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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED That the Petition regarding the review of the County Farm Policy be received and the matter be referred to the County Farms Working Group for further consideration. [Councillor Sam Skyrme-Blackhall abstained from voting.]
RESOLVED That the Standards Committee Annual Report for 2024-2025 be noted.
RESOLVED That the Net Zero Working Group be reinstated to consider the Notice of Motion and, subject to the outcome of the review, review the future delivery of the Net Zero Action Plan, the previous resolutions of Council and future reporting requirements. Councillor Jacob Williams then Moved that the below three Councillors be appointed as the unaffiliated Members of the Working Group; Seconded by Councillor Pat Davies · Councillor Steve Alderman · Councillor Aaron Carey · Councillor Mike Stoddart The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That Councillors Steve Alderman, Aaron Carey and Mike Stoddart be appointed as the unaffiliated Members of the Working Group.
RESOLVED That the public be excluded from the meeting to consider the report by virtue of paragraphs 12,13,14 and 16 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. The meeting then convened in private session to consider the exempt report and the webcast was paused. Members posed questions and points of clarification on the contents of the report, the recommendations being proposed and the financial implications thereof; and the Chief Executive responded accordingly. Moved by Councillor Jon Harvey; Seconded by Councillor Alistair Cameron The vote, undertaken by way of an electronic vote, was carried. RESOLVED That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved. The webcast was then resumed.
RESOLVED The Annual Governance Statement for 2024-25 be approved and signed.
RESOLVED That the motion be put. The vote, undertaken by way of an electronic vote, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Jamie Adams, Steve Alderman, Michelle Bateman, Maureen Bowen, Alistair Cameron, Aaron Carey, Mark Carter, Di Clements, John Cole, Alec Cormack, John Davies, Pat Davies, Terry Davies, Alan Dennison, Tim Evans, Claire George, Jonathan Grimes, Nicola Gwynn, Brian Hall, Simon Hancock, Delme Harries, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, David Howlett, Mike James, Rhys Jordan, Phil Kidney, Elwyn Morse, Huw Murphy, Nick Neumann, Bethan Price, Neil Prior, Shon Rees, Jordan Ryan, Rhys Sinnett, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, Vivien Stoddart, Mike Stoddart, Aled Thomas, Vanessa Thomas, Marc Tierney, Anji Tinley, Thomas Tudor, Michele Wiggins, Michael Williams, Chris Williams, Jacob Williams, Alun Wills, Guy Woodham, Simon Wright, Steve Yelland and Danny Young [52] Abstention: Councillor David Simpson [1] There were no votes against. RESOLVED (a) That the reason for absence of Councillor Mel Phillips be approved, as per the terms of Section 85 (1) of the Local Government Act 1972. (b) In the event that Councillor Mel Phillips continues to be unable to attend for the reason approved, that her absence be approved for a further three months beyond six months to 5 December 2025, as necessary.
RESOLVED (a) That the response and correspondence received from the St David’s Diocese in relation to the Council’s proposals for Cilgerran Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School and Manorbier Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School, be noted. (b) That delegated authority be granted to the Director of Education to undertake general consultation on the following proposals: (i) to discontinue Manorbier Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School. (ii) to discontinue Cilgerran Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School, and to establish the same as a 3-11 Community School.
RESOLVED (a) That the Officer responses to representations received on the Council’s Local Development Plan 2 Deposit Plan 2, as outlined in Appendix A.1, A.2 and A.3, be approved. (b) That a limited number of proposed changes (Focussed Changes) and minor edits to the Local Development Plan 2 Deposit Plan 2 in response to representations received, as outlined in Appendix B.1, B.2 and B3, be approved. (c) That the proposed edits to other documents such as the Candidate Site Register and Background papers, as shown in Appendix B.4, and edits to the Habitats Regulations Assessment as shown in Appendix B.5, be approved. (d) That the Local Development Plan 2 Deposit Plan 2 and supporting documentation for submission to Welsh Government, subject to the Focussed Changes, be approved. (e) That delegated powers be granted to the Head of Planning to address any further minor edits needed to documentation prior to being submitted for Examination and prior to being consulted upon as part of the Focussed Changes consultation. (f) That delegated powers be granted to the Head of Planning to consult on the Focussed Changes and provide a response to the Inspector conducting the Examination on any representations received. (g) That delegated powers be granted to the Head of Planning to represent the Council’s position at the forthcoming Examination. (h) That, subject to the outcomes of the Examination of Local Development Plan 2, the Head of Planning be required to make every effort to ensure that the Caravan and Camping Supplementary Planning Guidance is recommended for adoption, to support the relevant policy of Local Development Plan 2, as soon as possible following the adoption of the plan, in line with the commitment given on 10 November 2023.
RESOLVED (a) That the membership of the Panel be approved. (b) That delegated authority be granted to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader and Welsh Local Government Association, to appoint a replacement panel member in the instance that a Member becomes unavailable at a later date due to any unforeseen circumstances.
RESOLVED That the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report for 2024-25 be endorsed. [Councillor David Howlett left the meeting at this juncture.]
RESOLVED (a) That the report be noted. (b) That Councillor Aaron Carey be appointed to the vacant unaffiliated seat on the Council Tax Working Group. (c) That the following reserve appointments be confirmed: · Councillor Joshua Beynon – Governance and Audit Committee · Councillors Elwyn Morse and Simon Wright - Democratic Services Committee (d) That Councillor Michael John be appointed to the Democratic Services Committee.
it was resolved that a Host Agreement be entered into prior to the 2025 event and that it be agreed by the relevant Director in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services. When reviewing the requirements associated with the Host Agreement it was raised by Cabinet that “This agreement should clearly define event dates and provide a framework for future events“. In order to agree future dates and a framework the discussion expanded to an agreement to cover five years, which aligned with the timeframe associated with the existing Host Agreement in Pembrokeshire for Ironman Wales. A significant amount of work was stated to have been undertaken to produce a Host Agreement which took into account the concerns which had been expressed by Local Members including road closures associated with the 2024 cycle route, communications, community engagement and dates of future events; and was entered into by the Council on 26 June 2025 prior to the LCW 2025 event. It was stated that the agreement was sealed for the Council and not signed by an individual; however, the agreement was entered into with the full support of both the Director and the Cabinet Member. In light of the NOM from Councillor Huw Murphy, and as the 2025 agreement encompassed future years, it should have been taken formally through an Individual Cabinet Member Decision (ICM) in order to comply with the resolution of Cabinet. Having now sought advice on the matter, the Cabinet Member agreed that this was the route that should have been followed and as a result a retrospective ICM decision process was stated to have commenced. It was added that the Host Agreement placed the Council in a much stronger position with regards to the event, with appropriate safeguards in place, including requirements for the organisers to review future cycle routes, termination clauses and a process enabling either party to seek changes to the agreement. It was highlighted that the Host Agreement was in place for the 2025 event and had been welcomed by Members who had previously expressed concerns surrounding the future of the event in Pembrokeshire and was also in line with the decision by Cabinet enabling the Authority to support future events whilst ensuring clarity, mutual consent and a structured partnership between the Council and Activities Wales Events. Following Councillor Huw Murphy’s early departure from the meeting, Councillor Alec Cormack raised a supplementary question on his behalf in relation to the governance of the decision. In response the Cabinet Member stated that a one year agreement could not be made as the event organisers needed to release the date for 2026, which Cabinet had agreed would take place if a Host Agreement was in place prior to the 2025 event. It was highlighted that the Authority did have safeguards within the Host Agreement around termination and the opportunity to further discuss any issues as part of the Host Agreement. It was stated that following discussions with the event organisers it was felt that in order to put the event on a solid footing and to ensure that the Authority and organisers were able to plan in advance, a five year term was agreed. Councillor Cormack stated that he felt it was the agreement of Cabinet that any agreement longer than one year should be carefully considered, subject to scrutiny, before being entered into. The Cabinet Member stated that Cabinet had also agreed to review the Major Events Strategy, of which the matters that would be reviewed were highlighted and it was stated that it was going to be important to think through the implications of all matters to avoid putting additional charges on some community events that offer a vibrancy to the areas that they served. It was stated that the review was due to commence at the end of the month via the Events Advisory Group and a commitment was given that the review and process would be brought forward for wider democratic oversight. The Cabinet Member offered an apology if there was any misunderstanding about subsection ‘D’ of the Cabinet resolution in January and reiterated that at the meeting he did state that his concerns were around whether or not the Authority would be able to conclude negotiations in time for the 2025 event, which was only just achieved.
RESOLVED That the Notice of Motion be referred to the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Joshua Beynon, David Bryan, Michael John, Paul Miller and Mel Phillips.
In welcoming everyone to the meeting, the Presiding Member stated that he had no announcements to make so invited the Chair of Council/Deputy Presiding Member to make her announcements. The Chair of Council reported on a busy and enjoyable period since being elected as Chair in May. It was stated that she had attended a variety of events across the County which included: · The opening of the new 3G pitch at Ysgol Greenhill. · The proclamation of the forthcoming National Eisteddfod at Narberth. · The Young Farmers’ Rally. · The Volunteer Awards at the VC Gallery in Pembroke Dock. · The Milford Haven Citizen Awards. It was stated to have been an honour to host the presentation of the British Empire Medal to Mr David Bellis, recognised in the New Year’s Honours List for his work in heritage preservation in Hong Kong. Congratulations were extended to graduates and award recipients at the Pembrokeshire College Ceremony held at St David’s Cathedral. Congratulations were also extended to Mr Matthew Evans, founder of the Long Course Weekend and co-founder of Ironman Wales (2011), who was officially inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and awarded for his for outstanding contributions to Welsh sport. Further congratulations were given to Pennar Community School for winning the Innovation Challenge in the ‘Keep Wales Tidy Climate Challenge Cymru’ with an inspiring film documenting the campaign. Ysgol Penfro, built by the Morgan Sindall Group, was congratulated following receipt of two awards, the Delivery Value Award at the Construction Excellence in Wales Awards and the Project of the Year Award in Welsh Government Education Buildings Awards. In summing up a special mention was made to wish Haverfordwest County AFC well in the upcoming match in Llanelli as part of the UEFA Conference League.
