked to community venues in Milford Haven and alleged competing interests connected to the local events sector.

Those concerns later formed part of wider criticism voiced publicly by both Mr Bridges and Cllr Dennison.

Last week, following the Standards Committee ruling against him, Cllr Dennison claimed Cllr Woodham had chaired the panel “with full awareness of the potential repercussions” for Mr Bridges’ business and alleged competing interests had not been properly declared.

Ombudsman draws distinction

The Ombudsman’s findings appear to draw a clear distinction between the Woodham complaint and the circumstances which led to the sanction against Cllr Dennison.

In Cllr Dennison’s case, the Standards Committee concluded he had personal and prejudicial interests arising from a combination of factors, including his previous directorship of Imperial Hall Limited, a financial loan to the business during Covid, involvement with the Masonic Hall company, social links with Mr Bridges and prior advice from the Monitoring Officer warning him not to become involved.

The committee found Cllr Dennison had acted as an “advocate and champion” for the application by drafting and signing paperwork to seek committee determination on behalf of local member Cllr Terry Davies.

By contrast, the Ombudsman concluded the evidence in the Woodham matter did not establish either a sufficiently close personal association or a financial or personal interest requiring declaration.

Bridges sought consistency

Only days before the Ombudsman’s decision, Mr Bridges had written to the Ombudsman questioning whether his complaint concerning Cllr Woodham was being afforded the same level of scrutiny as the Dennison case.

He argued that allegations involving participation in decision-making processes should be treated consistently.

In response, the Ombudsman told Mr Bridges that all complaints are assessed under the same two-stage process and determined on their own merits.

The decision notice issued today confirms the Ombudsman has now completed that assessment and found no breach.

Wider fallout continues

The Imperial Hall planning dispute has become one of the most politically charged local controversies in Milford Haven in recent years.

The original dispute concerned retrospective engineering works linked to an external dining area at the Hamilton Terrace venue.

Planning officers ultimately refused the application, while a later appeal to Welsh Government inspectors was unsuccessful.

Cllr Dennison has vowed to appeal his four-month suspension, insisting he did nothing wrong and arguing he merely signed paperwork “pp” on behalf of Cllr Terry Davies after being asked to assist.

Speaking after the Standards Committee hearing, he described the process as unfair and politically motivated.

When previously approached by The Herald regarding the Ombudsman complaint, Cllr Woodham said he was unable to comment while the matter remained live.

MORE than 720,000 adults in Wales are now living with poor mental health, according to a major new report which warns the nation continues to record the highest levels of psychological distress in the UK.

New analysis released by the Mental Health Foundation on Wednesday (June 10) found that an additional 278,000 adults in Wales are experiencing poor mental health compared to 2009.

The findings show that by 2024, more than one in four adults in Wales (27.3%) were affected – around 720,000 people – placing Wales 2.7 percentage points above the UK average of 24.6%.

The charity said worsening financial insecurity, poverty, austerity measures and the long-term effects of the Covid pandemic are continuing to hit Welsh communities hard.

A report based on 15 years of data from 40,000 people across the UK found Wales has reported higher levels of poor mental health than the UK average in 13 of the last 15 years.

Researchers said the situation worsened significantly after the pandemic, with Wales reaching a peak of 28% in 2022/23 – 5.2 percentage points above the UK average at the time.

Although figures have fallen slightly since then, Wales continues to record the highest levels of poor mental health in Britain.

The Mental Health Foundation said poverty remains a major factor, with around one in five people in Wales living in poverty over the last two decades.

It warned that more than half of those affected are now living in “very deep poverty”, leading to chronic stress, financial hardship and greater mental health difficulties.

Catherine Razzell, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Mental Health Foundation, said the findings reveal a “worrying and consistent pattern” in Wales.

“Whilst figures show the levels of poor mental health in other UK nations have tracked together, Wales has diverged from the rest of the UK – this is deeply concerning,” she said.

“Things need to change in order to protect the people of Wales from poor mental health and for the next generation. This is not just on an individual basis, but at a systemic level.”

The charity welcomed the Welsh Government’s planned pilot of the new Welsh Child Payment, known as Cynnal, and said prevention-focused policies would be key to improving outcomes.

However, it said progress would require cooperation between Cardiff Bay and Westminster due to the range of economic and social policies affecting mental wellbeing.

The report, titled The state of mental health, analysed data collected between 2009 and 2024 using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), a recognised measure used to identify likely mental health disorders across populations.

The Welsh Government has previously pledged to improve mental health support through its cross-government Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Wales covering 2025 to 2035.

A 22-YEAR-OLD man who suffered serious injuries after falling from cliffs overlooking Pendine Beach is recovering well following emergency surgery.

The man was visiting Pendine with friends on a weekend break when the incident happened on Saturday afternoon. Emergency services were called to the scene after he fell from a cliff edge above the beach, sustaining significant chest, facial and pelvic injuries.

A major multi-agency response was launched involving the Welsh Ambulance Service, HM Coastguard, Dyfed-Powys Police and the Wales Air Ambulance. Personnel from Pendine Community Council also assisted at the scene.

After receiving emergency treatment, the casualty was airlifted to Cardiff for specialist hospital care, where he underwent surgery.

An update released with the consent of the injured man and his family confirmed that he is now recovering well.

The young man, his family and friends have expressed their gratitude to everyone involved in the rescue effort, treatment and ongoing care.

Special thanks were paid to local resident Michaela Dance, an Emergency Nurse Practitioner, who was first on the scene and provided immediate assistance before emergency crews arrived.

The family said they were extremely thankful for the professionalism, skill and compassion shown by all emergency service personnel and those who helped during the incident.

Despite the seriousness of the injuries sustained, the outcome has been positive, with family and friends acknowledging that the situation could have been far worse.

Pictured are the injured man’s friends with Michaela Dance, presenting her with a gift as a token of their appreciation for the assistance she provided following the incident.