Latest news with #AuditWales
Powys County Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Fears Powys planners aren't going out to visit sites
CONCERN over the lack of site visits being conducted by members of Powys County Council's Planning committee ahead of deciding applications, has been flagged up with the Auditor General for Wales. Earlier today, (Friday – June 5) Montgomeryshire's Conservative MS Russell George met with the Auditor General for Wales Adrian Crompton and a team from Audit Wales to work through a list of concerns about the council's planning service. In April, Mr Russell wrote to Mr Crompton raising continued and serious concerns regarding the performance of the planning service. This follows the publication of two reports by Audit Wales on the council's planning service in the last two years. Following today's meeting Mr George MS said: 'The auditor general took on board my concerns and examples provided and will use what I outlined as part of a wider piece of work Audit Wales are undertaking around the governance and leadership of the council.' Mr George explained that they worked through a number of points that formed the basis of the meeting agenda and gave examples of planning issues that he has come across. Mr George said: 'We did spend some time on examples around missing and inaccurate information in reports going to committee. 'I also made the point on the lack of site visits by committee.' Interest in Mr George's concerns around planning in Powys was shown by members of the council's Governance and Audit committee last month. The committee chairwoman and lay-member Lynne Hamilton said that she will be expecting an update on the issue following the meeting. In May 2023 Audit Wales published a damning report into the state of Powys council's planning service and issued a number of recommendations for the council to address. In response, the council set up an internal board to help steer improvements in the service. Last November, Audit Wales issued a follow up report which said that 'overall' they had found that Powys planners had 'responded quickly' to improve its arrangements. Audit Wales said that the planning service has: 'implemented the 2023 recommendations in full.' Mr George believes that the follow-up review did not provide a 'comprehensive examination' of planning.
Powys County Times
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Meeting between MS and Audit Wales over Powys planning
CONCERNS about the local planning authority will be discussed at a meeting between a Powys Senedd Member and Audit Wales next month, it has been revealed. In April Montgomeryshire's Conservative MS Russell George criticised Powys County Council's planning department, and those comments were raised at a meeting of the council's governance and audit committee on Friday, May 23. Audit Wales staff were updating members of the work they intend doing with Powys council over the next year. Committee vice-chairman and lay member John Brautigam took the opportunity to bring up Mr George's comments directly with Audit Wales officers and asked if any 'progress' had been made on the matter. Gareth Jones of Audit Wales said that discussions were taking place to decide whether or not Mr George's concerns fall within their remit and that arrangements were being made for a meeting. Committee chairwoman, Lynne Hamilton said that her committee will be expecting an update on the issue in 'due course'. Mr George told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): 'The meeting between myself and Audit Wales is taking place next Friday, June 6.' In April, Mr George said that he had written to the Auditor General for Wales, raising continued and serious concerns regarding the performance of the planning service. This follows the publication of two reports by Audit Wales on the council's planning service in the last two years. In May 2023 Audit Wales published a damning report into the state of Powys council's planning service and issued a number of recommendations for the council to address. In response, the council set up an internal board to help steer improvements in the service. Last November, Audit Wales issued a follow up report which said that 'overall' they had found that Powys planners had 'responded quickly' to improve its arrangements. Audit Wales said that the planning service has 'implemented the 2023 recommendations in full'. Mr George believes that the follow-up review did not provide a 'comprehensive examination' of planning.
South Wales Argus
15-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Ospreys return to Gilestone Farm mired in £4.25m controversy
Welsh ministers swooped to buy the farm in March 2022 as another home for the Green Man music festival, with the aim of supporting growth of the creative sector in Wales. But the plans were scrapped in early 2024 after a pair of ospreys were discovered, with ministers advised to establish a 750-metre restriction zone around their nest. Now, the Welsh Government has confirmed the ospreys – which are a protected species – have returned this spring, firmly placing an asterisk next to the farm's valuation. Andrew Slade, the Welsh Government's economy director general, provided an update in a letter published ahead of a Senedd public accounts committee meeting on May 14. Mr Slade said the farm was valued at £3.75m in March, with a comment on the valuation 'noting the presence of the ospreys on the site inevitably brings some uncertainty'. He told the committee the property continues to be leased on commercial terms via a farm business tenancy until November, with officials considering options beyond that. Mr Slade wrote: 'Members of the committee will appreciate the significance of the nesting ospreys at the site and I can confirm the ospreys have recently returned and within days of their arrival have laid an egg. 'The birds' welfare, and the protection of the nest, continue to be critical factors when considering future options for the site.' Mr Slade promised to write to the committee again when he can provide an update on firm proposals for the site, which is thought to generate about £32,000 a year in tenancy income. A 2023 Audit Wales review found ministers acted with 'avoidable haste' as an underspend fuelled a rush to make a decision on the £4.25m purchase before the financial year's end. The public accounts committee is finalising its report on the saga following a nearly three-year inquiry into the decision made by then-economy minister Vaughan Gething. In a statement on the future of Gilestone Farm in January 2024, Mr Gething was confident a way forward for the site would be agreed by that spring. Two other ministers, Jeremy Miles and Julie James, had to take no part in decision making after attending a social event at a lobbyist's home alongside the Green Man festival's boss. Mark Drakeford, then-first minister, found no breach of the rules following an investigation into the informal gathering but accepted the 'risk of perceived conflict'.