The following declarations of interest were made: Agenda Item No. 8 – Questions submitted by Gareth Chapman under Council Procedure Rule 4.17 (Road Diversion at Newgale) Councillor Mark Carter declared a personal interest by virtue of owning a property in Newgale. Councillor Nick Neumann declared a personal interest by virtue of owning land and property in Newgale. Agenda Item No. 14 - Diocese Response to School Closure Proposals Councillor John Davies declared a personal interest by virtue of being a Local Authority Appointed Governor at Ysgol Cilgerran. Agenda Item No. 15 – Submission of Pembrokeshire County Council's Replacement Local Development Plan (LDP 2) for Examination Councillor Marc Tierney declared a personal interest by virtue of being a Committee Member of Narberth A.F.C. Councillor Huw Murphy declared a personal and prejudicial interest. Agenda Item No. 16 - Panel Performance Assessment - Agreement of Panel Membership Councillor Neil Prior declared a personal interest by virtue of having, in the past, sat as a Panel Member for the Welsh Local Government Association. Agenda Item No. 19 – Questions submitted by Councillors under Council Procedure Rule 4.18, Question 1 (Funding model for placements at the Pembrokeshire Learning Centre) Councillor Simon Hancock declared a personal interest by virtue of sitting on the Board of Management at the Pembrokeshire Learning Centre, appointed by the Authority. Councillor Tessa Hodgson declared a personal interest by virtue of sitting on the Board of Management at the Pembrokeshire Learning Centre.
Council considered the Minutes of the Meeting held on 8 May 2025 and the Annual Meeting held on 9 May 2025. Moved by Councillor Simon Hancock; Seconded by Councillor Brian Hall The votes, undertaken by way of a show of hands, were carried. RESOLVED (a) That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 8 May 2025 be approved as a correct record. (b) That the Minutes of the Annual Meeting held on 9 May 2025 be approved as a correct record.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Petition regarding the review of the County Farm Policy be received and the matter be referred to the County Farms Working Group for further consideration. [Councillor Sam Skyrme-Blackhall abstained from voting.]
Mrs Michelle Evans, Representative for the Petition calling for a review of the County Farm Policy, which met the threshold for a debate at Council, addressed the Chamber in support of the following: We call upon Pembrokeshire County Council to conduct a full and thorough review of the County Farm Policy. We call for a declaration that the current County Farm policy is not fit for purpose when it fails to encourage diversification in a way that adds value to a farm’s own produce, keeps the produce within the farm, and feeds the local community, when the policy fails to support a holding such as Paternoster Farm. We call for a motion of No Confidence in both the County Farm Policy, and the County Farm Estate Department. We call upon Pembrokeshire County Council to commission an independent review of the Farm Policy by suitably qualified (Independent) third parties. We call for a full debate on the future of the County Farm Estate, and whether its continued existence, in its current form, can even be justified. We call upon Pembrokeshire County Council to commission how the Public Procurement Policy could effect a link between County Farms, and School Meals in the County. Mrs Michelle Evans began her five minute allocation to speak to the petition by raising concerns that the County Farm Tenancy Policy, which had been introduced in 2020, had not been published or communicated to tenants and was only brought to her family’s attention in February 2025, following notification that their tenancy would not be renewed. It was emphasised that the issue at hand was not the renewal decision itself, but the broader implications of the policy, which had prompted the petition. The success of the tenancy which had been held at Paternoster Farm since 2016 was highlighted and was stated to have resulted in a successful business, but concerns were raised about the financial and operational impact the proposed move to a larger holding in Solva would have, stating that no consultation had been conducted by the Authority. It was argued that the current policy did not adequately support diversified farming models or recognise the value of retaining produce within the local community and it was stated that it was not fit for purpose. The need for greater flexibility and consultation in tenancy decisions was expressed, noting inconsistencies in how renewals had been handled. It was felt that there was a lack of transparency and documentation in the decision-making process, and it was highlighted that there appeared to be no records to show how decisions were made or how policy criteria was applied. The absence of data collection by the Authority on key performance indicators, such as tenant employment, business viability, or contribution to the local economy, was noted, all of which needed to be addressed in the new policy. The petitioner concluded by suggesting that the County Farm policy should consider how tenants could contribute to local food supply chains, citing an example from Carmarthenshire where a County Farm supplied schools and care homes and it was highlighted that a revised policy could better support local food production and economic sustainability. In summing up, frustration was expressed that the Authority did not gather or hold the information that the policy stated that it needed to enable it to decide whether a tenant was suitable for a move to a larger farm. Following Mrs Evans’s address, the Presiding Member invited the Leader of Council, on behalf of the Cabinet Member for Place, the Region, Climate Change and Rural Affairs, who had sent his apologies for the meeting, to provide a response. The Leader acknowledged that the Authority’s communications around the policy could have been better and stated that the concerns raised would be considered during the formal review of the policy which was due to take place later in 2025. It was noted that the review would include a period of consultation with Tenants and the County Farms Working Group before formal consideration by Cabinet. The Presiding Member opened the matter for debate, where the following points were raised: Councillor Steve Alderman expressed his support of the petition and shared that following his appointment to the County Farms Working Group, one of the first points he raised was how diversification within the County Farm system worked. Credit was expressed to the Evans family for providing such a unique resource in the area and he too expressed that it felt unfair to then take the opportunity away from them with no consultation. Councillors Alan Dennison and Tony Wilcox highlighted the importance of conducing the review as soon as possible, following the failings of the Authority in the adherence to its own policy. Councillor Jamie Adams raised concerns following information that there appeared to be inconsistency of policy approach across County Farms; however, recognised that it was dependant on the terms of the tenancies. It was hoped that during thorough consideration of the matter the Evans family would be granted grace in the interim period to retain the status quo. Following a number of questions raised, the Chief Executive confirmed that the Council did have a number of lifetime tenancies; however, Mrs Evans’s tenancy was not one of them. Reasons as to why the policy was reviewed in 2020 were outlined and the failure to publish and circulate the updated policy in a timely manner was recognised. An update was provided to state that given the shortcomings in communications and the points raised by Mrs Evans, a short extension to the current tenancy had been offered, to August 2027, to align with the school academic year due to the ages of her children, which had been welcomed. It was felt that the extension would allow time for the policy review to be undertaken and for Mrs Evans and her family to consider their business model. Councillor Jamie Adams Moved that the matter be referred to the County Farms Working Group for further consideration; Seconded by Councillor Alan Dennison. Councillor Aled Thomas, Chair of the County Farms Working Group, confirmed that the review was ongoing and expressed that all feedback was welcomed and would contribute to the review. Thanks were expressed to Mrs Evans for the important points she had raised and assurance was given that the matter was being taken very seriously. In response to a query raised by Councillor Aaron Carey as to whether invites could be extended for current County Farm tenants to attend the Working Group during consideration of policy matters, the Chair of the County Farms Working Group expressed that it would be impossible to host all tenants so felt that the Tenant Forum suggestion, made by the Chief Executive, would be the most appropriate way to seek the views of tenants. Councillor Alan Dennison queried if the tenants were aware of the length of the tenancy agreement before they signed the original tenancy, to which it was confirmed that they were aware. Councillor Jacob Williams highlighted that the request, as outlined within the petition, was for the Council to commission an independent review of the County Farm Policy by a suitably qualified independent third party, which the current motion did not propose. He suggested that if it was the will of the Chamber for the policy to be considered by the Working Group then the motion should propose ‘that the petition be not supported, but the matter be referred to the Working Group for consideration’ to enable a clear response to be provided to the petition submitters. In response, the Chief Executive highlighted that any review of the policy would be a matter for Cabinet and that the Working Group would be making recommendations based on its findings to Cabinet for consideration. The Chair of the County Farms Working Group advised that an independent review could be proposed as a recommendation from the Working Group to Cabinet if it was felt necessary. Mrs Evans exercised her right to reply to the Chamber debate and took the opportunity to thank Members for their time and comments both during the meeting and in communication beforehand. It was clarified that the tenants knew that it was a ten year tenancy term; however, there had been an understanding, based on local experience and precedent, that tenancies were typically renewed for extended periods, hence the surprise at the decision not to renew the tenancy by the Council, particularly as communications from a representative of the Farm Estates team, as recently as November 2024, had suggested otherwise. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Petition regarding the review of the County Farm Policy be received and the matter be referred to the County Farms Working Group for further consideration. [Councillor Sam Skyrme-Blackhall abstained from voting.]
The Presiding Member advised that with the consent of the questioner, the answers to the questions forming Agenda Item No’s 6 and 7 would be combined. Councillor Jon Harvey, Leader of Council, responded to two questions submitted by a member of the public, Sharon Purcell, prior to the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 4.17 as follows: Question One: What was the outcome of the investigation by the Chief Executive into the irregular unauthorised purchase of EVs costing £1 million last summer? Question Two: What policies, procedures or other changes have been introduced to prevent further unauthorised purchases by officers, particularly relating to "the green transition", carbon capture or other net zero initiatives. In response, the Leader stated that following a report to Cabinet in August 2024, the Chief Executive commissioned an investigation into the governance arrangements associated with the purchase of the electric vehicles under the Welsh Government Electric Vehicle Collaborative Procurement Framework and initiated disciplinary proceedings. It was stated that whilst the strategic decision to collaborate with other Authorities to deliver economies of scale and value for money were evidenced and aligned with the Council’s net-zero targets, there were governance failures including breaches of the Council’s Contract and Financial Procedure Rules, poor internal and external communication and a misunderstanding of the commitment framework being entered into. Assurance was given that further governance training was delivered to relevant Officers in early 2025 to strengthen arrangements in place, which also aligned with the introduction of new Government Procurement Legislation. With regards to policies and procedures associated with “the green transition” on 2 December 2024, the Fleet Transition Plan was adopted by Cabinet to provide direction for the Vehicle Replacement Programme and adoption of Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles (ULEV). It was stated that the Fleet Transition Plan sets out a TEEP (Technical, Economic, Environmental and Practicable) analysis for the replacement of vehicles, considering the specific context and needs of the service from a Technical, Economic, Environmental and Practicable standpoint to provide a robust rationale for the most suitable vehicle when considering future replacements. It was highlighted that all procurement activity within the Council had to be undertaken in accordance with the Contract Procedure Rules which Officers receive training on, and additional training surrounding governance arrangements was provided to the Extended Leadership Team and the Managers’ Forum in February 2025.
