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Powys County Times
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Powys Council reviews controversial recycling centre changes
A REVIEW into the new booking system and charges at recycling centres all over Powys is to take place this autumn. At a Powys County Council meeting on Thursday, July 10, Conservative councillors tabled a motion calling for a review of the controversial scheme to take place within six months of its introduction. This would allow the council to decide whether the system should continue. The changes caused uproar and the council's anti-poverty champion Cllr Joy Jones (Powys Independents) organised a petition in opposition to them, signed by 4,200 people. Cllr Amanda Jenner (Trelystan and Trewern) who put the the motion forward pointed to a U-turn months into a similar scheme in Shropshire this year. ' Shropshire listened and I hope that you will too,' said Cllr Jenner. Conservative group leader, Cllr Aled Davies seconded the motion and called for a 'full review' taking in cross-border recycling centre issues. He pointed out that residents in his ward of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and Llansilin have a 20-mile trek to the recycling centre in Welshpool, despite Oswestry being only six miles away. Cllr Peter Lewington (Conservative) said: 'Here in Newtown we're experiencing more and more fly tipping in our green spaces. ' Residents are regularly reporting rubbish being dumped in different parts of the town and their parkland. 'Indeed, the body that leases and manages 130 acres of town and county council parkland here is having to consider installing CCTV to identify the fly tippers.' But others said they had their minds changed on the booking system. Cllr Liz Rijnenberg (Labour) said: 'There are different experiences across the county and the one I've had in Brecon is that it's been very good and positive. 'Review is a key part of the process, it's a basic standard in service delivery.' She wondered why Cllrs Jenner and Davies had not approached the cabinet to find out about the upcoming and called the motion an 'ineffectual use of council time'. Cllr Amanda Jenner Transport and recycling chief Cllr Jackie Charlton said: 'Because we have the booking system in place we can do a review. 'We couldn't do one before because we had no statistics or data and didn't know what was happening in our sites." She added that enforcement action would be taken against people caught fly-tipping. Cllr Jenner said: 'There was a huge level of concern expressed by people at the outset and I think they would appreciate us discussing this openly. 'It's important that we get a public assurance that the review will take place which we have had, and I would really appreciate a date for that.' Cllr Charlton answered: 'We are committed to doing the review in October' A vote saw 32 councillors back the motion, 12 oppose it, and 11 abstentions.
Powys County Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Powys councillors vote to pause controversial farm sales
COUNCILLORS have voted to scrap a £10 million annual asset sales target and pause the sale of county farms in Powys. At a meeting of Powys County Council on Thursday, July 10 a cross-group motion was placed before councillors to debate the future of the county farms estate. Cllr Gareth D Jones (Powys Independents group, Llanfair Caereinion and Llanerfyl) put forward the motion to and was backed by Plaid Cymru group leader Cllr Elwyn Vaughan officially seconded the motion. Cllr Benjamin Breeze (Conservative) reminded councillors that a meeting organised by Kerry community council in May and held in Sarn near Newtown had discussed concerns about the sale of council farms and the idea for the motion came from that meeting. Council leader Liberal Democrat Cllr Jake Berriman said: 'We would love to be in a position to make grand statement about keeping our farm estate as it is and invest properly in it. "We're not in that position and let's not kid ourselves, we've not been in that position for a long time. 'We are operating a policy that stems from 2018 and that's prior to this administration.' He said that in 2000 there were 216 tenanted farms, 2010 there were 154 and currently there are 133. Cllr Berriman continued: 'The farms are not being sold more quickly under this administration than in the past. 'We do not have a target in terms of farm receipts. 