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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 updates to the Action Log be noted. [Councillor Tom Tudor joined the meeting at this juncture.]
RESOLVED (a) That the items outlined within the Forward Work Programme be noted subject to the following additions: · A review of the Procurement Process; · Manorbier School insurance cover. (b) That a Forward Work Programme planning meeting be arranged.
RESOLVED That the Budget Monitoring report Quarter 3 2025-26 be noted.
RESOLVED (a) That the Corporate Performance Measurement Quarterly Monitoring report be noted. (b) That a referral be made to the Schools and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Committee to review the number of children in Elective Home Education since December 2025.
RESOLVED That the Partnerships Panel update be noted
RESOLVED That the Situation Update on the backlog of Valuation Office Agency Non-Domestic Rates and Council Tax Appeals position be noted.
No requests had been received
Item 11: Situation Update on backlog of Valuation Office Agency Non-Domestic Rates and Council Tax Appeals Councillor Bethan Price declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item of business by virtue of owning a second home.
Moved by Councillor Michael Williams; Seconded by Councillor Jonathan Grimes. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Minutes of the meeting held on 20th January 2026 be approved as a correct record subject to the following amendment: Item 47. Outline Draft County Council Budget 2026-27 and Outline Draft Medium Term Financial Plan 2026-27 to 2028-29 That 1.4M was placed into General Reserves with £1.1M in Reserves for Crematoriums. [Councillors Mark Carter and Bethan Price abstained from this vote by virtue of not being in attendance at the meeting.]
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the updates to the Action Log be noted. [Councillor Tom Tudor joined the meeting at this juncture.]
The Chair highlighted the completed actions and welcomed the Assistant Chief Executive to the meeting to provide updates on the outstanding actions as follows: Action 1 – Roof Repairs on Monkton Cemetery. Update: There will be an Options Appraisal and consultation with the local Community and Members but no update at present. Action 2 – Late delivery of the trade waste vehicles. Update: Discussions had taken place with Procurement, nothing further at present. In response to a question raised by Councillor Alan Dennison regarding payment of the vehicles, the Assistant Chief Executive advised that all vehicles were received and had been paid for. It was noted that there were concerns on inclusion of a late delivery penalty clause in contracts as this may impact on companies bidding for contracts. Additionally, there can be various businesses involved in vehicle delivery and stated that lead time for delivery on all vehicles had increased since the Covid Pandemic. Action 3 - Referral to Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee requesting scrutiny of the Patient Flow Service Level Agreement between the Health Board and Pembrokeshire County Council Update: This was now due for consideration at the June 2026 meeting. Action 4 - Welsh average comparison of missed refuge collection rates Update: The referral had been made to the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee and was due to be discussed at their November 2026 meeting. The Chair highlighted that during the presentation on the Freeport at the previous meeting, the Chair of the Freeport had suggested that Employer National Insurance relief was capped at a salary of £25K. However, following the meeting, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Place, the Region, Climate Change and Rural Affairs had advised the Chair that the Employers Relief applied to all Salaries but that the relief was on the first £25K. Moved by Councillor Michael John; Seconded by Councillor Michael James. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the updates to the Action Log be noted. [Councillor Tom Tudor joined the meeting at this juncture.]
There were no items of public submission or correspondence received.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the items outlined within the Forward Work Programme be noted subject to the following additions: · A review of the Procurement Process; · Manorbier School insurance cover. (b) That a Forward Work Programme planning meeting be arranged.