Councillor Rhys Sinnett, the relevant Cabinet Member, responded to a question submitted by a member of the public, Gareth Chapman, prior to the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 4.17 as follows: The following question represents the opinion of Solva Community Council. The topic of the road diversion at Newgale has been in the news quite a lot recently and it has become apparent that there has been an alternative scheme proposed by the Newgale Community group STUN. This proposal has been demonstrated to Solva Community Council and appears to be an under £1m proposal with up to 85 years lifespan compared to the conservative £40m+ estimate for the PCC proposal. It is apparent within the community that hardly anyone wants this major change in Newgale and a google questionnaire carried out by Solva Community Council had sufficient negative comments to meet the threshold for discussion at full council should it have been allowed as a petition. PCC’s proposal is to counter for road closures that rarely happen and even then require little expense to restore the pebble bank. It should also be remembered that on several occasions, flooding at Newgale occurs because the river outlet is blocked preventing water from the valley escaping and not as a result of a high tide or storm. It is acknowledged that climate change and coastal issues at Newgale may eventually in many years force a change in the highway arrangements at Newgale but it is felt that all efforts should be made to retain the character of the village and iconic views for as long as possible. Given the huge amount of public money that is proposed to be spent, and could well be better spent on other more pressing issues, would Pembrokeshire County Council commit to thoroughly examining the alternative proposal as WelTAG guidance suggests they should and also fully take on board the overwhelming public opinion regarding the future of Newgale? Secondly if Pembrokeshire County Council have already given this alternative scheme full consideration, will they also commit to providing their written comments on the alternative scheme to Solva Community Council within 14 days of this meeting? In response, Councillor Rhys Sinnett stated that a full response had been provided to Solva Community Council to address the queries which had been submitted following the meeting held with Solva and Brawdy Community Councils on 2 July 2025. It was stated that a number of coastal defence options had been considered as part of the original Welsh Transport Appraisal Guidance (WelTAG) 1 Assessment carried out in 2016-17 and had been ruled out at that stage for a variety of reasons. It was noted that the assessment was available on the Council’s website. It was, however, stated that as part of the preparation for a full planning application, a WelTAG Stage 3 was currently being undertaken which would take into consideration the early WelTAG assessments and other appraisals including environmental and engineering studies. It was stated that the Council had undertaken extensive public consultation which had been fed into the development of the scheme, up to and including the recent Pre Application Consultation (PAC) which invited comments from all interested parties on the proposed scheme. It was stated that a report on the PAC responses would be available before Autumn. It was added that any coastal protection scheme, such as the Advance the Line proposal by STUN, would be a multi-million-pound scheme which would not cover the cost of relocating the shingle bank. Notwithstanding that, it was highlighted that in the unlikely event that the Advance the Line (STUN) proposal stayed in place for approximately 80 years as suggested, it would still not address the Well-Being of Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015 which placed a duty to resolve issues for the long term and not to pass problems to future generations. The Advance the Line proposal would only delay the issue for a short period of time, if at all. It was stated that the Council had committed to providing a response to the specific STUN proposal which would be provided as part of the full PAC response.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Standards Committee Annual Report for 2024-2025 be noted.
Council considered a joint report by the Monitoring Officer and Deputy Monitoring Officer in relation to the Duty of the Standards Committee to provide an Annual Report to Full Council. Mr Nick Watt, Chair of the Standards Committee, introduced the report and expressed his thanks to his predecessor Corinna Kershaw for her valuable contribution to the Committee as a Member and then as Chair. The key points of the report were highlighted and a plea was made for County Councillors to keep reiterating the importance of adherence to the Code of Conduct to Town and Community Councillors along with the importance of keeping a log of the completion of Code training and considering the requirement for dispensations. Thanks were expressed to both the Monitoring Officer, Deputy Monitoring Officer and staff for the support provided to the Committee throughout the year. The Presiding Member extended thanks, on behalf of the Chamber, to Mr Watt as Chair of the Standards Committee and Members of the Committee for their efforts assisting in the governance and reputation of the Council. Moved by Councillor Simon Hancock; Seconded by Councillor Brian Hall The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Standards Committee Annual Report for 2024-2025 be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Net Zero Working Group be reinstated to consider the Notice of Motion and, subject to the outcome of the review, review the future delivery of the Net Zero Action Plan, the previous resolutions of Council and future reporting requirements. Councillor Jacob Williams then Moved that the below three Councillors be appointed as the unaffiliated Members of the Working Group; Seconded by Councillor Pat Davies · Councillor Steve Alderman · Councillor Aaron Carey · Councillor Mike Stoddart The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That Councillors Steve Alderman, Aaron Carey and Mike Stoddart be appointed as the unaffiliated Members of the Working Group.
Council considered a report by the Interim Head of Infrastructure and Environment regarding the Notice of Motion in relation to the establishment of a Working Group to review the decision made to declare a climate change emergency. As originator of the Notice of Motion, Councillor Mike Stoddart was invited to speak to his motion, where he Moved the recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Steve Alderman. Councillors Rhys Jordan and Aaron Carey spoke in support of the motion. Following clarification being sought by the Chief Executive, Councillor Mike Stoddart confirmed that he would be happy for the Working Group to report directly to Council, which would be reflected within the Terms of Reference of the group. Councillor Alan Dennison Moved an amendment, for the Working Group to be a cross party Working Group of six Members (one Member from each group plus one unaffiliated member), not ‘politically balanced’ as recommended, to ensure that every political party was entitled to representation; Seconded by Councillor Huw Murphy. Following a point raised by Councillor Aaron Carey, the Cabinet Member for Housing advised that any net zero or decarbonisation targets for Council housing were directed by the Welsh Housing Quality Standards and would be applicable to all Registered Social Landlords. Members proceeded to vote on Councillor Alan Dennison’s proposed amendment which when put to an electronic vote, the proposal fell. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Jamie Adams, John Cole, Alec Cormack, John Davies, Terry Davies, Alan Dennison, Tim Evans, Brian Hall, Delme Harries, Mike James, Phil Kidney, Elwyn Morse, Huw Murphy, Nick Neumann, Shon Rees, Rhys Sinnett, Vanessa Thomas, Anji Tinley, Michele Wiggins, Chris Williams, Alun Wills and Simon Wright [22] Against the Motion: Councillors Steve Alderman, Maureen Bowen, Alistair Cameron, Aaron Carey, Mark Carter, Di Clements, Pat Davies, Claire George, Jonathan Grimes, Simon Hancock, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Rhys Jordan, Bethan Price, Neil Prior, Jordan Ryan, David Simpson, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, Vivien Stoddart, Mike Stoddart, Aled Thomas, Marc Tierney, Tony Wilcox, Michael Williams, Jacob Williams, Guy Woodham and Danny Young [27] Abstentions: Councillors Michelle Bateman and Thomas Tudor [2] The vote, for the original motion, undertaken by way of an electronic vote, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Jamie Adams, Steve Alderman, Michelle Bateman, Maureen Bowen, Alistair Cameron, Aaron Carey, Mark Carter, Di Clements, Alec Cormack, John Davies, Pat Davies, Terry Davies, Alan Dennison, Tim Evans, Claire George, Jonathan Grimes, Nicola Gwynn, Brian Hall, Simon Hancock, Delme Harries, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Mike James, Rhys Jordan, Phil Kidney, Elwyn Morse, Huw Murphy, Nick Neumann, Bethan Price, Neil Prior, Shon Rees, David Simpson, Rhys Sinnett, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, Vivien Stoddart, Mike Stoddart, Aled Thomas, Vanessa Thomas, Marc Tierney, Anji Tinley, Thomas Tudor, Michele Wiggins, Tony Wilcox, Michael Williams, Chris Williams, Jacob Williams, Alun Wills, Guy Woodham, Simon Wright, Steve Yelland and Danny Young [51] Against the Motion: Councillors John Cole and Jordan Ryan [2] There were no abstentions. RESOLVED That the Net Zero Working Group be reinstated to consider the Notice of Motion and, subject to the outcome of the review, review the future delivery of the Net Zero Action Plan, the previous resolutions of Council and future reporting requirements. Councillor Jacob Williams then Moved that the below three Councillors be appointed as the unaffiliated Members of the Working Group; Seconded by Councillor Pat Davies · Councillor Steve Alderman · Councillor Aaron Carey · Councillor Mike Stoddart The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That Councillors Steve Alderman, Aaron Carey and Mike Stoddart be appointed as the unaffiliated Members of the Working Group.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the public be excluded from the meeting to consider the report by virtue of paragraphs 12,13,14 and 16 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. The meeting then convened in private session to consider the exempt report and the webcast was paused. Members posed questions and points of clarification on the contents of the report, the recommendations being proposed and the financial implications thereof; and the Chief Executive responded accordingly. Moved by Councillor Jon Harvey; Seconded by Councillor Alistair Cameron The vote, undertaken by way of an electronic vote, was carried. RESOLVED That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved. The webcast was then resumed.
Council considered a report by the Chief Executive in relation to updates to the Organisational and Operating Model Review. The requirement for the information contained within the report to be considered in private session was highlighted. Moved by Councillor Simon Hancock; Seconded by Councillor Jon Harvey The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the public be excluded from the meeting to consider the report by virtue of paragraphs 12,13,14 and 16 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. The meeting then convened in private session to consider the exempt report and the webcast was paused. Members posed questions and points of clarification on the contents of the report, the recommendations being proposed and the financial implications thereof; and the Chief Executive responded accordingly. Moved by Councillor Jon Harvey; Seconded by Councillor Alistair Cameron The vote, undertaken by way of an electronic vote, was carried. RESOLVED That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved. The webcast was then resumed.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED The Annual Governance Statement for 2024-25 be approved and signed.
