News

Council Leader issues statement regarding Authority’s dire finances

Published

3 months ago

February 8, 2024

ON THURSDAY evening (Feb 8) Pembrokeshire County Council’s Leader Cllr David Simpson has issued an open statement to all residents and businesses in Pembrokeshire warning of the unprecedented financial situation faced the Local Authority.

“Councillors will soon be faced with the difficult task of setting our budget for the following year, a budget that must ‘balance the books’ by law.

“Every year the Welsh Government allocates funding for each local authority, and for 2024-25 Pembrokeshire will only receive a 2.5 per cent increase in that funding against a 14.4 per cent increase in service costs.

“The Council has effectively dealt with the very same unprecedented cost of living issues that every householder and business in the county faces.

“However, on top of this we have also been faced with an unprecedented increase in demand for both adult and children’s social care that has added more than £23million in pressures.

“Five years ago children’s social care costs made up 6 per cent of the overall budget but they are now more than 10.3 per cent, a 248 per cent increase in overall budget value.

“Social care and schools costs now make up 78 per cent of overall pressures with social care costs exceeding schools costs for the first time this year. In 2024/25 the budget for social care will be more than all other services combined (excluding schools.)

“There has also been a huge increase in the number of people needing temporary accommodation, from 78 in March 2019 to 507 in March 2023, resulting in a £1.145m pressure for 24/25, equating to a 78% increase on existing budget.

“As we set this difficult budget, we also have to decide the level of Band D Council Tax increase needed to maintain services. A potential range of increases from £4.20 per week to £5.40 per week are needed to balance the budget and bridge the £31million funding gap. And even this will still require significant cuts to some Council services.

“I, like all Councillors, do not want to raise Council Tax when so many residents are already finding it harder to make ends meet in Pembrokeshire.

“The Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) support available for those entitled to a reduced level of Council Tax remains, and I would urge anyone who thinks they may be eligible to find out more.

“We as a Council will strive to make sure the final Council Tax increase is as small as possible but we must all be aware that this coming year will certainly be tough, the hardest ever faced by the Council and the residents of Pembrokeshire.

“During the past decade, funding levels from UK Government to Welsh Government and on to Councils have not kept pace with the ever-increasing pressures.

“Due to this, we have had to make significant budget savings of £96.7 million over this time, supported by your suggestions in our annual budget consultation. We have always endeavoured to minimise the impact to service users, especially the most vulnerable in our communities.

“Pembrokeshire County Council has been running efficiently – that is providing services with a lower Band D Council Tax level than others in Wales – but this will be harder and harder to maintain.

“Our staff do a tremendous job in running our leisure centres, collecting the bins, in teaching and in caring. Despite the difficult decisions to come, the focus on ‘Working together, Improving lives’, will be at the forefront of our minds.”

News

Ruling against language campaigner over English-only parking notice

Published

3 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A COURT in Aberystwyth has this week (May 13) ruled against the language campaigner Toni Schiavone and has allowed parking company One Parking Solution to claim costs in an extended legal dispute over an English-only parking notice. However, Toni Schiavone said he will continue to refuse to pay until he receives a copy of the notice from the parking company in Welsh.

According to the judge, there was no legal basis to force the parking company to provide a Welsh language service. Language campaigners insist that this demonstrates a “serious flaw” in the legislation that protects the rights of Welsh speakers.

Toni Schiavone received the original charge in September 2020 for parking in a private car park in Llangrannog, but refused to pay as he did not receive the charge in Welsh or bilingually, despite sending the company two letters as well as calling them.

The first two cases were thrown out over technical issues, but at a hearing on 26 January this year, One Parking Solution won an appeal to continue to prosecute Mr Schiavone, after the judge ruled that there were no grounds to throw out the first two cases of the court.

Speaking during today’s court proceedings, Toni Schiavone said: “The Welsh language is an official and equal language in Wales and we as Welsh speakers have rights according to the law, and in principle, that should be respected. The request for a Parking Charge Notice in Welsh or bilingually is reasonable and practical. It would have cost around £60 to translate.

“This case could have been resolved very easily and very quickly by providing a Welsh or bilingual Parking Charge Notice. Does not doing so show prejudice against the Welsh language? In my opinion, it does.”