The Chair presented the Forward Work Programme to the Committee noting that a number of items had been moved and that the service area for scrutiny in September and November needed to be chosen. The Chair advised that a Forward Work Programme planning meeting would be arranged for all Committee Members to attend. The Chair explained that the Finance item had been deferred to June due to Officer workload and highlighted that the June meeting would be a full agenda. The Committee then debated the contents of the Forward Work Programme and the key points were noted as follows. In response to a request raised by Councillor Alan Dennison regarding when the procurement process was last reviewed, the Chair confirmed that procurement was within the remit of the Committee and regular reviews were undertaken. The Chair agreed that this would be discussed further at the Forward Work Programme planning meeting. In response to a question raised by Councillor Pat Davies regarding the Authority’s insurance cover in light of the Manorbier School fire, the Head of Democratic Services advised that reviewing the policy was under the remit of the Policy and Pre-Decision Committee who had already committed to undertake a review in their September meeting. However, the Head of Democratic Services noted that the Committee could review specific elements of the insurance cover, as appropriate and the Chair noted that this would also be discussed at the Forward Work Programme planning meeting. The Chair reminded the Committee that the Partnerships Panel worked on behalf of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, scrutinising the Public Services Board and the Community Safety Partnership. He asked that any issues for consideration by the Panel should also be identified ahead of the proposed Forward Work Programme meeting to allow referrals to be made where necessary. Moved by Councillor Michael John; Seconded by Councillor Pat Davies. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED (a) That the items outlined within the Forward Work Programme be noted subject to the following additions: · A review of the Procurement Process; · Manorbier School insurance cover. (b) That a Forward Work Programme planning meeting be arranged.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Budget Monitoring report Quarter 3 2025-26 be noted.
The Committee considered a report by the Head of Finance and Revenue Services regarding the County Council Budget Monitoring Report Quarter 3 2025-2026. The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies presented the report with the key points highlighted as follows: • An underspend in Children’s Services £0.688M including £2.34M in residential care due to fewer placements outside of the County and an increase in use of fostering; • An underspend in Adult services overall, offset by an overspend of £2.12M in supported accommodation for adults with learning disabilities due to an increase in demand; • A projected underspend in Education of £0.275M; • An overspend in the Chief Executive Directorate due to a staff reorganisation; • A £0.466M underspend in public transport due to grant funding; and • A £0.478M overspend in Waste services due to vehicle hire costs. The Cabinet Member explained that a reduction in the capital finance costs had resulted in the Authority being under budget this financial year. This was partly due to a slippage in the capital programme due to a lack of capacity in the market. The Chair clarified that the Committee was being asked to scrutinise the report and make recommendations to either Cabinet or other Scrutiny Committees highlighting the amount of information contained within the report. The Committee then debated the contents of the report, and the key points were noted as follows. In response to a question raised by Councillor Alan Dennison regarding the overspend on Trade Waste, the Head of Finance and Revenue Services explained this was due to the delay in delivery of new vehicles and the need to hire vehicles whilst waiting for the delivery. Councillor Mike James raised concerns regarding the escalating fuel costs and suggested the possibility of assistance from either Welsh Government or UK Government for school bus transport. Following the question raised by Councillor Alan Dennison regarding the trade waste service, Councillor Mark Carter made reference to the service becoming cost neutral. The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies requested that advance notice of specific questions be provided where possible to ensure the appropriate Officer to be in attendance and the response to be sourced in advance. The Cabinet Member however, committed to responding to any specific queries following the meeting. In response to a concern raised by Councillor Michael Williams regarding the underspend in street cleaning due to vacancies within the service, the Head of Finance and Revenue Services explained that there were vacancies throughout the year, and that budgets were managed accordingly. The specific service would need to respond should more detail be required but there was no plan to pause on any recruitment. Councillor Williams emphasised the importance of appropriate funding to the service to ensure areas were kept clean and tidy, particularly during tourist seasons and the Chair agreed that the Committee would review how the service was ensuring it was adequately staffed for the commencement of the tourist season. Councillor Alan Dennison emphasised that the service was for all areas of the County and not just tourism hotspots. Councillor Alan Dennison suggested that the Authority requested assistance with borrowing waste vehicles at weekends from Carmarthenshire Council when they were not being used to alleviate the problem of trade waste not being collected. It was identified by Councillor Alan Dennison that transferring the expenditure for school transport into the school education budget did not represent a true saving, as noted within the report. It was requested by Councillor Mike James and agreed with by the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies that the street cleaning team work in collaboration with the Eisteddfod to ensure the area was kept clean. Councillor Huw Murphy noted the decision by Full Council to award additional funding to Visit Pembrokeshire, which had also impacted the street cleaning budget. The Chair highlighted that the Authority had been advised they would receive funding towards the increase in National Insurance for Employers; however, it was noted that there had been a significant shortfall in the funding received which had resulted in an increase in the base pressure for 2026-27. The Chair further highlighted the projected overspend in Law and Governance, suggesting that this was due to the increase in Coroner’s examination fees. The Head of Finance and Revenue Services agreed that there had been additional hours and an increase in workload for the Coroner’s team advising the Committee that Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire were responsible for the funding of this statutory service. Councillor Alan Dennison sought clarification regarding the overspend on Leisure and Libraries which had previously been raised with the Head of Culture, Leisure and School Modernisation and also raised the contractual payments made to Visit Pembrokeshire being for a full year when the contract ended in October and restarted in April. The Chair advised that, as the query regarding the overspend on Libraries had already been raised with the Head of Culture, Leisure and School Modernisation, they would wait for that response. In addition, the question regarding payments to Visit Pembrokeshire would be clarified outside of the meeting. In response to a concern raised by Councillor Michael Williams regarding the growth in rent arrears and the lack of mitigation, the Head of Finance and Revenue Services advised that the team continued to work with clients to improve the levels of collection. In addition, they were actively recruiting to vacant posts with a view to commencing court hearings. Moved by Councillor Jonathan Grimes; Seconded by Councillor Mark Carter. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Budget Monitoring report Quarter 3 2025-26 be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the Corporate Performance Measurement Quarterly Monitoring report be noted. (b) That a referral be made to the Schools and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Committee to review the number of children in Elective Home Education since December 2025.
