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Summary when the minutes are published, usually a few weeks after the meeting.
The committee will consider reports on council tax premiums for second homes and empty homes, a revised street lighting policy, and a review of the Haverfordwest public spaces order. It will also get an update on the regeneration strategy and County Farms, and consider a motion on the County Farms Working Group. No minutes have been published, so no decisions are recorded here.
Summary when the minutes are published, usually a few weeks after the meeting.
The committee considered the draft Welsh Language Strategy 2026-31, an update on the Street Lighting Policy, the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2025-26 and draft Socially Responsible Procurement Objectives. It endorsed the Welsh Language Strategy, the annual report and the procurement objectives, and asked for the street lighting policy to be redrafted and brought back in September 2026.
The committee scrutinised a revised Corporate Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy, the Age Friendly Communities Strategy, a progress report on the Toilet Strategy, a revised Multi-Location Meetings policy and changes to its forward work programme. It endorsed the health and safety policy and the age-friendly strategy, the latter with five comments, and recommended the multi-location meetings policy to Council for adoption.
The Committee noted the outline draft Council budget for 2026-27 and the Medium Term Financial Plan, which shows a projected funding gap of £13.6m. It recommended to Cabinet the updated Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy 2026-2031 and the revocation of the Air Quality Management Areas in Haverfordwest and Pembroke. Members also agreed that a Haverfordwest parking plan would be considered at a future work programming session.
The committee met on 18 November 2025 to examine and comment on four reports: an empty property strategy, council housing rent options, street lighting and the Participation Strategy. It recommended that Cabinet adopt the empty property strategy, backed Option 2b for council rents and referred the rent report to Full Council on 11 December for consultation, and noted the street lighting and Participation Strategy reports. It also amended its forward work programme.
The committee considered the review of Council Tax premiums, the leisure and library strategies, and a report on county farms. On Council Tax, it recommended that Cabinet consider keeping the 150% second homes premium, giving 50% relief to some holiday lets, and changing how premium income is shared. It noted the leisure and library progress report and agreed three recommendations on county farms.
At its June 2025 meeting, the Policy and Pre-decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee, a group of councillors who check council policy before Cabinet decides, elected a Vice-Chair and noted updates to the Corporate Debt Recovery Policy. It also endorsed the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2024-25 and noted a draft School Transport Policy for 2026-2027. The Enforced Sales item was withdrawn and will go to the September meeting.
The committee considered progress on the replacement local development plan, LDP2, and the Environmental Services Strategy 2025-30. It also made two appointments: Councillor Alan Dennison to the Finance Panel, and Councillor Claire George to the County Farms Working Group. The committee asked Cabinet to approve the Environmental Services Strategy.
The committee scrutinised the draft council budget for 2025-26 and the provisional funding settlement from Welsh Government, and noted both. It agreed to share a public submission on the budget consultation with other scrutiny committees, and to hold a Member seminar on HomeBuy Pembrokeshire before Cabinet considers it. It also agreed that the Pay Policy Statement goes to Full Council by March 2025, and that the committee gives no view on it.
The committee considered three items: waste and recycling centres, council house rents for 2025-26, and the Participation Strategy. It supported Option 4 for the centres, which cuts opening days and is said to save £70,000 a year, and recommended it to Cabinet. It also supported Option 1 for council house rents, and noted the update on the Participation Strategy.
The committee noted the draft Celtic Freeport full business case, which Cabinet is due to consider on 3 October 2024, and endorsed the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2023-24 for Council. It also appointed Councillor Andrew Edwards as a full member of the Finance Panel.
The Committee supported a new policy for community asset transfers, which lets groups take over council buildings and land at less than full value. It recommended that Full Council accept the 2024/25 budget, and it asked Cabinet to ring-fence interest from second home premiums for housing. Two items were deferred to October's meeting.
The Policy and Pre-decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered proposed guidance on how the Council should respond to requests to fly flags and light up County Hall in Haverfordwest. Members voted 10 to 1 to recommend the guidance to Full Council, which will consider it on 9 May 2024.
The Policy and Pre-decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee met on 9 April 2024 to consider three matters. It voted for Cabinet not to take forward the 'Pembs Stop' trial for overnight motorhome stays in council car parks. It also put a referral on alternative housing for homeless people on its work programme and resolved that the revised Choice Homes allocations policy be approved.
The Policy and Pre-decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee (a group of councillors who check council policy before Cabinet decides it) considered four items. It endorsed the updated complaints policy for Cabinet approval and set up a six-member task and finish group (a short-term group that looks at one issue) to design a policy for flag flying and lighting up. It noted the rights of way and Finance Panel reports, and appointed two reserve members to the Finance Panel.
The committee scrutinised six items: the draft 2024-25 council budget, the Poverty Strategy, the Strategic Equality Plan, the Future Workforce Plan, the Pay Policy Statement and a proposal on county farm land sales. It noted the budget and the poverty updates, and it endorsed the workforce plan. It sent its comments on the budget and the equality plan to Cabinet, and it recommended that Cabinet decide whether money from county farm sales stays in the county farm portfolio.
The Committee considered five items on 21 November 2023: the Participation Strategy action plan, public bus funding, the State of the Estate report, the Local Toilet Strategy and council house rents. It backed a bus route prioritisation model for Cabinet and recommended a rent rise of 6.7% plus up to £2 a week for tenants who pay below the standard rent.
The Committee considered two items on 5 October 2023: the draft Pembrokeshire Housing Strategy 2024-2029, and a review of council tax premiums on second homes and long-term empty homes. On the Housing Strategy, it agreed to recommend that Cabinet place the strategy before Council for agreement. On council tax premiums, it agreed to review the consultation results and report its observations to Cabinet.
The committee noted an update on the work streams feeding into the Transport Plan for the county and region. It postponed its review of council tax premiums on second homes and long-term empty homes until 5 October 2023. It also approved its forward work programme.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.