A CALL for Haverfordwest’s transport interchange to come under the scrutiny of full council was defeated by just one vote, but the project as a whole will see a cheaper version built, to the tune of more than £10m.

The second stage of building Haverfordwest’s transport interchange was backed by Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet last month, with members hearing it could cost the council more to not support it.

The transport interchange, which includes an integrated bus station and construction of a new multi-storey car park, is part of a wider series of regeneration projects in the county town.

The total cost of the Welsh Government grant-supported scheme in the approved budget is £18.881m, £1.987m coming from Pembrokeshire County Council.

At the April Cabinet meeting, a report for members warned that if the scheme was not backed then Welsh government could withdraw its grant funding, with some £3.376m spent on the project to date, which could be reclaimed.

After that meeting, a successful ‘call-in’ for the matter to be discussed at the council’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting of May 7 was made by the council’s Welsh Conservative group, led by Cllr Di Clements.

It asked for “full and proper scrutiny” of the decision, saying the Cabinet decision had “little discussion on how the ‘value engineering’ of this project will affect the project overall”.

At the May 7 meeting, deputy leader Cllr Paul Miller labelled the ‘call-in’ politically motivated, saying: “The council had a car park that wasn’t very good, and we’re building a better one,” adding: “Cabinet didn’t vote for something they didn’t understand, every member in that room knew what they were voting for.

“It’s going to cost a lot more not to do this project than to do it; I think this is a purely political exercise, nonsense really, if Pembrokeshire County Council can’t rebuild a knackered carpark in its county town centre what is going on?”

Following a successful call by Cllr Aled Thomas for some confidential details of the ‘value engineering’ reductions in costs were made public; the cost of the overall project reduced by some £10m-plus, from an early estimate figure of £25m for the original scheme highlighted in the now-public documents.

The ‘value engineering’ includes a reduction in size of the scheme, from 320 to 290 larger parking spaces, including the removal of a ‘green roof’ and other infrastructure.

“I struggle to see how you can take £10m off a project and it fundamentally be the same project,” Cllr Thomas said.

Cllr Miller told members: “This has been an exercise in cutting our cloth, but we think we found the right balance.”

Councillor Tony Wilcox said: “We’re getting basically the same scheme for £10m less, virtually like-for-like, it’s good all round; I only wish it was in Pembroke Dock.”

The issue of the changed figures drew the ire of former council leader Cllr Jamie Adams, who said: “Part of the scandal surrounding the project is the figures [over time] have been so wildly fluctuating, £8m then £18m, we never really had an explanation as to why that was; then up to £25m, and now down to £14.5m.

“The public are rightly asking ‘what an earth is going on?’.”

He added: “We’ve had a fait accompli and such wildly conflicting reports about how much it’s going to cost; you would struggle to find 10 per cent of the people I’ve spoken to say they were in support of this scheme.

“We’re simply reflecting the views we’re being given; we’ve become a bit of a laughing-stock because the costs of this have gone up and down, up and down.”

Cllr Miller finished by saying: “Here we are, half way down the road to building this car park, it’s £1.9m to deliver, if we don’t deliver we’ll have to spend much more to have a gravel car park we have now.”

A call was made by Cllr Thomas for the scheme to return to full council, along with potential revisions to the scheme.

“The issue here isn’t the car park in itself, it’s the way it’s been handled; the fact is the Cabinet meeting was done and dusted in 10 minutes.”

He formally proposed: “Given the significance of this project, the committee wish for full council to provide full scrutiny of this project at a council level before returning its recommendation to the cabinet.

“The committee request that Cllr Miller engage with the Welsh Government as to whether it is possible for a revision to be made to this project and its funding as a result of town centres changing drastically post Covid-19, and that should also be discussed at the council meeting.”

That call was defeated by seven votes to six, the original Cabinet decision standing.

PEMBROKESHIRE’S largest council political group has elected new leaders today, May 8, who promise to be “a critical friend” of the ruling administration rather than “opposing for the sake of opposition”.

Councillor Huw Murphy of Newport & Dinas Ward and Cllr Anji Tinley of Garth Ward, Haverfordwest said they are both “delighted and honoured” to be elected as the new leader and deputy leader of the Independent Group (IPG).

In a joint statement they said: “The IG whilst in opposition will play a critical role in holding any administration to account, but will also support policies that are to the betterment of the lives of Pembrokeshire residents.

“The IG will not oppose for the sake of opposition but will always be a critical friend in representing the views and concerns of county residents, wherever they reside, be it fighting against public toilet closures or speaking up in strong support of retaining critical care at Withybush Hospital, to name but two.

“The IG will challenge decisions made which have a negative impact on residents where they believe alternative options exist and will challenge and scrutinise policy decisions when a change of priorities for the authority should be considered, when working with finite resources.”

The issue of Welsh language representation was also raised on the eve of the May 10 council leadership battle between unaffiliated councillor Jon Harvey and leader of the Conservative group Di Clements, following leader Cllr David Simpson announcing he is to step down.

“It has not gone unnoticed that the soon-to-be-former administration led by Cllr David Simpson has no fluent Welsh speakers and few councillors in Cabinet and senior roles (such as Chair & Vice Chair of Council and Presiding Member) that represent the northern or indeed the rural areas of Pembrokeshire.

“Indeed, most Cabinet members are from South Pembrokeshire, and will this change after Friday?