The Committee considered a report by the Director of Resources regarding the Corporate Performance Measurement Quarterly Monitoring which was presented by the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies presented the report to the Committee highlighting the delays in the telephone answering service in the Call Centre which had been of significant concern for some time. It was noted that the resources had been increased in the Call Centre and that they were undertaking a pilot phase to introduce Interactive Voice Response messages allowing automated call option routing. Additionally, a phased roll out for call routing for the housing and building maintenance service was to be introduced. This would provide signposting to online reporting where possible. It was emphasised that these services would result in an overall reduction in waiting time whilst also allowing members of the public to go directly through to the department to get queries resolved. The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies and the Finance Team for how the report had been compiled as this had made it easier to read and understand. The Committee then debated the contents of the report and the key points were noted as follows. The Chair concurred that the main area of concern was around the Call Centre delays highlighting that, at a recent health and wellbeing event for the over 50s in his ward, the main concern raised by residents was the time it took to get a response. The Chair had provided updates regarding using the MyAccount portal to residents however, many were elderly and did not use email or My Account. However, he did note that he personally utilised the MyAccount system or emailed and encouraged everyone to use this system where possible to alleviate the pressure on the call centre staff allowing them to answer telephone queries to those that needed to ring in. The Chair explained that, at the recent Budget meeting, Councillors had been advised of a £250,000 cut from the Call Centre budget where the Chief Executive had advised that the introduction of Artificial Intelligence amongst other innovations would alleviate that however, this may take 10 months to come online. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies explained that there had been an initial reduction in staff due to job uncertainty however, four posts were being actively recruited together with increasing the hours of existing staff where possible. The Cabinet Member did acknowledge that uptake on using the MyAccount service had been extremely low, particular with housing repairs but additional publicity to increase awareness was being undertaken. Councillor Alan Dennison sought clarity on the identified reduction in recycling performance and the reasons behind it. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies advised that, this had been in part due to missed collections caused by late delivery of the vehicles, which had also resulted in the increase in telephone calls to the call centre. The Chair additionally asked what was being done to reduce landfill as waste was still being received from outside of the County. The Corporate Planning Manager advised that waste received at landfill was as a result of primary waste processing, confirming that residual waste from litter bins and black bags does not go directly to landfill. In response to a question raised by Councillor Mike James regarding the figures showing elective home education since December 2025 and the January 2026 intake, the Chair agreed that a referral be made to the Schools and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Committee to review the elective home education figures for the past 12 months and the return rate. Councillor Michael Williams emphasised that when calls to the call centre were abandoned due to no answer, the residents will often then contact their Local Member. Councillor Williams highlighted that Officer contact information they held was out of date with Officers included that had left the service for a number of years and some not having any contact numbers. The Chair highlighted that, due to the turnover of Officers in the Authority, a paper booklet would become out of date very quickly. The Head of Democratic Services suggested a request could be sent to Executive Support for an updated list to be provided. However, she later advised that the information was available on the intranet for Councillors to access. Councillor Mike James concurred that at a recent meeting of ‘Working Better Together’ the Town and Community Clerks had asked for better contact information for Officers and the Transformation Officer had advised that they were sourcing an updated document at that meeting. In response to a concern raised by Councillor Alan Dennison regarding whether call centre staff were office or home based, the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance and Efficiencies advised that he could not answer how many were working from home but committed to responding at the earliest opportunity. In response to a comment raised earlier in the meeting regarding using MyAccount and other online services, Councillor Pat Davies noted that it was not only the elderly that were not using the technology, and that some people want to speak to someone to get an assurance that a concern will