Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

The majority of Carmarthenshire residents have voted in favour of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. The total number of votes cast in Carmarthenshire in favour of LEAVE was 55,381 The total number of votes cast in Carmarthenshire in favour of REMAIN was 47,654 Turnout was 74% (103,126). There were 91 rejected ballot papers. Counting took place at the Selwyn Samuel Centre, Llanelli. The result was announced by Counting Officer Mark James.

Wales Audit Office has given Carmarthenshire a clean bill of health and praised the council for its ambitious vision. Auditors undertook a corporate assessment of the council at the end of last year which is aimed at providing a clear picture of the authority’s capacity and capability to drive continuous improvement. Their report stated: “Carmarthenshire County Council, demonstrating ambition in its vision, with collective leadership and more robust and transparent governance, is delivering improved outcomes for its citizens although some outdated approaches may limit the speed of progress.” Chief Executive Mark James said: “It is a good report for the council, giving assurance generally that the council is performing very well, and has a good vision and preparedness for the future. Officers are continuing to work hard in the face of declining budgets to ensure the council provides quality services and an exciting agenda to invest and improve further in future.” The report also recog...

Carmarthenshire Council chief executive Mark James has stepped down while a police investigation is carried out over ‘unlawful’ payments – 15 days after reports by the Wales Audit Office were published. Mr James said he is absolutely certain that neither he nor any of his officers had done anything wrong. However, he said it was only right and proper that he should not be in the office while the police concluded their enquiries. The council said it would “avoid any perception of undue influence being brought to bear”. For more on the story, click on the link in the headline.

Strange days at County Hall in Carmarthen. They have taken to using the council website to lob hand grenades at all-comers. Here's the latest volley issued as a press release . . . make of it what you will. ----------------------------------- Many councillors and officials at Carmarthenshire County Council say they are bitterly disappointed and frustrated at misinformation being circulated around the recent public interest report issued by the Wales Audit Office. As such, they have today published correspondence between themselves and the Wales Audit Office in order for people to judge for themselves as to what has actually taken place, ahead of the extraordinary council meeting which has been called to debate the Public Interest Report later this month (February 27). Whilst the intention had been to present this information to councillors at the meeting, the scale and persistent nature of the misinformation in circulation has led the council to publish it earlier and s...

The much-debated libel case in the High Court - Jacqui Thompson v Mark James and vice versa - made it into The Times last week. Wednesday saw The Times devote a leading article (comment) to the case. The Times operates behind a paywall on the internet, so for the benefit of those who missed it (or don't have access rights) here is the article. State versus Citizen Carmarthenshire council is behaving with arrogance and defensiveness A chunk of West Wales has decamped to the High Court in London, where it has been filling out Court 14 in an expensive libel trial, partly funded by taxpayers. It is a case that has its origins in two decisions — made three years apart by Carmarthenshire council — concerning Mrs Jacqui Thompson, a woman apparently as welcome to council leaders as chicken pox is to a primary school. In 2011 Mrs Thompson, a long-term critic of the council, began to film sessions of the planning committee, using the camera on her mobile phone. Someone in officialdom de...

BBC News - Carmarthenshire blogger libel case judgement reserved Judgement has been reserved in a case in which a blogger and a council chief are suing each other for libel. Lawyers representing Jacqui Thompson told the High Court her case was one of "state versus citizen". She is suing Carmarthenshire chief executive Mark James and the council. He denies libel and is counter-suing, Lawyers for Mr James said she carried out a "wholly improper" campaign. Mr Justice Tugendhat reserved judgement until an unspecified later date.

Legal battle between blogger and Carmarthenshire Council chief executive reaches High Court | This is South Wales A legal battle between an internet blogger and the chief executive of Carmarthenshire Council has reached the High Court. Jacqueline Thompson, who has been writing a blog since 2009, told the High Court she was "absolutely mortified" at remarks made by Mark James in a letter, fearing they would make people think "a hell of a lot less" of her. Note to readers: Been pondering how to report this case. Have not blogged anything until now as I'd provided a witness statement for the Thompson side. Attended the Royal Courts of Justice in The Strand, London, on Friday, to be told my evidence had been 'ruled out'. As I have a personal involvement in the case, I will refrain from making any comment. But, for those interested, you can catch up on some news from the case on the following blogs -  http://cneifiwr-emlyn.blogspot.co.uk http://www...

Council Chief gets £20,000 cash advance Carmarthenshire County Council’s Chief Executive received a £20,000 cash advance last year Plaid Cymru has revealed. Some local authority Chief Executives are paid additional fees and expenses for activities they undertake as a Returning Officer for elections. For local elections (county council and community councils) fees are paid to the Returning Officer by the respective councils. The number of electoral wards contested is a factor which determines the amount of fees paid. Information obtained by Carmarthenshire MP Jonathan Edwards and AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas shows that the £190,000-a-year Chief Executive was paid an additional £20,000 for election activities a minimum of 5 weeks before the election took place, in a different financial year and before the number of candidates was even known.

