INACCURATE lists of vulnerable people led to delays in responding to storms, with staff sent to non-existent homes and a customer who had died years earlier, a committee heard.

Giving evidence to an inquiry on storms Bert and Darragh, which hit Wales late last year, Carmarthenshire Council described utility firms’ priority customer data as severely flawed.

The council told the Senedd’s climate committee the lists were inaccurate, out of date, and incompatible with NHS and social care definitions of vulnerability.

In written evidence, the council said this resulted in staff being deployed to screen the sheer volume, comparing thousands of names with council and health board records.

The council warned: “This caused unnecessary delays and on several occasions diverted operational staff away from their responsive work … to check addresses which did not either exist or in one case, the customer had passed away years before.”

Appearing before the committee on March 6, Paul Ridley, the council’s civil contingencies manager, called for consistency in the interpretation of vulnerability across all agencies.

Ainsley Williams, director of infrastructure at the council, pointed to initial problems due to concerns raised about data sharing and GDPR.

He added: “It still needs wider awareness amongst organisations that they can do that and must do that in an emergency.”

Ian Christie, managing director of water services at Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, said: “There is work to be done on joining up all vulnerable customers because we all have individual priority services registers with all different definitions of what makes a customer vulnerable.”

Mr Christie told the committee that GDPR “unfortunately cuts through everything”.

He said: “One of our biggest issues is trying to explain to a customer: just because they’ve registered … with another agency, that doesn’t automatically update to our priority services.”

Liam O’Sullivan, director of ScottishPower Energy Networks which owns the north Wales network, said customers are contracted every two years to check information is up to date.

“It’s very difficult at times because it’s an ever-changing picture,” he told Senedd Members.

The Conservatives’ Janet Finch-Saunders warned of huge issues with priority registers.

Ms Finch-Saunders said: “I can’t for the life of me – now with digital technology – understand why we haven’t got one list that is used by the fire [service], health, you name it.”

She raised January’s burst pipe which left 100,000 people in north Wales without water, with the number of customers registered as vulnerable doubling to 7,500 in a few days.

“That shows there’s some weakness in the system,” she said.

Mr Christie explained a task-and-finish group has been set up by Huw Irranca-Davies, the Deputy First Minister, to look at trying to resolve the issue of one common list.

Labour’s Carolyn Thomas questioned why Anglesey council was only provided with a register at 9pm on Sunday December 9, more than 24 hours after Storm Darragh’s peak.

Mr O’Sullivan said of the approximately 70,000 people who live on the island, 17,000 are on the priority services register.

“We did our best to prioritise those customers,” he said.

Pressed about the 24-hour delay, he told the committee: “I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware that that was the case – but it certainly won’t be the case next time.”

PLANS for a replacement 334 -foot-high wind turbine in north Pembrokeshire, more than twice the height of the existing one, have seen the local community council call for its refusal, saying it offers “no benefit to the local community”.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Surrey-based Constantine Wind Energy Limited, which manages some 200 turbines throughout Great Britain, seeks permission for a 102-metre-high wind turbine at Sarnau Farm, near Trelech.

The application would replace an existing 45-metre-high turbine, granted permission in 2014.

In a supporting statement, Wilmslow-based agent Axis PED Limited said the applicant has full agreement with the landowner to install a larger turbine, adding: “The proposed development would increase the generation output by more than 209 per cent of the current output supporting an estimated 318 average households’ energy usage, which is an estimated additional 211 homes than the existing turbine on the site.

“This is a significant improvement to the existing output at the site. Furthermore, by replacing the existing wind turbine with a wind turbine which has a larger output capacity, the site’s contribution to renewable energy generation targets and greenhouse gas emissions targets is increased.”

The replacement turbine is expected to operate for 25 years.

It says visual impact will be “no greater than Moderate Adverse,” and that offset by there being an existing turbine on site, adding: “When the actual change in visual impact is considered against the increased level of renewable energy produced at an existing electrical generation station, it is clear that, on balance, the visual impacts associated with the increase in turbine height and rotor diameter, are outweighed by the beneficial contribution the replacement turbine would make in the transition away from fossil fuels and the ability to meet UK Net Zero targets in line with the Government’s commitments.”

Local community council Clydau has strongly objected to the proposal, raising concerns including the size is more than double that existing, and potential visual and noise impacts.

The council’s objections added: “The health and wellbeing of those living closest to the proposed turbine was of great concern; uppermost in councillors’ minds was the fact that the proposed turbine would be of no benefit whatsoever to the local community. It was noted that properties closest to the turbine would be devalued.

“Councillors hope for an outcome to the above application that benefits the local community; most especially those living within close proximity. This can only mean a firm ‘No’ to the proposal.”

The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.

A CALL to extend a Pembrokeshire cemetery to provide a space for eco-friendly natural burials has been made to county planners.

A natural burial is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional burial, burying a body in the ground without a coffin or headstone.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, the Trustees of Tabernacle Chapel seek permission for a change of use of agricultural land to extend the existing Tabernacle Cemetery, Fishguard to include a natural burial site.

A supporting statement, through agent Gethin Beynon, says the land has been in the cemetery ownership since 1945, adding: “Based on the development forming a similar use to the adjacent cemetery and being in the same ownership as the Trustees of Tabernacle Chapel, the proposal would be classed as an extension to an existing community facility.

“As the development is not proposing any engineering or physical features with the natural habitat being retained, it is considered the change of use of the land would be in keeping in an area where other cemeteries exist to the north, east and west of the application site.”

It adds: “With regard to the operation of the burial ground, when a burial takes place, a plot is allocated, and the turf cut and set aside. The topsoil and subsoil are then heaped alongside the grave. The graves would be dug to the appropriate depth to earth over the coffin to protect it whilst allowing the body to recycle in the active/living layer of the soil.

“After a burial, soil is returned in compacted layers around and on top of the coffin, with topsoil and turf on top. Grave locations are plotted and recorded on plan. It is intended that such administration and management duties of the site would be undertaken by the applicants.

“Due to the development not resulting in marked graves and there being no maintenance requirements from mourners, visits and any associated vehicle movements would be of a low intensity and infrequent.”

The scheme is expected to be decided by planning officers at a later date.