be resolved. Councillor Mark Carter referred to email contact and responses to queries from residents noting that he personally reported potholes, street lights and other road issues through the MyAccount service and that he has always received a good response. Councillor Thomas Tudor concurred that he regularly reported issues through the MyAccount App and requested that a mechanism for reporting blocked drains be included. Councillor Tudor further requested that a launch campaign be undertaken as many residents were still unaware of it. The Chair concurred that it was very useful for receiving reminders of residential waste collections, Bridge closures and other useful information and reiterated that he regularly used it for reporting any issues. Councillor Bethan Price agreed that many residents were still unaware of the MyAccount App and highlighted the excellent response she has received, particularly when providing an accompanying photograph of issues where possible. In response to a concern raised by Councillor Alan Dennison regarding Key Performance Indicators on missed recycling rates, housing and libraries, the Corporate Planning Manager advised that they were currently updating service plans for the next year and that setting targets where possible could be included. The Manager further advised that main housing benefit claims were processed by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Authority only processed claims when residents were in hospital or had become homeless. Additional clarity was requested for future meetings regarding visitor numbers to libraries with visitors using technology at the library as well as the number of books issued. Councillor Pat Davies highlighted concerns that visitor numbers to Fishguard library could include the cruise ship visitors that were paying to view the tapestry and that there were ongoing discussions regarding the Community Asset Transfer between the Town Council and the County Council for the Town Hall which housed both the library and the tapestry highlighting that these were two different entities. Councillor Alan Dennison suggested that the tapestry location be included as part of the Community Asset Transfer negotiations. The Chair then highlighted the percentage of planning applications that were being determined within the agreed timescales having increased from 97% to 98.5% however, he noted that with the Natural Resources Wales issues being introduced, this may decrease. The Chair therefore requested that any specific issues, such as Nitrates, that caused a delay in determining applications be reported separately to ensure an accurate representation is presented. Councillor Huw Murphy highlighted that the Human Resources Directorate, stated that there were currently 4360 FTE staff across the Authority. Councillor Murphy requested that the numbers of FTE staff for previous years be provided to allow a comparison to ensure any staffing cuts were being made in the most appropriate places. The Chair agreed that a response would be sourced from the Human Resources Directorate. Councillor Alan Dennison additionally requested further detail regarding the number of long-term empty properties due to concerns that there were 400 properties paying a premium on Council Tax. Moved by Councillor Alan Dennison; Seconded by Councillor Jonathan Grimes. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED (a) That the Corporate Performance Measurement Quarterly Monitoring report be noted. (b) That a referral be made to the Schools and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Committee to review the number of children in Elective Home Education since December 2025.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Partnerships Panel update be noted
The Committee considered the Minutes of the last meeting of the Partnerships Panel, presented by the Chair of the Panel. The Chair reminded Members that the Panel reviewed the work of the Community Safety Partnership and Public Services Board and that they had received presentations from their respective Chairs and Vice-Chairs with key points highlighted as follows. The Community Safety, Poverty and Regeneration Manager advised Members that Home Office hot spot funding was available for neighbourhood and traffic policing. Members were advised that Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire were combining to form one Community Safety Partnership. It had been suggested that Pembrokeshire join with them, however Pembrokeshire were already part of the Corporate Joint Committee which had been set up under legislation. The Chair advised that a report had been presented from the Hywel Dda University Health Board regarding operational decisions that were being made and further information regarding the consultation on the wellbeing assessment had been requested. The Panel had requested that, when the Committee meet to discuss the Forward Work Programme, that they included any items to be raised at the Partnerships Panel. Moved by Councillor Pat Davies; Seconded by Councillor Alan Dennison. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Partnerships Panel update be noted
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Situation Update on the backlog of Valuation Office Agency Non-Domestic Rates and Council Tax Appeals position be noted.