[During the debate on this item of business, Councillor David Simpson declared a personal interest by virtue of being a member of the River Teifi Angling Association.] Council considered a joint report by the Director of Resources and Chief Audit, Risk and Information Officer in relation to the Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for 2024-25. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies introduced the report and highlighted the three significant issues that had been identified which included the Financial Sustainability of the Authority, the Property Service and ongoing Social Services pressures. Further information was provided regarding the three areas and the planned improvements. It was highlighted that following consideration of the AGS by the Governance and Audit Committee on 10 July 2025 a request was made for future reports to include timescales of actions to enable effective tracking of implementation. The importance of the Corporate Risk Register was highlighted and it was stated that a new methodology had been implemented which enabled the Council to exercise its controls over the risks. The severity of the water quality risk was highlighted, of which external support was required due to the Council having limited control over the risk and the knock-on impact such risk could have on the County was highlighted to be concerning. Moved by Councillor Alistair Cameron; Seconded by Councillor Jon Harvey Councillor Alan Dennison highlighted that the reports stated that ‘there was a reasonable framework, and a generally sound system of governance’, and he sought further information as to what other categories there were in comparison to a ‘reasonable’ rating. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies advised that the three categories were substantial, reasonable or moderate. Following points raised by Councillor Mike James in relation to the importance of all three Counties (Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire) being included in matters in relation to the River Teifi, the Leader provided further information on Management Boards which had been set up with Member representation in addition to regular meetings and conversations with a range of Authorities involved in the matter on a regional basis. Following a range of points raised by Councillor Aled Thomas in relation to the concerns highlighted regarding the Property Service, the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies clarified that the Property Service issues were internal which enabled the Authority to have control of the matters, but added that whilst improvements were being made, the Authority would not be able to meet the planned timetable of end of July for the draft Statement of Accounts, of which further information was provided. Councillor Alan Dennison made reference to the below paragraph contained within the report and queried why the footnote ‘Includes additional income, e.g. Increases to service fees and charges’ did not form part of the paragraph and was outlined in small print only and what percentage of the increase in service charges and fees had been allocated towards bridging the gap. “The annual funding gap has been bridged by a combination of additional income from Council Tax increases (including base changes), cost reductions/efficiencies/budget savings2, a contribution from Council Tax Premium income and one-off contributions from reserves.” In response, the Presiding Member advised that the footnote was a formatting matter and the additional information requested would be provided following the meeting. The vote, undertaken by way of an electronic vote, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Jamie Adams, Steve Alderman, Michelle Bateman, Maureen Bowen, Alistair Cameron, Aaron Carey, Mark Carter, Di Clements, John Cole, John Davies, Pat Davies, Terry Davies, Alan Dennison, Tim Evans, Claire George, Jonathan Grimes, Brian Hall, Simon Hancock, Delme Harries, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, David Howlett, Mike James, Rhys Jordan, Phil Kidney, Elwyn Morse, Huw Murphy, Nick Neumann, Bethan Price, Neil Prior, Shon Rees, Jordan Ryan, David Simpson, Rhys Sinnett, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, Mike Stoddart, Vivien Stoddart, Aled Thomas, Vanessa Thomas, Marc Tierney, Thomas Tudor, Michele Wiggins, Tony Wilcox, Michael Williams, Chris Williams, Jacob Williams, Alun Wills, Guy Woodham, Simon Wright, Steve Yelland and Danny Young [51] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED The Annual Governance Statement for 2024-25 be approved and signed.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the motion be put. The vote, undertaken by way of an electronic vote, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Jamie Adams, Steve Alderman, Michelle Bateman, Maureen Bowen, Alistair Cameron, Aaron Carey, Mark Carter, Di Clements, John Cole, Alec Cormack, John Davies, Pat Davies, Terry Davies, Alan Dennison, Tim Evans, Claire George, Jonathan Grimes, Nicola Gwynn, Brian Hall, Simon Hancock, Delme Harries, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, David Howlett, Mike James, Rhys Jordan, Phil Kidney, Elwyn Morse, Huw Murphy, Nick Neumann, Bethan Price, Neil Prior, Shon Rees, Jordan Ryan, Rhys Sinnett, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, Vivien Stoddart, Mike Stoddart, Aled Thomas, Vanessa Thomas, Marc Tierney, Anji Tinley, Thomas Tudor, Michele Wiggins, Michael Williams, Chris Williams, Jacob Williams, Alun Wills, Guy Woodham, Simon Wright, Steve Yelland and Danny Young [52] Abstention: Councillor David Simpson [1] There were no votes against. RESOLVED (a) That the reason for absence of Councillor Mel Phillips be approved, as per the terms of Section 85 (1) of the Local Government Act 1972. (b) In the event that Councillor Mel Phillips continues to be unable to attend for the reason approved, that her absence be approved for a further three months beyond six months to 5 December 2025, as necessary.
Council considered a report by the Head of Democratic Services regarding a Grant of Approval of Absence in respect of Councillor Mel Phillips. Moved by Councillor Simon Hancock; Seconded by Councillor Alec Cormack In response to a question raised by Councillor Pat Davies, Councillor Huw Murphy, in his role as Leader of the Independent Group, stated that the Leader was covering some of Councillor Phillip’s ward matters, with other matters being directed to the Independent Group. Councillor Aled Thomas made reference to the background document outlined within the report ‘Email from Councillor Huw Murphy dated 26.6.25’ and queried if Members were entitled to see the email. In response, the Head of Democratic Services confirmed that they were. Councillor Rhys Jordan suggested that I.T. be requested to set up an automatic response on Councillor Phillips’ Council email address to ensure that constituents were aware of possible delays in replies from Councillor Phillips. The Chief Executive provided assurance that support was being provided both through himself personally and through her Group and confirmed that Councillor Phillips was receiving technical support. In response to a question raised by Councillor David Simpson as to why Councillor Phillips could not attend meetings remotely, the Presiding Member expressed that circumstances regarding health matters could not be speculated. Councillor Huw Murphy Moved that the matter be put; Seconded by Councillor Alan Dennison. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the motion be put. The vote, undertaken by way of an electronic vote, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Jamie Adams, Steve Alderman, Michelle Bateman, Maureen Bowen, Alistair Cameron, Aaron Carey, Mark Carter, Di Clements, John Cole, Alec Cormack, John Davies, Pat Davies, Terry Davies, Alan Dennison, Tim Evans, Claire George, Jonathan Grimes, Nicola Gwynn, Brian Hall, Simon Hancock, Delme Harries, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, David Howlett, Mike James, Rhys Jordan, Phil Kidney, Elwyn Morse, Huw Murphy, Nick Neumann, Bethan Price, Neil Prior, Shon Rees, Jordan Ryan, Rhys Sinnett, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, Vivien Stoddart, Mike Stoddart, Aled Thomas, Vanessa Thomas, Marc Tierney, Anji Tinley, Thomas Tudor, Michele Wiggins, Michael Williams, Chris Williams, Jacob Williams, Alun Wills, Guy Woodham, Simon Wright, Steve Yelland and Danny Young [52] Abstention: Councillor David Simpson [1] There were no votes against. RESOLVED (a) That the reason for absence of Councillor Mel Phillips be approved, as per the terms of Section 85 (1) of the Local Government Act 1972. (b) In the event that Councillor Mel Phillips continues to be unable to attend for the reason approved, that her absence be approved for a further three months beyond six months to 5 December 2025, as necessary.
The meeting was paused at 12:12pm and resumed at 12:30pm.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the response and correspondence received from the St David’s Diocese in relation to the Council’s proposals for Cilgerran Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School and Manorbier Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School, be noted. (b) That delegated authority be granted to the Director of Education to undertake general consultation on the following proposals: (i) to discontinue Manorbier Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School. (ii) to discontinue Cilgerran Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School, and to establish the same as a 3-11 Community School.