“The IG sincerely hopes that the new Cabinet formed by whoever becomes Leader on Friday will form a Cabinet to better reflect the cultural and geographical identities of Pembrokeshire thereby recognising the importance of Pembrokeshire’s rural economy and with it the Welsh Language as both are very much intertwined. Action does speak louder than words.”

They added: “The IG is a political group which places the needs of Pembrokeshire residents at the heart of their decision making, not beholden to any political party whose national policies may not always align with what’s best for Pembrokeshire.”

They also promised to work towards a “positive change” for Pembrokeshire people.

“The role of the IG is to work towards creating a positive change within Pembrokeshire to improve the lives of residents and enhance opportunities for everybody irrespective of their background. This can only be attained through open and honest dialogue with fellow councillors and not through frivolous sound-bite politics.

“There needs to be an improvement in political behaviour, and the recent elections in England which saw a considerable increase in the number of independent councillors being elected indicates a clear disconnect with mainstream political parties.

“Pembrokeshire is a wonderful county with much to be proud of, but the council also faces significant pressures that can only be dealt with through working together to make it an even more vibrant and inclusive place to live, work and visit.

“[We] are confident that the IG will be integral to the development of lasting solutions to the many issues and concerns held by residents which can be achieved through collaboration and fostering innovation to create a better today and a positive legacy for future generations.

“The IG since the elections of May 2022 is the only political group within PCC to have grown in numbers to reflect all areas of Pembrokeshire from the more urban/industrial areas of South Pembrokeshire to the rural and more Welsh speaking heartland of Preseli Pembrokeshire with talented councillors from a diverse range of backgrounds and there is every belief that over time the IPG will continue to grow in numbers.”

Cllr Murphy replaces IPG leader Jamie Adams, leader of the council from 2012-17, and leader of the now-17-strong IPG in opposition from 2017-’24, while Cllr Anji Tinley replaces Cllr Elwyn Morse.

Cllr Murphy and Cllr Tinley extended their thanks for the appreciation and support from their predecessors, adding: “We look forward to their ongoing contribution to PCC debates in the weeks, months and years ahead,” saying of Cllr Adams: “His oratory and debating skills in chamber are very well known and respected both within Pembrokeshire and further afield”.

CONSERVATIVE hopeful for the new Westminster seat of Ceredigion Preseli has officially launched his campaign, saying he will “bring a sense of hope and ambition back into politics”.

The new Ceredigion Preseli constituency joins parts of north Pembrokeshire – including Crymych and Maenclochog – with neighbouring Ceredigion.

The new constituency takes effect automatically from the next scheduled General Election, following a Westminster vote to cut the number of Welsh MPs from 40 to 32.

Candidates announced so far are Plaid Cymru’s Ben Lake – who has represented Ceredigion in Westminster since 2017, Liberal Democrat Mark Williams, formerly the MP for Ceredigion from 2005- 2017, and Welsh Labour’s Jackie Jones.

The Welsh Conservatives recently selected their candidate for the Ceredigion-Preseli seat, Cllr Aled Thomas, Welsh Conservative Group county councillor for Johnston.

The launch event was held at the Moody Cow Farm Shop and Cafe in Llwyncelyn, near Aberaeron, where Mr Thomas told local members and supporters that he’s hoping to “bring a sense of hope and ambition back into politics”.

Mr Thomas, Welsh Conservative Group spokesman for finance, agriculture and the Welsh Language on Pembrokeshire County Council, is also a qualified agronomist and a partner in his family’s arable and livestock farm.

“It’s an honour to be able to represent the Ceredigion Preseli constituency at the next general election, and area that I hold dear to my heart.”

He added: “The people of Ceredigion deserve better, as Plaid Cymru, a party I once respected has now prioritised propping up Welsh Labour in the Senedd over the priorities of the people of Ceredigion.

“They have happily enabled them to introduce damaging policies such as the Sustainable Farming Scheme to the rural communities and businesses across Wales.

“I’m not afraid to speak up for the people of Ceredigion and North Pembrokeshire and make sure their voices are heard loud and clear on a council, Wales and national level.”

Fellow hopefuls for the seat have previously outlined what they intend to bring to the table.

Ben Lake said: “My priorities were I to be elected as the Member of Parliament for Ceredigion Preseli are clear – a fair deal for rural communities, investment in infrastructure and increased funding for public services, and a thriving, sustainable economy that has the needs of communities rather than those of large corporations as its focus.”

Liberal Democrat Mark Williams said: “I too am looking forward to putting forward my party’s message on the doorsteps of Preseli, and across Ceredigion, not least our measures to help people with the cost-of-living crisis, and promote the agricultural sector. There is a battle for hearts and minds across our new constituency, and I believe I have the energy and experience to win it.”

Welsh Labour’s Jackie Jones said: “We desperately need a Labour government in Westminster and a strong voice for Ceredigion Preseli. After 13 years of the Tories’ mismanagement of the economy, prevalent corruption and neglect we’re all dealing with the cost of food in our shops up, the cost of fuel up and energy prices still sky-high.”

The new constituency has the unusual situation of part of it currently occupied, to the north, by Plaid Cymru, and, to the south, part of the current Conservative-held Preseli Pembrokeshire.

The latter seat, occupied by Tory MP Stephen Crabb, is to disappear; Mr Crabb standing in the adjoining new seat of Mid and South Pembrokeshire.