[Having declared a personal and prejudicial interest in the next item of business, Councillor Bethan Price left the meeting at this juncture.] The Committee considered a report by the Head of Finance and Revenue Services regarding the situation update on the backlog of Valuation Office Agency Non-Domestic Rates and Council Tax Appeals. The Chair introduced the item to the Committee noting the backlog had necessitated the need for Officers to not answer calls for one day a week to allow the work to be undertaken. The Chair confirmed that, at the request of the Committee, a letter had been sent to the Valuation Office Agency and the response would be presented at the next meeting. The Head of Finance and Revenue Services delivered a brief summary explaining how the backlog had arisen advising that, new letting criteria had been introduced in April 2023 for self-catering properties in Wales. This criteria required the property to be available to let for 252 days and actually let for 182 days in the previous 12 months to remain on the non-domestic rating list. Where a property did not meet both of those conditions, it would be moved to normal council tax. Additionally, because those properties were not the main residence, they would then incur the second homes council tax premium. This had resulted in a backlog of applications with the Valuation Office Agency with some assessments backdated to the 1st April 2023. This resulted in backdated council tax bills being received by our residents which had increased arrears, pressure on the team and pressure on the collection rates. In Quarter One, 233 completed assessments had been received by the Authority, which had now increased to 448. At the end of February 2026, approximately 36 properties owed over £20K, 236 owed between £10K and £20K and 500 owed between £1K and £10K. The Valuation Office had stated that a six to nine month waiting time remained in place. The Head of Finance and Revenue Services advised that, where the tax payer provided evidence that they were waiting for an outcome, or had lodged an appeal, the Authority placed a six month hold on recovery to allow time for the resolution to be received. The Head of Finance and Revenue Services advised that, some respite had been received from Welsh Government issuing refinements to the criteria and it was anticipated that further information would be available as they were moving to quarterly monitoring reports. The Committee then debated the contents of the report and the key points were noted as follows. In response to a question raised by the Chair regarding the charity days criteria, the Revenues and Benefits Manager explained that, once the accommodation was proven to be available solely for charities, this was supported for up to 14 days. The Chair referred to the appeals that were being received by the Valuation Office Agency and the Revenues and Benefits Manager advised that the Authority could not action any applications until they were received from the Valuation Office Agency. In response to concerns raised by Councillor Alan Dennison regarding clarity on the debt presented as an overall debt, the Revenues and Benefits Manager advised that this would be reported at the next meeting. Councillor Alan Dennison raised further concerns regarding when residents can make the claims. The Revenues and Benefits Manager clarified that any reviews undertaken from 1st April 2026 will not be backdated. The Historical reviews were only for those already affected up until 1st April 2026. The Revenues and Benefits Manager advised that following that, the Valuation Office Agency would be conducting rolling reviews every two years. Councillor Dennison highlighted the concern that residents may accuse the Authority of preferential treatment for those not valued at that time who may have met the criteria over the last three years however, the Revenues and Benefits Manager advised that the criteria only changed from 1st April 2026 which meant that reviews would only go back to 1st April 2023. Concerns were raised by Councillor Mark Carter that residents within his ward had received bills dating back to April 2023 when they had already been taxed on the money as profit, Councillor Huw Murphy concurred with this concern and highlighted that property owners were trying to make a living and were being punitively penalised. Councillor Huw Murphy raised a further concern that the change in criteria had caused more work for Officers whilst not generating any finances. He further emphasised that the 182 day threshold for actually letting of the property was too high and should be reduced as it was unrealistic. Councillor Murphy explained that this was difficult for many properties to attain particularly with the expectation to provide 14 days free for charities. Whilst the Chair empathised with the comments made by Councillors Mark Carter and Huw Murphy, he clarified that any additional changes in the criteria would further increase costs in Officer time and pressure on both the Valuation Office Agency and the Authority. The Revenues and Benefits Manager reassured Members that that they frequently met with the Valuation Office Agency as local Authorities in England and Wales and were expressing their concerns regarding the delay in dealing with the appeals. The Chair clarified that the Officers within the Authority had the full support of the Committee and the undue pressure that the unacceptable delays from the Valuation Office Agency have placed upon them. Moved by Councillor Alan Dennison; Seconded by Councillor Mark Carter. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Situation Update on the backlog of Valuation Office Agency Non-Domestic Rates and Council Tax Appeals position be noted.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
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