Council considered a report by the Director of Education in relation to the St David’s Diocese’sresponse to school closure proposals. The Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language introduced the report and outlined the main points contained within. It was added that Members had been provided with a supplementary document, the night before the meeting, outlining a further response from the Diocese in relation to Manorbier School. In response to the supplementary document, the Cabinet Member highlighted that there had been a lengthy trend of pupil population decline in the Manorbier area for many years, which was not wholly attributed to the fire. It was added that the majority of pupils living within the Manorbier School catchment area did not attend the local school which was demonstrating significant surplus places in Tenby area schools. It was also noted that whilst it was the wish of the Diocesan Board of Finance to retain a faith school in the Village, there were two other faith schools within the vicinity of Manorbier, and the Council's proposal would still ensure a faith-based education provision. Points in relation to any plans and associated costs in reinstating the building, should a decision be made to discontinue the school, were responded to with it being stated that revealing the estimated cost of the reinstatement would be commercially prejudicial at this stage; however, such information would form part of the statutory consultation, should Members agree to proceed as recommended. It was confirmed that a consultation on the discontinuation of the School would still have been proposed had it have not been ravaged by the fire. Assurance was given that estimated costs on several options were shared with Members of Council in May 2025, with Appendix H being taken in private session. It was summarised that the comments received from the Diocese, in relation to Cilgerran School, did not provide any reason not to proceed with the general consultation, and should Council resolve today to delay consideration of the proposal for Manorbier School, it would be likely that the matter would not be considered until the next scheduled meeting of Council in October 2025. In summing up, it was considered that the Council had provided ample opportunity for the Dioceseto respond to the proposal. Moved by Councillor Guy Woodham; Seconded by Councillor John Davies The Presiding Member then welcomed questions from Members and the key points were highlighted as follows: · Councillor Phil Kidney, Local Member for Manorbier Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School, sought an explanation as to why the Diocese response, which had been circulated to Members the evening before the meeting, was not being read out in full, as requested by the Diocese. It was stated that the full Diocese letter had been circulated to all Members and was available to view by the Public as part of the meeting Agenda so did not need to be read out. · Councillor Phil Kidneyexpressed that it had been pleasing to receive support from other Members at the May meeting of Council to defer any decision making until full information was available. It was expressed that he felt that the School closure proposal should be withdrawn and the Council should accept the obligation to rebuild the school and fulfil its duty to the Staff, Learners and the Local Community. It was added that school enrolment numbers would not improve with no clear decision on the school, in fear that learners would remain in temporary school accommodation. · Following concerns raised by Councillor Phil Kidney, the Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language outlined the consultation process and provided assurance that no decisions would be made until the consultation had concluded and had been fully analysed by Council. · In response to a question raised by Councillor Jordan Ryan, the Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language advised that following work undertaken by the School Modernisation Working Group it was clear that the enrolment numbers of Manorbier School were not sustainable. The Director of Education confirmed that following analysis of figures from birth records and other data, it was clear that there would not be sufficient numbers enrolling into the school over the course of the next few years. · Councillor John Davies, Local Member for Cilgerran Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School, highlighted that progressing to consultation would allow the Council and Local Community to future-proof the existence and future of the school, in a village that continued to grow and which offered a very good standard of education. It was noted that pupil numbers for the whole of Wales were predicted to decline over coming years and the importance of both the Council and the Church in Wales not being immune to change was highlighted. It was expressed that accelerated dialogue with the Church in Wales and the Diocese was required by the Council, to ensure respect on both sides as far as understanding their points of view. · Councillor Pat Davies reiterated the need for clear dialogue to take place with the Diocese regarding how a handover would be conducted, taking into consideration the legalities, should a decision be made to close Manorbier Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School. The Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language provided assurance that discussions would take place throughout the process. The vote, undertaken by way of an electronic vote, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Jamie Adams, Steve Alderman, Michelle Bateman, Maureen Bowen, Alistair Cameron, Mark Carter, Di Clements, John Cole, Alec Cormack, John Davies, Pat Davies, Terry Davies, Alan Dennison, Tim Evans, Claire George, Jonathan Grimes, Brian Hall, Simon Hancock, Delme Harries, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, David Howlett, Mike James, Rhys Jordan, Elwyn Morse, Huw Murphy, Nick Neumann, Bethan Price, Neil Prior, Shon Rees, Jordan Ryan, David Simpson, Rhys Sinnett, Vivien Stoddart, Mike Stoddart, Aled Thomas, Vanessa Thomas, Marc Tierney, Anji Tinley, Thomas Tudor, Michele Wiggins, Michael Williams, Chris Williams, Jacob Williams, Alun Wills, Guy Woodham, Simon Wright, Steve Yelland and Danny Young [49] Against the Motion: Councillors Phil Kidney and Sam Skyrme-Blackhall [2] Abstentions: Councillors Aaron Carey and Tony Wilcox [2] RESOLVED (a) That the response and correspondence received from the St David’s Diocese in relation to the Council’s proposals for Cilgerran Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School and Manorbier Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School, be noted. (b) That delegated authority be granted to the Director of Education to undertake general consultation on the following proposals: (i) to discontinue Manorbier Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School. (ii) to discontinue Cilgerran Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School, and to establish the same as a 3-11 Community School.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the Officer responses to representations received on the Council’s Local Development Plan 2 Deposit Plan 2, as outlined in Appendix A.1, A.2 and A.3, be approved. (b) That a limited number of proposed changes (Focussed Changes) and minor edits to the Local Development Plan 2 Deposit Plan 2 in response to representations received, as outlined in Appendix B.1, B.2 and B3, be approved. (c) That the proposed edits to other documents such as the Candidate Site Register and Background papers, as shown in Appendix B.4, and edits to the Habitats Regulations Assessment as shown in Appendix B.5, be approved. (d) That the Local Development Plan 2 Deposit Plan 2 and supporting documentation for submission to Welsh Government, subject to the Focussed Changes, be approved. (e) That delegated powers be granted to the Head of Planning to address any further minor edits needed to documentation prior to being submitted for Examination and prior to being consulted upon as part of the Focussed Changes consultation. (f) That delegated powers be granted to the Head of Planning to consult on the Focussed Changes and provide a response to the Inspector conducting the Examination on any representations received. (g) That delegated powers be granted to the Head of Planning to represent the Council’s position at the forthcoming Examination. (h) That, subject to the outcomes of the Examination of Local Development Plan 2, the Head of Planning be required to make every effort to ensure that the Caravan and Camping Supplementary Planning Guidance is recommended for adoption, to support the relevant policy of Local Development Plan 2, as soon as possible following the adoption of the plan, in line with the commitment given on 10 November 2023.
[Councillor Huw Murphy declared a personal and prejudicial interest and left the meeting for this item of business.] Council considered a report by the Head of Planning in relation to the submission of Pembrokeshire County Council’s replacement Local Development Plan (LDP 2) for examination. Councillor Jacob Williams, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services, introduced the report and stated that whilst it had been the Council’s intention to submit the plan for examination last month, there had been a period of slippage. Details of the Public consultation were outlined and it was stated that an updated consultation report had been prepared to take account of the consultation. The next steps of the plan were outlined with an updated timetable being proposed, which was outlined. The recommendations of the report were outlined and Moved by Councillor Jacob Williams; Seconded by Councillor Jon Harvey. The Head of Planning provided Members with further information in relation to Natural Resources Wales’s (NRW) recent publication of the Conditions Assessment and Conservation Advice Packages for Marine Special Areas of Conservation and outlined the implications it would have on the LDP2 process. It was stated that it had, however, been decided that the Council would continue with submission of the plan and work through the implications of the new evidence with Natural Resources Wales and Welsh Government during the examination process. The Presiding Member then welcomed questions from Members and the key points were highlighted as follows: · Councillor David Howlett highlighted the severity of the Conditions Assessment and Conservation Advice Packages for Marine Special Areas of Conservation matter, but assured the Chamber that representation was being made in the Senedd, by Paul Davies (MS) backed up with written representation to NRW. · The Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services advised that he and his counterparts from Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion were in the process of submitting a letter to Huw Irranca-Davies (MS) Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, on the matter, of which a section of the letter was read out for Members’ information. · Councillor Michael Williams expressed his support for the letter being sent to the Minister and stated that questions needed to be raised regarding the competency and long term sustainability of NRW, following a chain of failures. · Councillor Jonathan Grimes expressed disappointed that despite raising concerns about candidate sites and other developments identified as part of the previous LDP 2 consultation period, there had been no feedback or opportunity for any further consultation. Clarification was sought as to whether there would be an opportunity for concerns and objections to be addressed before formal adoption of the LDP2. In response, the Head of Planning and Cabinet Member advised that the Inspector’s Hearing would be the next opportunity to express concerns outside of the Chamber and could be done both written and orally. · Councillor Alec Cormack raised concerns in relation to the draft Caravan and Camping Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) being delayed until adoption of the LDP 2 and highlighted that the delay was contrary to assurance that was given at the November Council meeting. It was queried if the SPG could be adopted in advance of LDP 2 or if possible, to follow adoption of the LDP 2, in the form of it being the very next agenda item. In response, the Head of Planning stated that procedurally there would have to be a time difference but provided assurance that the time gap would be minimised as much as possible to ensure the risk and weakness identified was reduced. Timescales were outlined and the Head of Planning stated that the decision-making bodies did differ; however, she was happy to work with Officers and Members on the matter of taking the two items in sequence. [Councillor Jamie Adams left the meeting at this juncture.] Councillor Alec Cormack requested that the following recommendation be included, to which Councillors Jacob Williams and Jon Harvey agreed that it could be added to the original motion as Recommendation H: That subject to the outcomes of the Examination of Local Development Plan 2, the Head of Planning be required to make every effort to ensure that the Caravan and Camping Supplementary Planning Guidance is recommended for adoption, to support the relevant policy of Local Development Plan 2, as soon as possible following the adoption of the plan, in line with the commitment given on 10 November 2023. · Following further information being sought by Councillor Alan Dennison, the Head of Planning and the Development Plans Officer provided further information in relation to the staircasing to full ownership and low cost home ownership along with costs of the Examination Inspector. The vote, undertaken by way of an electronic vote, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Steve Alderman, Maureen Bowen, Alistair Cameron, Aaron Carey, Mark Carter, Di Clements, John Cole, Alec Cormack, John Davies, Pat Davies, Terry Davies, Alan Dennison, Tim Evans, Claire George, Jonathan Grimes, Nicola Gwynn, Brian Hall, Simon Hancock, Delme Harries, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, David Howlett, Mike James, Rhys Jordan, Phil Kidney, Elwyn Morse, Nick Neumann, Neil Prior, Jordan Ryan, David Simpson, Rhys Sinnett, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, Vivien Stoddart, Mike Stoddart, Aled Thomas, Vanessa Thomas, Marc Tierney, Anji Tinley, Thomas Tudor, Michele Wiggins, Tony Wilcox, Michael Williams, Chris Williams, Jacob Williams, Alun Wills, Guy Woodham, Simon Wright, Steve Yelland and Danny Young [49] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the Officer responses to representations received on the Council’s Local Development Plan 2 Deposit Plan 2, as outlined in Appendix A.1, A.2 and A.3, be approved. (b) That a limited number of proposed changes (Focussed Changes) and minor edits to the Local Development Plan 2 Deposit Plan 2 in response to representations received, as outlined in Appendix B.1, B.2 and B3, be approved. (c) That the proposed edits to other documents such as the Candidate Site Register and Background papers, as shown in Appendix B.4, and edits to the Habitats Regulations Assessment as shown in Appendix B.5, be approved. (d) That the Local Development Plan 2 Deposit Plan 2 and supporting documentation for submission to Welsh Government, subject to the Focussed Changes, be approved. (e) That delegated powers be granted to the Head of Planning to address any further minor edits needed to documentation prior to being submitted for Examination and prior to being consulted upon as part of the Focussed Changes consultation. (f) That delegated powers be granted to the Head of Planning to consult on the Focussed Changes and provide a response to the Inspector conducting the Examination on any representations received. (g) That delegated powers be granted to the Head of Planning to represent the Council’s position at the forthcoming Examination. (h) That, subject to the outcomes of the Examination of Local Development Plan 2, the Head of Planning be required to make every effort to ensure that the Caravan and Camping Supplementary Planning Guidance is recommended for adoption, to support the relevant policy of Local Development Plan 2, as soon as possible following the adoption of the plan, in line with the commitment given on 10 November 2023.
