News

Huge 13% rise in fire service costs for council taxpayers in mid and west Wales

Published

3 years ago

February 7, 2023

TAX payers in Mid and West Wales will pay 13% more towards the region’s fire service in 2023-24 compared to this year. The budget for Mid and West Fire and Rescue Service will be £63,257,200, more than £9 million more than currently.

Energy, fuel and wage inflation, and a desire among Mid and West Wales Fire Authority – the body which sets the budget and scrutinises the fire service – to address priority areas such as a decline in retained firefighters are behind the inflation-busting hike. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.

Residents of Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Powys, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire fund the fire service through council tax levy – and the increase could have been even higher for 2023-24 because the Welsh Government withdrew a grant for the fire service’s radio system, called Firelink. But that grant, worth nearly £600,000, will now be funded from the fire service’s reserves.

The fire authority had debated the proposed budget increase in previous meetings before confirming it on February 6. Authority member, Cllr John Davies, said it had been a difficult process but that he and his colleagues had a duty of care for the safety of all those they represented.

He described the 13% rise as “significant”, but that it was similar to council budget increases when you considered budget settlements for both organisations over the past five years. The fire authority had considered options for a 9%, 11% or 13% hike at a previous meeting, and recommended 13%. The service’s chief fire officer, Roger Thomas, said 13% would help stem the drop in retained firefighters, among other benefits.

The £63,257,200 budget was approved by 19 fire authority members, with one abstaining as he had joined the meeting late and one – Cllr Lyndon Jones – voting against. Cllr Jones said there had been “almost a perfect storm” in terms of rising costs, but that a 13% increase “amounts to a huge sum of money”. He said an audit of the fire service’s assets might identify land by fire stations which could potentially be sold to raise money.

Much of the budget debate was around how the Firelink grant would be funded in future years, as paying for it out of reserves beyond 2023-24 was not considered sustainable. Mr Thomas described the withdrawal of the grant as disappointing.

Authority members also asked if a £1.8m fire service pension grant which councils would have to fund in 2023-24 would not add to the 13% increase. They were told that technically it would, but that the Welsh Government was providing the six member councils with extra funding, meaning that pension grant was cost-neutral.

Fire service support staff have an agreed an average pay of rise of 6.6% for the current financial year, but operational firefighters haven’t agreed one. Last week the Fire Brigades Union said more than 80% of its members who voted backed strike action.

The report before the fire authority said trainee firefighters earned £24,191, as of July 2021, and that qualified ones earned £32,244. The chief fire officer’s salary was £161,265. The fire service’s budget increase in 2022-23 was 3.95%.

Reporting by Richard Youle, Local Democracy Reporter

Community

Craig Flannery appointed as new Chief Fire Officer

Published

4 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Tom Sinclair

MID AND WEST WALES FIRE SERVICE LEADERSHIP CHANGE

MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has announced the appointment of Craig Flannery as its new Chief Fire Officer, with effect from Monday, December 15, 2025.

Mr Flannery has served with the Service for more than twenty years, progressing through a wide range of middle management and senior leadership roles across both operational and non-operational departments.

During his career, he has been closely involved in strengthening operational delivery, risk management and organisational development. His work has included leading innovation in learning and development, overseeing the Service’s On-Call Improvement Programme, and driving investment in key enabling functions such as workforce development and information and communication technology.

The appointment followed a rigorous, multi-stage recruitment process led by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority. Candidates were assessed through structured interviews, strategic leadership exercises and scenario-based assessments designed to test operational judgement, organisational vision and the ability to lead a modern fire and rescue service.

External professional assessors were also engaged to provide independent scrutiny, ensuring the process met high standards of fairness, transparency and challenge.

Mr Flannery emerged as the strongest candidate, demonstrating clear strategic leadership capability, detailed organisational knowledge and a strong commitment to community safety and service improvement.

Councillor John Davies, Chair of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “Craig brings a deep understanding of our Service and a clear vision for its future. His appointment will strengthen our ability to innovate, support our workforce and deliver high-quality protection for the communities we serve.

“As we navigate a rapidly changing landscape, Craig’s experience in driving innovation and organisational development will be invaluable in helping us adapt and transform for the future.”

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Flannery said: “It is a privilege to lead this outstanding Service. I am committed to supporting our people, strengthening partnerships and building on the strong foundations already in place.

“As the challenges facing fire and rescue services continue to evolve, we must modernise and innovate, ensuring we have the skills, technology and capability needed to meet the needs of our communities. I look forward to working with colleagues and partners across Mid and West Wales to deliver a resilient, progressive Service that keeps people safe and places our staff at the heart of everything we do.”

Health

Resident doctors in Wales vote to accept new contract

Published

9 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENT doctors across Wales have voted to accept a new contract, with 83% of those who took part in a referendum backing the agreement, according to BMA Cymru Wales.

The contract includes a four per cent additional investment in the resident doctor workforce and introduces a range of reforms aimed at improving training conditions, wellbeing and long-term workforce sustainability within NHS Wales. The BMA says the deal also supports progress towards pay restoration, which remains a central issue for doctors.

Key changes include new safeguards to limit the most fatiguing working patterns, measures intended to address medical unemployment and career progression concerns, and reforms to study budgets and study leave to improve access to training opportunities.

Negotiations between the BMA’s Welsh Resident Doctors Committee, NHS Wales Employers and the Welsh Government concluded earlier this year. Following a consultation period, a referendum of resident doctors and final-year medical students in Wales was held, resulting in a clear majority in favour of the proposals.

Welsh Resident Doctors Committee chair Dr Oba Babs Osibodu said the agreement marked a significant step forward for doctors working in Wales.

He said: “We’re proud to have negotiated this contract, which offers our colleagues and the future generation of doctors safer terms of service, fairer pay, and better prospects so that they can grow and develop their careers in Wales.

“This contract will help to retain the doctors already in training, and also attract more doctors to work in Wales, where they can offer their expertise and benefit patients.”

Dr Osibodu added that the BMA remains committed to achieving full pay restoration and acknowledged that challenges remain for some doctors.

“Whilst this contract sets the foundations for a brighter future for resident doctors in Wales, we recognise that there are still doctors who are struggling to develop their careers and secure permanent work,” he said. “We need to work with the Welsh Government and NHS employers to address training bottlenecks and underemployment.”

The Welsh Government has previously said it recognises the pressures facing resident doctors and the importance of improving recruitment and retention across NHS Wales, while also highlighting the need to balance pay agreements with wider NHS funding pressures and patient demand.

The new contract is expected to be phased in from August 2026. It will initially apply to doctors in foundation programmes, those in specialty training with unbanded rotas, and new starters, before being rolled out to all resident doctors across Wales.

Crime

Swansea man jailed for online child sex offence dies in prison

Published

9 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man who was jailed earlier this year for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child has died while in custody.

Gareth Davies, aged 59, of the Maritime Quarter, was serving an 18-month prison sentence after being convicted in May of sending sexually explicit messages to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl. The account was in fact a decoy used as part of an online safeguarding operation.

The court heard that Davies began communicating with the decoy between November and December 2024 and persistently pursued the individual, later attempting to arrange a face-to-face meeting. He was arrested after being confronted by the decoy operators.

Davies had pleaded not guilty but was convicted following a trial. At the time of sentencing, police described the messages as extremely concerning and said his imprisonment was necessary to protect children.

It has now been confirmed that Davies died at HMP Parc on Wednesday (Nov 27) while serving his sentence.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched an independent investigation into the death, which is standard procedure in all cases where someone dies in custody. No cause of death has been released at this stage.

A coroner will determine the circumstances in due course.