Mr Schiavone told the court that the claimant had behaved threateningly, sending him a letter claiming £10,156.70 in legal expenses a day before his hearing in January as well as another letter with additional costs of over £4,000 two days before today’s case. According to research by Cymdeithas yr Iaith, translating the fine into Welsh would have cost only £60.

The judge Lowri Williams said that Toni had behaved in an “honest, principled” manner during the case, and had shown an “unwavering dedication to the Welsh language and the cause for the language.”

However, she said during her verdict that there was nothing in the 1967 Welsh Language Act, the 1993 Welsh Language Act, or the 2011 Welsh Language Measure to compel the parking company to provide a Welsh language service.

She therefore ordered that Toni pay the £100 charge, as well as £70 for administrative costs, £11.90 interest and £85 for the court fee within 21 days.

After explaining her ruling and order, Toni Schiavone said “I understand, but I refuse to pay.” His statement was met by applause from his supporters in the public gallery.

Following the case, Siân Howys, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s Rights Group, said: “Today’s judgment shows that – despite the Welsh Government’s claim – the Welsh language does not have equal status in Wales. The judge has done her work thoroughly and found that there is nothing in the legislation that ensures that Toni’s right to use his own language in his own country is respected.

“It is clear, therefore, that the Welsh Government needs to correct the serious flaw in the legislation in order to ensure that the people of Wales can use the Welsh language in all aspects of their lives.”

News

Cllr Jon Harvey elected Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council

Published

3 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CLLR JON HARVEY has been elected as the new Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council.

Cllr Harvey, who represents the Pembroke St Mary North ward, was elected as Leader at the Annual General Meeting of Council held on Friday May 10.

A Town Planner by profession, Cllr Harvey spent 12 years in various Planning Officer roles in Local Government before moving into the private sector and a career at senior level planning, housebuilding and development.

More recently, he was the Head of Development at a Swansea-based Housing Association.

With a love of music and theatre, Cllr Harvey has managed an indie rock band, promoted a number of gigs locally and has staged managed plays including at the Edinburgh fringe.

Married with four grown-up children, Cllr Harvey served as the Cabinet Member for Planning & Housing Delivery under former Leader Cllr David Simpson.

Cllr Harvey, who is not affiliated to any group, was first elected to Council in September 2018.
He said: “I am deeply honoured to stand before you today as your new Leader and the responsibility is not one I take lightly.

“I pledge to lead with passion, dedication, integrity, transparency and compassion.

“I am convinced that if we all work together with common purpose and work towards common goals we can make a real difference to the lives of those residents that we serve.”

Cllr Harvey will name his Cabinet in the coming days.

News

New Chairman takes the chains at Pembrokeshire County Council

Published

3 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE NEW Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council is Cllr Steve Alderman.

Cllr Alderman, previously the Authority’s Vice-Chairman, was installed at the Annual Meeting of Council at County Hall in Haverfordwest held on Friday, 10^th May.

Cllr Alderman, who represents Hundleton, takes over from Cllr Tom Tudor.

Cllr Alderman is well respected in the farming community as a lifelong farmer, working with his family until retiring in 2019.

Cllr Alderman has also been Pembrokeshire NFU County chairman as well as a representative on the Welsh NFU Council and numerous other rural and economic development bodies in the area.

Outgoing Council Leader Cllr David Simpson proposed a vote of thanks to Cllr Tudor who also gave an overview of his busy year as Chairman.

Pictured: Standing, left to right are: Will Bramble, Chief Executive; Cllr Thomas Tudor, former Chairman; Cllr David Simpson, former Leader. Seated front left to right are: Cllr Simon Hancock, Presiding Member; Cllr Jon Harvey, Leader; Cllr Steve Alderman, Chairman; Cllr Maureen Bowen, Vice Chair; Mrs Chris Simpson, wife of Cllr David Simpson.

Cllr Alderman was nominated by Cllr Tim Evans and seconded by Cllr Pat Davies.

Cllr Alderman, who was first elected in 2019, is not affiliated to any group on the Council.

Upon taking the chains, Cllr Alderman said: “I am extremely proud to be made Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council and I aim to represent this Council to the very best of my ability.

“I hope my experience as Council appointed member of the National Park, as well as the various Overview and Scrutiny Committees I am involved in, will stand me in good stead for this important year ahead.”

At the same meeting Cllr Maureen Bowen was elected the new Vice Chairman of Council.

Cllr Bowen, who represents Pembroke Dock Bush and is a member of the Labour Group, joined the Council in 2022.