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Mr James and Cardiff Bay - the Western Mail reports
Mark James' property dealings down in Cardiff Bay seem to have reached the ears of the Western Mail today, with an interesting article about residents' concerns over the management of their...
View ArticleMeeting with the Police Commissioner
Just in case you thought I'd gone away for good I thought I'd better get back to the blog. The silly season is nearing its end and the wheels of democracy, Carmarthenshire style, will soon rumble back...
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Car park at Parc Howard
Anyone who has submitted a planning application will know that if justification is required for something or other, then justification you will have to provide. The consistency with which this is...
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Swansea Bay City Deal - Pembrokeshire having doubts?
Interesting to see the new leader of Pembrokeshire council, Cllr David Simpson, expressing caution and real concern over the Swansea Bay City Deal at a Pembs Committee meeting webcast (around 40...
View ArticleEmail snooping; from Liverpool to Carmarthenshire....and complaints up by 45%
There's a row brewing in Liverpool Council where a resident's email to her councillor was snooped on by senior officials. Reported by the Liverpool Echo, Libdem Cllr Andrew Makinson was shocked to...
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News round-up; Schools and spin..other news...and more spin
The Autumn term at County Hall kicks off next week with September's full council meeting, the agenda, for your information, is here. It includes a Motion and a couple of questions from the Labour...
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Carmarthenshire Council's Flag Policy
In the grand scheme of things, the business of flying flags might not be one of the most important issues facing Carmarthenshire but the refusal to fly the Rainbow flag, the universal symbol of support...
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Unlawful payments - Ireland and Carmarthenshire - Compare and contrast...
Interesting report from Ireland where a government minister is repaying €16,000 she had received in unlawful payments. The money was an extra allowance which was eventually deemed ineligible and she...
View ArticleThe tail wagging the dog, as usual
The involvement of the chief executive in debates at full council has become so commonplace over the years that no one appears to notice when he regularily oversteps the mark and sets out to influence...
View ArticleSwansea City Deal and the Wellness Village...the dream unravels?
This week's Carmarthenshire and Llanelli Heralds feature detailed reports on the troubled Swansea Bay City Deal, as well as a scathing Cadno opinion piece (see below). As we know this all ties in with...
View ArticleTeflon Mark, and other news
After three months I finally had a response from the Wales Audit Office to my complaint that the chief executive had used, or had ordered others to use, council resources to gather 'evidence' for his...
View ArticleHazardous chemicals and a history lesson
An interesting planning application caught my attention the other day, not just because it was seeking consent to store highly toxic chemicals (Arsine and Phosphine, six tons and one ton of each...
View ArticleThe Caerphilly farce continues. And then there's Carmarthenshire...
The three suspended Caerphilly Council senior officers, still on full pay, are back in the news today, (WalesOnline and BBC) reporting that two of them are set to receive substantial pay offs, and so...
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Response from the Police Commissioner
Previous post; Meeting with the Police CommissionerAfter liaising with the chief constable of Dyfed Powys Police, the Police Commissioner, Dafydd Llywelyn has sent me a response which can be read in...
View ArticleThe Burn family and Natural (In)justice
I am publishing below a brief statement from Mr Robin Burn, in his own words, in relation to recent calls for 'natural justice'. This blog has reported several times, (most recently here) on the...
View ArticleChief Executive threatens pensioner with legal action
The long running case concerning the dispute between pensioner Patricia Breckman and the council has been well documented. In a nutshell, the council chose to either turn a blind eye to her neighbour's...
View ArticleMisuse of council computers - One rule for one...
Last month, following my complaint to the Wales Audit Office in July, I was given the outcome of their lengthy 'investigation' concerning the chief executive's extensive misuse of council computers for...
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The Mark James Business Empire - Nothing to declare!
After a lengthy three month wrangle with the council, and some nudging from the Information Commissioner's office, I finally had the outcome of my request for Senior Officers' Declarations of...
View ArticleNews in Brief - Council budget and other news
Council budgetThe council's budget for the next couple of years puts in an appearance on Monday's Executive Board agenda as the proposals are rubber stamped for consultation. The budget report shows...
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Drug trials at the Wellness Village?
Back in March one of the most powerful drug manufacturers in the world, Pfizer, based in the US but with 'offshore' interests, announced it was collaborating with Swansea University to set up an...
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