The meeting was paused at 13:37pm and resumed at 14:30pm. [Councillor Huw Murphy re-joined the meeting at this juncture. Councillor Nicola Gwynn left the meeting at this juncture.]
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the membership of the Panel be approved. (b) That delegated authority be granted to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader and Welsh Local Government Association, to appoint a replacement panel member in the instance that a Member becomes unavailable at a later date due to any unforeseen circumstances.
Council considered a report by the Leader in relation to the proposed Membership of the Panel Performance Assessment. Councillor Jon Harvey, Leader of Council, introduced the report and outlined the key points contained therein and highlighted that the Panel would assess the Council's performance in relation to the three core requirements set out in the Act, of which further information was provided. The proposed Panel membership was outlined and it was stated that following Senior Leadership Team consideration it was deemed that the membership aligned with the Council's needs for the assessment. Moved by Councillor Jon Harvey; Seconded by Councillor Guy Woodham There were no questions raised by Members. The vote, undertaken by way of an electronic vote, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Jamie Adams, Steve Alderman, Michelle Bateman, Maureen Bowen, Alistair Cameron, Aaron Carey, Mark Carter, Di Clements, John Cole, Alec Cormack, John Davies, Pat Davies, Terry Davies, Alan Dennison, Tim Evans, Claire George, Simon Hancock, Delme Harries, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, David Howlett, Mike James, Rhys Jordan, Huw Murphy, Nick Neumann, Bethan Price, Neil Prior, Shon Rees, David Simpson, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, Mike Stoddart, Vivien Stoddart, Aled Thomas, Vanessa Thomas, Marc Tierney, Michele Wiggins, Tony Wilcox, Jacob Williams, Michael Williams, Chris Williams, Guy Woodham, Simon Wright, Steve Yelland and Danny Young [44] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the membership of the Panel be approved. (b) That delegated authority be granted to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader and Welsh Local Government Association, to appoint a replacement panel member in the instance that a Member becomes unavailable at a later date due to any unforeseen circumstances.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report for 2024-25 be endorsed. [Councillor David Howlett left the meeting at this juncture.]
Council considered a report by the Head of Democratic Services in relation to the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report for 2024-25. Before consideration of the item, the Presiding Member advised the Chamber that Isabelle Moorhouse, Democratic and Scrutiny Services Officer, would soon be departing the Authority and thanked her for her contributions to the Democratic Services Team. Councillor Delme Harries, Chair of the Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, introduced the report and outlined the key points contained therein before proceeding to Move the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Simon Hancock. Councillor Simon Hancock praised the content and quality of the data contained within the report and commented that it portrayed effective scrutiny across all areas of the Authority along with the support provided to External Bodies also charged with scrutiny. Councillor Mark Carter highlighted the role that the public can play within the scrutiny function, enabling them to raise concerns directly through the range of Committees, which had been positively demonstrated by the increased viewing figures of the webcasts. The importance of attendance by both Members and Officers was highlighted by Councillors Tony Wilcox and Rhys Jordan and thanks were expressed to the Democratic Services Team. Councillor Rhys Sinnet expressed his positive experiences of Scrutiny, as an Executive Member, stating that he felt the scrutiny undertaken had been productive. The vote, undertaken by way of an electronic vote, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Jamie Adams, Steve Alderman, Michelle Bateman, Maureen Bowen, Alistair Cameron, Aaron Carey, Mark Carter, Di Clements, Alec Cormack, John Davies, Pat Davies, Terry Davies, Alan Dennison, Tim Evans, Claire George, Simon Hancock, Delme Harries, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, David Howlett, Mike James, Rhys Jordan, Huw Murphy, Nick Neumann, Bethan Price, Neil Prior, Shon Rees, David Simpson, Rhys Sinnett, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall, Vivien Stoddart, Mike Stoddart, Aled Thomas, Vanessa Thomas, Marc Tierney, Anji Tinley, Thomas Tudor, Michele Wiggins, Tony Wilcox, Jacob Williams, Michael Williams, Chris Williams, Guy Woodham, Simon Wright, Steve Yelland and Danny Young [47] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED That the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report for 2024-25 be endorsed. [Councillor David Howlett left the meeting at this juncture.]
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the report be noted. (b) That Councillor Aaron Carey be appointed to the vacant unaffiliated seat on the Council Tax Working Group. (c) That the following reserve appointments be confirmed: · Councillor Joshua Beynon – Governance and Audit Committee · Councillors Elwyn Morse and Simon Wright - Democratic Services Committee (d) That Councillor Michael John be appointed to the Democratic Services Committee.
Council considered a joint report by the Head of Democratic Services and the Monitoring Officer which outlined the requirement to note the allocation of seats on Committees and Outside Bodies and to appoint Members and Reserve Members where applicable. The Head of Democratic Services stated that since Council last considered the allocationof Committee seats in May, a vacancy had arisen on the Council Tax Working Group which would need to be filled along with a number of changes to reserve Member appointments due to resignations. Following publication of the report, notice had been received that Councillor Sam Skyrme-Blackhall would be stepping down from the Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, of which a replacement would need to be sought. The Head of Democratic Services outlined the following changes to Political Group Appointments, of which notice had been received and would require Council approval: Independent Group Changes · Councillor Michael John to replace Councillor Elwyn Morse as a Member of the Democratic Services Committee. · Councillors Elwyn Morse and Simon Wright to form part of the Reserve Membership of the Democratic Services Committee. Labour Group Changes · Councillor Joshua Beynon to replace Councillor Marc Tierney as a Governance and Audit Committee Reserve Member . It was highlighted that given that there were no reserve Unaffiliated Members allocated for the Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee or the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Council may wish to invite nominations from Unaffiliated Members to those Committees or be provided with any other nominations for Committees. It was added, for information, that following publication of the report, the following notices of Committee changes had been received: · Councillor Vanessa Thomas to replace Councillor Elwyn Morse as a Member of the Senior Staff Committee. · Councillor Elwyn Morse to become a Reserve Member of the Senior Staff Committee. · Councillor Elwyn Morse to replace Councillor Iwan Ward as a Member of the Schools and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Councillor Simon Hancock Moved that the report be noted and the reserve appointments be confirmed, along with the Democratic Services Committee appointment; Seconded by Councillor Alan Dennison. Nominations were sought to appoint an Unaffiliated Member to the Council Tax Working Group. Councillor Jacob Williams Moved that Councillor Aaron Carey be appointed to the vacant unaffiliated seat on the Council Tax Working Group; Seconded by Councillor Pat Davies. Nominations were sought to appoint an Unaffiliated Member to the Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee; however, with no nomination received it was stated that the vacancy would be considered at the next meeting of Council. The following votes, undertaken by way of a show of hands, were carried. RESOLVED (a) That the report be noted. (b) That Councillor Aaron Carey be appointed to the vacant unaffiliated seat on the Council Tax Working Group. (c) That the following reserve appointments be confirmed: · Councillor Joshua Beynon – Governance and Audit Committee · Councillors Elwyn Morse and Simon Wright - Democratic Services Committee (d) That Councillor Michael John be appointed to the Democratic Services Committee.
[Councillor Simon Hancock reiterated his personal interest in this item of business by virtue of sitting on the Board of Management at the Pembrokeshire Learning Centre, appointed by the Authority.] Councillor Guy Woodham, the relevant Cabinet Member, responded to a question submitted by Councillor Alan Dennison prior to the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 4.18 as follows: The current fee structure imposed by the authority for placements at the PLC in Neyland is £9,165 for Key Stage 3 (KS3) and £9,750 for Key Stage 4 (KS4). In stark contrast, the funding that schools receive per pupil is significantly lower, at £4,829 for KS3 and £4,751 for KS4. This discrepancy forces schools, particularly those in economically disadvantaged areas, to cover the shortfall from their already limited budgets. Can the Cabinet Member for Education explain how this administration can justify a funding model that requires schools to pay nearly double the income they receive for each pupil placed at the PLC and advise if an impact assessment has been conducted to evaluate how this funding gap affects mainstream educational provisions in schools serving high-deprivation communities? In response, Councillor Guy Woodham stated that the ‘per pupil’ figure was the Age Weighted Pupil Allocation which was the same for all schools. It was stated that Schools get an additional supplement which often favours those in economically disadvantaged areas, such as the Additional Learning Needs combined Audit and Statementing line on the formula funding sheet. The ‘per pupil’ funding per school was stated to be the amount of the main overall allocation to the school, divided by the number of pupils. Each pupil was identified as an individual, and the cost of educating some pupils was higher than average, with others being slightly less. It was noted that Schools should, and generally do, use their resources equitably rather than equally i.e. resources should go to those who most need them, rather than everyone getting exactly the same amount. It was highlighted that Schools received a range of grants from Welsh Government, notably the Pupil Development Grant, which was linked to deprivation which would mean the implied ‘discrepancy’ in reality would be much less than implied. It was stated that the basic rules governing the funding of pupils in the Pupil Referral Unit were not determined locally but were covered in Section 7 of the Welsh Government’s guidance on Exclusion from Schools and Pupil Referral Units, which was available on the Welsh Government website. It was added that the Pembrokeshire Learning Centre had to increase its charges recently, as it was subject to the same inflationary pressures as every other setting; however, that increase was the first since 2015, which was to the credit of the Centre and the Education Directorate that it was able to shield schools from the rising cost pressures for as long as it did. Councillor Alan Dennison requested that the Authority commits to aligning the costs of Pembrokeshire Learning Centre placements with the funding that schools receive per pupil and to implement a monitoring and reporting system to ensure value for money was consistently obtained at the Pembrokeshire Learning Centre, to promote a fair and sustainable system. In response, the Cabinet Member declined to make a commitment without exploring the matter further. To assist, the Director for Education explained that the funding per pupil was the same for all schools but highlighted that the level of needs varied per pupil. It was confirmed that some of the funding already formed part of the school’s formula; however, significant changes to school funding formulas was pending and changes would be driven nationally through a review of school funding formulas across Local Authorities, of which a consultation was currently running, which the Authority was participating in. It was noted that there was no additional funding being proposed at present. [Councillor Di Clements left the meeting at this juncture.]