'Previously from 2015 to 2018 there was a specific target." He explained that they formed part of an 'overarching' target of £10 million and that assets were not being sold off for 'laughs and chuckles' but to invest in education and roads and other building projects. Cllr Gwynfor Thomas (Conservative) said: 'I will be supporting this (motion) because we need to take stock. 'I don't think we've explored it enough, I think there's an opportunity for green investment. 'We can have biodiversity schemes and attract green grants from Welsh and UK Governments. 'I think these are important considerations when we are looking at the management policy of the farm estate.' He recalled that when he was chairman of the Place scrutiny committee in the past and the current policy came before the committee around eight years ago there had been talk about investing in renewable energy scheme in partnership with tenants. Cllr Thomas said: 'It wasn't done, and I wonder where we would be today if it had.' Former council leader and cabinet member for more prosperous Powys, Cllr James Gibson-Watt said: 'There is a new rural enterprise policy which is being drafted and will be presented to the farm estates advisory group.' He wanted councillors to vote to keep the status quo until the new policy could be studied by them in the autumn. Cllr Jones was brought back in to sum up and said: 'I didn't bring this motion forward for laughs or chuckles. 'I went to that meeting in Sarn and made a pledge to everyone there that I would do everything in my power to stop this and that's what I'm doing. 'I agree 100 per cent that previous administrations got this wrong. 'Let's not get it wrong now.' He added that he looked forward to seeing the new policy
Powys County Times
08-07-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Stopping Powys farm sales could hammer council coffers
Finance chiefs have urged Powys councillors to oppose a motion calling for a halt to sales of council-owned farms. A cross-party motion going before the full council this Thursday (July 10) will call for a moratorium on the sale of council-owned farms. Put forward by Powys Independents Cllr Gareth E Jones (Llanelwedd) and seconded by Plaid Cymru group leader, Cllr Elwyn Vaughan (Glantwymyn), it will ask the council to: 'Recognise the valuable contribution that council-owned farms play in supporting food production and enabling young entrants into farming. 'Regrets that selling council-owned farms risks reducing Powys food security and traditional farming practices. 'Calls on the council to impose a moratorium on the sale of its council-owned farms, until a sound County Farms management policy is agreed by Council. 'Scrap the arbitrary £10 million a year asset sales target.' But the financial assessment explains that the capital receipts target is a central plank of the budget which was agreed by councillors back in February. The assessment said: 'Every £1 million reduction of capital receipts from the sale of council owned farms, would increase the borrowing requirement in order to fund the capital programme.' This would mean an extra £50,000 to £60,000 each year on every £1 million the council needs to borrow to fund its building and maintenance projects. The assessment continued: 'If £10 million of capital receipts is not available to fund capital investment and this resulted in additional borrowing, this would result in an additional annual revenue cost. 'If approved, this motion will prevent the release of up to £10 million of capital receipts while also not reducing the council's liability for these properties, their backlog maintenance and other investment requirements. 'It should be noted that this motion goes against the council's Corporate Asset Policy (CAP) which states: to assist the council in delivering the priorities of the Corporate Improvement Plan, the council is committed to prompt and ongoing rationalisation of its buildings and land. "The financial challenge facing the council in the next few years cannot be underestimated and to change policy independently now without considering the wider implications on the council's Medium Term Financial Strategy is not advised.' The future of the estate has long been a bone of contention due to plans to sell parts of it off in a bid to raise £10 million a year in 'capital receipts' which could be used by the council to fund its building projects such as new schools. In April council leader, Cllr Jake Berriman (Liberal Democrat) apologised in his previous cabinet role to fellow senior councillors at a cabinet meeting after it was revealed that the council had only managed to make just over £1 million of the £10 million target as the 2024/2025 budget stood at the end of February.