BBC News
29-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Cycling plans in Wales at risk, warn campaigners
Campaigners have warned that changes to the Welsh government's cycling policies are putting efforts to get people on their bikes at "risk".The Welsh government has spent millions on encouraging people to walk and cycle, with councils bidding for cash to build new Transport Secretary Ken Skates said his priority was now inclusive travel - including fixing pavements to ensure they are suitable for people with disabilities and implying less of a focus on bike Labour minister said: "If our streets are safe for our most vulnerable, they'll be safe for all of us." Proposed cuts to funding triggered a spat among Labour Senedd members, with Skates' predecessor in the job Lee Waters accusing him of being "deeply disingenuous".Lobbying behind-the-scenes, by campaigners and others - including, sources say, by Waters during the recent Welsh government budget process - appears to have triggered a re-think on cuts to funding for the next financial 2026 funding will be devolved to regional transport bodies, with the Welsh government no longer ring-fencing the cash to be spent. As part of its action on climate change, the Welsh government has tried for years to encourage more people to get around by bike or to walk more under the umbrella of its active travel to Audit Wales, Welsh councils spent £218m from the active travel fund or its equivalent between 2018 and reports have suggested the Welsh government has struggled to encourage more people to walk and recent months Skates has told Senedd members his priorities on active travel have shifted. In January, he said: "We are placing an emphasis in 2025-26 on fixing streets, improving pavements, a focus on walking to and from school." Cycling UK's Gwenda Owen said there had been "consistent investment in active travel" over the last few years, with councils able to build capacity and "really plan for the future".She told the BBC's Politics Wales programme: "Without that investment in separate cycling infrastructure we risk missing the opportunity to enable more people to choose to cycle."She warned if funding was not ring-fenced "there will be other demands on the money"."We know that very often politically, walking and cycling does not come on top of the agenda," she said. Customers and staff at the Workhorse bike repair café in west Cardiff gave mixed views about the cycle network in the mechanic Jake Curran, 30, said more cycle paths would make him feel safer: "It's nice in Penarth because there's not a lot of road to cycle on but the closer you start getting to Cardiff the more traffic there is. You don't feel as safe when you're riding around Cardiff as I'd like to be."Jen Allan said she cycled in Cardiff. "For the most part it's OK, I can always find a route that gets me where I need to go in a pretty safe way," she said."There's a few where the route will just stop all of a sudden, or will change direction."Rich Morgan said the cycle network had improved since he began living in the city, but said: "There are definite gaps, disconnections, and cycleways ending." Skates told a committee in January that concerns from cycle campaigners were "unfounded, not least because we've recently implemented the biggest road safety initiative in 25 years with 20mph".The comment triggered a strongly-worded social media post from backbencher and cycling advocate Lee Waters."Using the drop in casualties on 20mph roads to justify cutting back on active travel infrastructure is deeply disingenuous," the Llanelli Labour MS said."Not least because the latest stats show an increase in casualties on roads where the speed limit is over 40mph".In January, John Griffiths, MS for Newport East, wrote to Skates on behalf of the cross-party group in the Senedd on active travel, expressing "considerable concern".In particular, it complained about mooted changes in the Welsh government's budget which they said meant the amount of active travel funding that could be applied for has been "effectively reduced by around 50%", because the number of schemes that could be financed had been told BBC Wales the government's position had now shifted: "We are very pleased that case seemed to have been listened to by Welsh government, because local authorities will be able to take forward more than one project". One source said they thought the Welsh government's strategy of outlining its "priorities" meant something that was potentially unpopular but the right thing to do was not at the top of their source - someone who works in the sector- said there was also concern active travel could get squeezed out when the funding is devolved to regional bodies - and not ring fenced - from 2026-27. Some groups have been pushing more inclusive design when it comes to active James, of the Royal National Institute for the Blind People (RNIB), said the RNIB was not "anti-cycling", but welcomed the new emphasis on said: "There has been a lack of consistency in inclusive designs in infrastructure and we want it to work for everybody."The policy and campaigners officer explained that some designs - such as floating bus stops, have been "dangerous for blind and partially sighted people". "You go into the cycle track and you have conflict," she said. 'We've listened to people across Wales' The Welsh government said it had assumed initially the funding for local government grants would be "significant reduced due to the need to continue investing in rail upgrades".After additional funding was secured, it was able to restore the fund to a similar level from the year before - from £45m to £50m. It said it did not have to invite more than one scheme application, but additional funding meant more could be brought Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, said: "Better transport is a priority for this government, and we've listened to people across Wales and their concerns. We are maintaining the level of funding in 2025-26 to local authorities for transport schemes and I will provide more detail on these next week."It was always my intention to protect budgets across the portfolio if funding allowed and given the additional investment made available to me, we can maintain the core funding for active travel at £15m and keep the overall funding to almost the same level as last year."He said that "60 per cent" of core funding must be spent on "actual change on the ground"."Rather than spend tax payers' money on administration and consultancy fees, councils will be able to invest in fixing pavements, dropping kerbs, installing seats, improving bus shelters and making streets safer for all, he added. Watch Politics Wales on BBC One Wales on Sunday at 10:00 BST, or catch it later on BBC iPlayer.