Councillor Tessa Hodgson, the relevant Cabinet Member, responded to a question submitted by Councillor Alan Dennison prior to the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 4.18 as follows: The findings from the 2019 Anchorage building condition report revealed seven grade C issues, signifying significant defects and poor conditions, along with three Priority 4 items that necessitated immediate action to avert closure and mitigate serious health and safety risks. Despite the urgency highlighted in these reports, no measures were taken over the subsequent five years, raising concerns about the efficacy of such assessments and potentially portraying PCC as negligent to the public. Can the Cabinet Member for Social Care & Safeguarding advise why none of the action items in the report were addressed given the significant risks identified? In response, Councillor Tessa Hodgson stated that a condition survey had been carried out in 2021, not 2019 as stated, with elemental weighted condition ratings and associated “high level” backlog maintenance costs provided. It was stated that upon re-commissioning during summer 2024 priority ratings were added to the survey in order to assist in the decision-making as to the future options for the premises. It was added that between the time of the surveys (2021-2024), any responsive repair works which were identified and notified, either via Building Maintenance and/or the Service area, would have been recorded and attempted to be undertaken. In addition, it was stated that this would have included planned works encompassing all statutory servicing schedules including fixed wire testing and boiler plant servicing. The Cabinet Member stated that the Council was satisfied that any works that were required to ensure the safety of the building for continued use by the public were undertaken. Councillor Alan Dennison raised a supplementary question seeking further information as to whether there were any buildings under the oversight of the Cabinet Member which were demonstrating a condition report requiring action that was overdue by more than three months. It was advised that the information would be provided, if possible.
On behalf of the Cabinet Member for Place, the Region, Climate Change and Rural Affairs, who had sent his apologies for the meeting, Councillor Jon Harvey, Leader of Council, responded to a question submitted by Councillor Alan Dennison prior to the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 4.18 as follows: The initial estimate for the South Quay development was approximately £18 million, as provided by Andrew Scott. Could the Cabinet Member for regeneration please provide an update on the total projected costs associated with the project, including both capital expenditures and any grant allocations? In response, the Leader stated that the current contract works being undertaken on site at South Quay by Andrew Scott Ltd were progressing well and were withinthe budget and programme. The construction contract sum for the current phase two works was stated to be £17,694,894.56, with an additional risk budget of £1,550,000.00 allowed for to address issues and risks inherent to a complicated regeneration construction project such as South Quay. It was noted that the contract works were at week 48 of a 103 week programme, working towards a completion date of the end of July 2026. It was stated that Capital expenditure across all the project headings of the initial enabling contract, current contract works, design and contract supervision fees and projected fit out costs were within the total scheme budget of £27,502,978. The purpose and delivery of the South Quay development was stated to be supported by four grant awards; from Welsh Government (Regeneration) Transforming Towns (£5,825,000), Welsh Government (Health and Social Care) Integration and Rebalancing Capital Fund (IRCF) (£6,500,000), Welsh Government Libraries fund (£250,000) and UK Government Levelling up Fund (£4,168,823); totalling £16,743,823 external investment into Pembroke. Following a supplementary question raised by Councillor Alan Dennison, the Leader outlined the amount of grant funding being obtained for the project, along with the benefits the project would bring, and clarified that none of the £12 million allocated for Pembroke Main Street would be diverted into the South Quay development project. [Councillors Sam Skyrme-Blackhall and Danny Young left the meeting at this juncture.]
Councillor Michelle Bateman, the relevant Cabinet Member, responded to a question submitted by Councillor Anji Tinley prior to the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 4.18 as follows: During last year's meetings, concerns were raised about the advice given by the PCC to tenants of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to remain in their homes after receiving a properly served six-month notice period and to await a court eviction notice. It was indicated that this guidance was based on legal advice, affirming that PCC acted appropriately. Additionally, at the meeting on December 12, 2024, the Cabinet member asserted that the Authority was offering the best legal advice, which is technically accurate and compliant with the law. Could you please provide the legislative basis for this advice and could the Cabinet member clarify the meaning of her statement? In response, Councillor Michelle Bateman stated that the matter had been previously discussed during the 12 December 2024 Council meeting, and also at the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting in November 2024. For accuracy, it was stated that the advice was related to the circumstances whereby private rented sector tenants were given notice of possession, and the criteria for eviction differed for social landlords including Registered Social Landlords. It was added that the legislative basis for evictions from rental accommodation, both private and social rentals, was contained within the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, with the introduction of this legislation not coming into force until December 2022. The Cabinet Member stated that she stood by her statement that the advice given to private rented tenants was in accordance with the requirements of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act. It was noted that as the criteria for social landlords differed, the Cabinet Member would need to go into a lengthy explanation of the various circumstances and criteria that a social landlord was required to follow in order to present evidence to a Court of law to demonstrate that it was reasonable for a tenant to be evicted. It was stated that in all circumstances, for both a private and social housing tenant, they had a right to remain in the property until a Possession Order and warrant was issued by the Courts. In response to a supplementary question raised by Councillor Anji Tinley, the Cabinet Member reiterated that the advice given to tenants was sound legal advice and offered to meet with Councillor Tinley, with the Head of Housing in attendance, outside of the meeting, to explain in more detail.
Councillor Michelle Bateman, the relevant Cabinet Member, responded to a question submitted by Councillor Anji Tinley prior to the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 4.18 as follows: Could you please provide the number of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) who adhered to the proper procedures and notice periods in 2024, and up to June 30 2025, but subsequently their tenants were then given advice by PCC to stay put? In response, Councillor Michelle Bateman stated that the Authority did not have the responsibility for monitoring RSLs in their adherence to the Renting Homes (Wales) Act and stated that it would be a function of the Welsh Government. It was clarified that the Authority did not have a record of RSL tenants approaching the homeless service for advice, but in the instance that it did happen the advice would be that there was no legal obligation to vacate and they would risk being intentionally homeless if they vacated when they had a legal right to occupy. It was highlighted that re-housing residents was not a quick process and time was required to assess the notice and customer information to determine the most appropriate course of action. It was stated that the Authority was statutorily obligated to provide residents with accurate legal advice in relation to their accommodation. Following a supplementary question raised by Councillor Anji Tinley, the Cabinet Member confirmed that the Authority did not have a record of RSL tenants approaching the homeless service for advice as there was a different process for that. She explained that she felt Councillor Tinley was confusing the process for the private rentedsector and registered social landlords of which the process was very different.
Councillor Michelle Bateman, the relevant Cabinet Member, responded to a question submitted by Councillor Anji Tinley prior to the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 4.18 as follows: It is believed that the homelessness service engages in mediation with landlords to seek extensions on notices while addressing a customer's housing needs. Could the appropriate Cabinet Member clarify whether this mediation process was consistently applied to all Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) facing challenges in 2024, to include the costs incurred by the Authority or the homelessness service in reimbursing RSLs for their court expenses? After all, if we are adhering to the correct procedures as outlined by legislation, it raises the question of why these costs are being covered at all. In response, Councillor Michelle Bateman confirmed that it was true. She added that finding suitable accommodation was not a quick process and stated that as Members were aware the Authority was facing significant pressures in sourcing sufficient suitable social homes, hence why the housing register waiting list was so long. It was highlighted that the Authority spends in excess of £2.5 million on temporary homeless accommodation every year whilst suitable move-on homes become available. It was highlighted that a mediation service was available, funded by the Housing Support Grant, and ATEB tenants had been referred to the service for multiple reasons including anti-social behaviour, neighbourhood issues and family liaison. It was stated that none of the mediation requests had been related to extending any notice periods for possession proceedings. Furthermore, it was stated that no payments were made to the RSLs for repayment of Court costs, and that would not be a cost that the Authority would consider covering. Following a supplementary question being raised by Councillor Anji Tinley it was agreed that a meeting would be arranged with her, the Cabinet Member and the Head of Housing to discuss the matter in more detail. [Councillor Michelle Bateman left the meeting at this juncture.]
Decision as recorded
it was resolved that a Host Agreement be entered into prior to the 2025 event and that it be agreed by the relevant Director in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services. When reviewing the requirements associated with the Host Agreement it was raised by Cabinet that “This agreement should clearly define event dates and provide a framework for future events“. In order to agree future dates and a framework the discussion expanded to an agreement to cover five years, which aligned with the timeframe associated with the existing Host Agreement in Pembrokeshire for Ironman Wales. A significant amount of work was stated to have been undertaken to produce a Host Agreement which took into account the concerns which had been expressed by Local Members including road closures associated with the 2024 cycle route, communications, community engagement and dates of future events; and was entered into by the Council on 26 June 2025 prior to the LCW 2025 event. It was stated that the agreement was sealed for the Council and not signed by an individual; however, the agreement was entered into with the full support of both the Director and the Cabinet Member. In light of the NOM from Councillor Huw Murphy, and as the 2025 agreement encompassed future years, it should have been taken formally through an Individual Cabinet Member Decision (ICM) in order to comply with the resolution of Cabinet. Having now sought advice on the matter, the Cabinet Member agreed that this was the route that should have been followed and as a result a retrospective ICM decision process was stated to have commenced. It was added that the Host Agreement placed the Council in a much stronger position with regards to the event, with appropriate safeguards in place, including requirements for the organisers to review future cycle routes, termination clauses and a process enabling either party to seek changes to the agreement. It was highlighted that the Host Agreement was in place for the 2025 event and had been welcomed by Members who had previously expressed concerns surrounding the future of the event in Pembrokeshire and was also in line with the decision by Cabinet enabling the Authority to support future events whilst ensuring clarity, mutual consent and a structured partnership between the Council and Activities Wales Events. Following Councillor Huw Murphy’s early departure from the meeting, Councillor Alec Cormack raised a supplementary question on his behalf in relation to the governance of the decision. In response the Cabinet Member stated that a one year agreement could not be made as the event organisers needed to release the date for 2026, which Cabinet had agreed would take place if a Host Agreement was in place prior to the 2025 event. It was highlighted that the Authority did have safeguards within the Host Agreement around termination and the opportunity to further discuss any issues as part of the Host Agreement. It was stated that following discussions with the event organisers it was felt that in order to put the event on a solid footing and to ensure that the Authority and organisers were able to plan in advance, a five year term was agreed. Councillor Cormack stated that he felt it was the agreement of Cabinet that any agreement longer than one year should be carefully considered, subject to scrutiny, before being entered into. The Cabinet Member stated that Cabinet had also agreed to review the Major Events Strategy, of which the matters that would be reviewed were highlighted and it was stated that it was going to be important to think through the implications of all matters to avoid putting additional charges on some community events that offer a vibrancy to the areas that they served. It was stated that the review was due to commence at the end of the month via the Events Advisory Group and a commitment was given that the review and process would be brought forward for wider democratic oversight. The Cabinet Member offered an apology if there was any misunderstanding about subsection ‘D’ of the Cabinet resolution in January and reiterated that at the meeting he did state that his concerns were around whether or not the Authority would be able to conclude negotiations in time for the 2025 event, which was only just achieved.