Powys County Times
22-06-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
New IT 'will defend Powys Council from cyber attack'
New IT will help protect Powys County Council against a cyber attack, council chiefs believe. At a meeting of the Governance and Audit committee on Friday, June 20, councillors and lay members received a report on the council's strategic risk register for the last quarter of 2024/2025 (January to end of March). The report says that the digital services department want to de-escalate the risk that the council's 'information and systems will be vulnerable to a cyberattack' from phishing emails. If senior councillors agree to this, the risk will drop down to be managed by a departmental risk register. Cllr Graham Breeze (Powys Independents) said: 'I'm really uncomfortable that we're asking for this to be de-escalated. 'The current situation we live in, worldwide massive organisations such as Marks and Spencer have come under a huge attack which has cost that company over £300 million to date. 'I'm interested to know how we feel so confident that we have control over this that we can de-escalate a risk I would consider to be one of the biggest we have as an authority. 'The sheer significance of this authority being hit by a cyberattack is unthinkable.' He wanted to be convinced that the council had a 'super system' to defend it from cyberattack. Head of digital services Ellen Sullivan said: 'The risk remains high, what is reduced is threat. 'We've actually purchased and deployed extra phishing software, so we have that across all our systems that detects any phishing concerns.' She added that extra 'phishing training' for staff had also been rolled out by the council. This means that 'fake emails' are sent out to test whether staff each month. Ms Sullivan explained that staff who click on the fake emails would then be given 'refresher training'. Cllr Chris Walsh (Labour) said: 'Cyber criminals will change their behaviour and tactics on a regular basis, it's not a stationary situation it's an evolving one. 'Reducing it feels slightly complacent.' Cabinet member for customers, digital and community services, Cllr Raiff Devlin (Liberal Democrat) said: 'There is no complacency here whatsoever. 'The council has invested significantly into its cyber defence. 'While members are absolutely correct to point out it's a dynamic environment, the key to maintaining our defence is our ongoing investment and there is a commitment by the cabinet to do just that. 'So, I feel that we are managing this risk appropriately and I'm reassured that the department has what it needs in place to do that.'
Powys County Times
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Powys' 'best students leaving county to continue education'
THE brightest pupils are leaving Powys to continue their post-16 education outside the county an education chief has confirmed. At a meeting of Powys County Council's Learning and Skills scrutiny committee on Monday, June 16, councillors and lay members received a report on school standards and improvement. The report also included data on GCSE and A-Level exam results which show that Powys is performing well below the standards of the past. When it comes to A-Level results, Powys come in below the all Wales average in five of six results categories. On the A*(star) to E grade table Powys come in joint 19th place with only 65 per cent getting all three grades. This is well below neighbours Ceredigion Council who come top of the class with 77 per cent. Cllr Gareth E Jones (Powys Independents) said: 'Have you done any work around the significant number of learners that are going out of county for their post-16 education to Hereford, Shrewsbury and Merthyr. 'What impact do those learners going out of county have on the overall performance of post-16? 'My guess would be that better quality learners go out of county and if they had stayed our overall performance may be better.' Head of school improvement and learning Anwen Orrells said: 'You would be correct in assuming that the more able are the ones that are leaving.' She said that the council knew how many post-16 pupils were out of county but didn't have details of their results from last summer. Cllr James Gibson-Watt (Liberal Democrat) stood down as council leader last month but has stayed on in the cabinet to start off the post-16 education review. The preferred option already backed by council officers could see all English medium school sixth forms vanish – in favour of two specialist sixth form schools to be based in Brecon and Newtown. While Welsh medium secondary schools would also join forces and have one separate sixth form operation across potentially three campuses. This preferred option has already come in for heavy criticism with many believing it would accelerate the exodus of pupils our of Powys. Cllr Gibson-Watt said: 'If ever we needed evidence of some radical reform in post-16 this paper sums it up. 'If you look at the details of the decline in performance it is quite shocking. 'We have to create a system that allows them to stay in county. 'We're in a situation where only 65 per cent are getting A* to E grades. 'Let's be frank, an A-level grade below C is not much use to anyone in life, particularly to get into higher education. 'I remember Powys was consistently in the top three counties for GCSE and A-level outcomes and here we are languishing in the bottom quartile.' Between 2010 and 2019 sixth forms across the saw a 33 per cent decline. falling from 1,445 to 978 in 2019. This means that funding from the Welsh Government based on pupils numbers has dropped from £6.5 million to £4.4 million