[Councillor Simon Wright declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item of business by virtue of earning an income from the Long Course Weekend and withdrew from the meeting.] Councillor Rhys Sinnett, the relevant Cabinet Member, responded to a question submitted by Councillor Huw Murphy prior to the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 4.18 as follows: On January 13th 2025 PCC Cabinet debated a Notice of Motion submitted by Councillors Chris Williams and Alec Cormack in relation to the Long Course Weekend (LCW) which is organised by Activity Events Wales (AEW). This Notice of Motion was also debated at a meeting of the Services O&S Committee on January 10th 2025 having been submitted by the named Councillors following resident concerns over the impact the LCW was having upon the communities they represent. Cabinet on January 13th following a healthy debate passed the following recommendation: (a) That the route for LCW for the 2025 event takes place along the same footprint as 2024, with further work/consultation to take place with affected Members to finalise the course and address significant concerns as soon as possible. (b) That a review of the PCC Major Events Strategy takes place as soon as capacity allows for this, in order to reflect the changing climate for events in the county and to incorporate – post event debriefs, a review of the provision of any direct (financial) and indirect (value in kind) support to events, introduction of host agreements to clarify responsibilities of event organisers and PCC. This review should be undertaken by Officers and initially draw on the Member Events Advisory Board, prior to being approved by Overview and Scrutiny and Cabinet. (c) That a formal host agreement between PCC and Activity Wales Events (AEW) is established prior to the LCW 2025. This agreement should clearly define event dates and provide a framework for future events. Furthermore, if both parties fail to reach an agreement ahead of LCW 2025, PCC will not support the event should AWE announce a 2026 date without a host agreement in place. This approach ensures clarity, mutual consent, and a structured partnership between PCC and AWE. (d) That the Host Agreement for 2025 be agreed by the relevant Director, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Residents Services, and for subsequent Host Agreements to be agreed by the Cabinet Member for Residents Services. On Sunday June 29th, 2025 Pure West Radio announced that PCC had “signed a five-year deal with PCC” in respect of the LCW and this has since been reported in other press outlets. On Monday June 30th, 2025 I emailed the Leader (Jon Harvey) & the Cabinet Lead for Residents Services (Rhys Sinnett) asking for a copy of the host agreement, when it was signed and by whom and to date have not had a response, hence this Question to Council. The rationale for this request is that “recommendation D” agreed in January 13th, 2025 by Cabinet stated that any host agreement between PCC and AEW from 2026 onwards would be agreed by the Cabinet Member for Residents Services, with an expectation that it would be agreed via a Notice of Individual Cabinet Member (ICM) Decision, which would be printed on the PCC website giving elected members the opportunity to call-in any ICM Decision for further scrutiny. However, there seems to be no such ICM Decision printed on the PCC website for a host agreement between PCC and AEW from 2026 onwards as per the recommendation of Cabinet on January 13th, 2025. Therefore, the questions for Councillor Sinnett as Cabinet Lead for Residents Services are: (1) Who signed the host agreement for LCW 2026-2030 on behalf of PCC with AEW? (2) Why was the host agreement for LCW for 2026 onwards not published by PCC via an ICM Decision as per recommendation D at Cabinet on January 13th, 2025 to inform members of any decision, to allow an opportunity for further member oversight, which was the purpose of recommendation “D” on January 13th, 2025? In response, Councillor Rhys Sinnett stated that Long Course Weekend (LCW) was an established event in Pembrokeshire; however, there was no formal agreement in place with both parties. Following a formal Notice of Motion (NOM), and subsequent debate at Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet, it was resolved that a Host Agreement be entered into prior to the 2025 event and that it be agreed by the relevant Director in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services. When reviewing the requirements associated with the Host Agreement it was raised by Cabinet that “This agreement should clearly define event dates and provide a framework for future events“. In order to agree future dates and a framework the discussion expanded to an agreement to cover five years, which aligned with the timeframe associated with the existing Host Agreement in Pembrokeshire for Ironman Wales. A significant amount of work was stated to have been undertaken to produce a Host Agreement which took into account the concerns which had been expressed by Local Members including road closures associated with the 2024 cycle route, communications, community engagement and dates of future events; and was entered into by the Council on 26 June 2025 prior to the LCW 2025 event. It was stated that the agreement was sealed for the Council and not signed by an individual; however, the agreement was entered into with the full support of both the Director and the Cabinet Member. In light of the NOM from Councillor Huw Murphy, and as the 2025 agreement encompassed future years, it should have been taken formally through an Individual Cabinet Member Decision (ICM) in order to comply with the resolution of Cabinet. Having now sought advice on the matter, the Cabinet Member agreed that this was the route that should have been followed and as a result a retrospective ICM decision process was stated to have commenced. It was added that the Host Agreement placed the Council in a much stronger position with regards to the event, with appropriate safeguards in place, including requirements for the organisers to review future cycle routes, termination clauses and a process enabling either party to seek changes to the agreement. It was highlighted that the Host Agreement was in place for the 2025 event and had been welcomed by Members who had previously expressed concerns surrounding the future of the event in Pembrokeshire and was also in line with the decision by Cabinet enabling the Authority to support future events whilst ensuring clarity, mutual consent and a structured partnership between the Council and Activities Wales Events. Following Councillor Huw Murphy’s early departure from the meeting, Councillor Alec Cormack raised a supplementary question on his behalf in relation to the governance of the decision. In response the Cabinet Member stated that a one year agreement could not be made as the event organisers needed to release the date for 2026, which Cabinet had agreed would take place if a Host Agreement was in place prior to the 2025 event. It was highlighted that the Authority did have safeguards within the Host Agreement around termination and the opportunity to further discuss any issues as part of the Host Agreement. It was stated that following discussions with the event organisers it was felt that in order to put the event on a solid footing and to ensure that the Authority and organisers were able to plan in advance, a five year term was agreed. Councillor Cormack stated that he felt it was the agreement of Cabinet that any agreement longer than one year should be carefully considered, subject to scrutiny, before being entered into. The Cabinet Member stated that Cabinet had also agreed to review the Major Events Strategy, of which the matters that would be reviewed were highlighted and it was stated that it was going to be important to think through the implications of all matters to avoid putting additional charges on some community events that offer a vibrancy to the areas that they served. It was stated that the review was due to commence at the end of the month via the Events Advisory Group and a commitment was given that the review and process would be brought forward for wider democratic oversight. The Cabinet Member offered an apology if there was any misunderstanding about subsection ‘D’ of the Cabinet resolution in January and reiterated that at the meeting he did state that his concerns were around whether or not the Authority would be able to conclude negotiations in time for the 2025 event, which was only just achieved.
Councillor Guy Woodham, the relevant Cabinet Member, responded to a question submitted by Councillor Huw Murphy prior to the meeting in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 4.18 as follows: Cabinet on April 28th 2025 passed a recommendation requesting additional information be collected from parents electing Welsh medium education for their Children following a debate on Welsh Education Strategic Plan (WESP). This Cabinet decision was subject of a successful call-in by the Schools O&S Committee on May 14th, 2025. During the Schools O&S meeting the additional cost to PCC of collecting the information requested by Cabinet was raised, at which time Mr Huw Jones informed Scrutiny that the Schools Admission Team was only 1 person and to collect the additional information would necessitate the team being increased by at least one person. Cabinet on May 21st 2025 following the successful call-in amended their Cabinet decision of April 28th 2025 to now request additional information be collected from parents of children electing both Welsh and also English medium education. Can the Cabinet Lead for Education please inform elected members what the financial implications (cost) will be for PCC in collecting this additional information from parents electing both a Welsh & English medium education for their Children, to include pension and NIC contributions if additional staff will be required to comply with decision of Cabinet on April 28th and then May 21st, 2025? In response, Councillor Guy Woodham stated that Cabinet was yet to receive the Director of Education’s proposal on how the demand for school places could be better captured, and it was therefore difficult to quantify the exact cost implication for the Council in collecting the additional information from parents without knowing the scope and frequency of the exercise in question. It was noted that the Director of Education had given his assurance that Cabinet’s request would be fully explored and that he would present a report during the 2025 autumn term. Following Councillor Huw Murphy’s early departure from the meeting, Councillor Alan Dennison raised a supplementary question on his behalf requesting further information as to where the additional money to fund the additional information would come from, to which the Cabinet Member stated that it was too soon to speculate as to what the financial implication would be.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Notice of Motion be referred to the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
A Notice of Motion was submitted by Councillor Delme Harries in the following terms: It is increasingly evident that while significant effort and investment has been directed toward revitalising our towns, many of our rural areas are being left behind. These communities are the backbone of our agricultural economy, custodians of our landscape, and home to vital heritage and culture and the Welsh language. It is time we restore balance and give our rural communities the attention, voice, and opportunities they deserve. To ensure that no part of our county is forgotten, I propose that we establish a dedicated cross chamber working party focused on reigniting our rural areas — supporting rural enterprise, connectivity, housing, access to essential services and how we can help young people to live and work locally. Upon the terms of Council Procedure Rule 4.19, the Motion having been Moved by Councillor Alan Dennison; Seconded by Councillor Chris Williams then stood referred to the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Notice of Motion be referred to the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
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