Llandeilo businessman Simon Buckley has reacted angrily to criticism of campaigners who successfully blocked the proposed Sainsbury's superstore plan in the Tywi Valley town. Mr Buckley said comments about the campaigners who objected to the development were being fuelled by mis-information. Mr Buckley said: "We won the argument against Sainsbury's fair and square, but there have been comments in the local press which have been totally out of order." The chief executive of the Llandeilo-based Evan-Evans brewery and owner of the White Horse Inn in Llandeilo, Mr Buckley said he had been singled out for criticism for his co-ordination of the objections to the superstore plan. "I am all for freedom of speech and the right of everyone to express their views. But my hackles are up after reading comments by Carmarthenshire Council chief executive Mark James in last week's Carmarthen Journal and some of the letters to the editor (I would hope that they were b...

Llandeilo businessman and brewer Simon Buckley has called for an urgent Jobs Summit for the Tywi Valley town. The move follows the success of the campaign to keep Sainsbury's supermarket out of Llandeilo. Mr Buckley, chief executive of the Evan-Evans Brewery and owner of the White Horse Inn, is trying to bring Carmarthenshire Council, MPs and AMs and other interested agencies together to thrash out a way forward to bring jobs to Llandeilo. He has written to Carmarthenshire Council chief executive Mark James as follows - 'Now that sense has prevailed and Sainsbury's have decided to see sense and withdraw their planning application, it is now time to think about the alternative plans for East Carmarthenshire. 'I would like to have a meeting with you and your senior officers, our county council member and other Llandeilo employers to discuss a strategy for the development of long term jobs in the area. 'We would like to understand what commitment the council is prepar...

Carmarthenshire has been awarded £1.9million by the Welsh Government for achieving improvements to services. They include the Carmarthenshire Homes Standard programme; public rights of way; Llanelli Library refurbishment; and the Healthy Schools initiative. The money is given through the Outcome Agreements between the Welsh Government and all councils in Wales. They focus on local government service improvement and are designed to link in with the Welsh Government’s priorities, using a grant as a central lever for improvement. The grant, known as the Outcome Agreement Grant (OAG), is paid to the council according to the level of improvement they achieve and the outcomes they deliver. Carmarthenshire County Council was one of the first in Wales to be awarded the maximum grant of £1.923million for its performance. Local Government and Communities Minister Carl Sargeant said “I congratulate Carmarthenshire on their improvement performance. This demonstrates their strong commitment t...

The Court of Appeal has thrown out the application for a Judicial Review into the building of homes at Stradey Park. The plans by Taylor Wimpey for 355 homes on the site can now proceed, bringing with them much needed construction jobs and housing. Carmarthenshire County Council approved the plans some time ago, after campaigners lost their appeal to the Welsh Government to intervene. They then continued their fight and applied for a Judicial Review which has caused lengthy delays to the scheme. Chief Executive Mark James said: “The council is pleased to see that the Court of Appeal has upheld the fact that the process we followed was quite right and proper. “This has been an unnecessary waste of time and money, and we shall be seeking to recover our costs on behalf of the council taxpayers of Carmarthenshire. It has also meant a delay in the payments agreed with Taylor Wimpey to the County Council. “We hope that Taylor Wimpey will now get on site as soon as possible to build much nee...

Taxpayers to fund Carmarthenshire council chief Mark James libel case against blogger Jacqui Thompson - Wales News - News - WalesOnline : Council tax payers will be funding a libel action being brought by a local authority chief executive against a blogger, it has been confirmed. Carmarthenshire council chief executive Mark James will benefit from a change to the authority’s constitution made four years ago that allows council funds to be used in defamation cases. Mr James is suing blogger Jacqui Thompson, a community councillor from Llanwrda, near Llandovery.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Chief Executive Mark James has been awarded the CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. Mr James, aged 52, has been recognised for services to local government in Wales. The award, he said, is recognition of the hard work going on to regenerate Carmarthenshire. “This is a great honour for me, but is also good for the whole county, as this recognises all the hard work and commitment that has been put in to make it better, which is of great credit to the council, staff and councillors,” said Mr James. “Whilst I am very proud to receive this Honour, I am also proud of what we have achieved in Carmarthenshire. “There is still a lot to do - at a time when we face unprecedented financial challenges - however I am confident that with continued commitment from officers, members, and the public, we will take further steps forward in 2012.” Mr James was appointed Chief Executive of Carmarthenshire County Council in 2002. He had previously served as Chief Exec...

Award-winning blogger Caebrwyn (Jacqui Thompson) says she has issued proceedings in the High Court for libel against Chief Executive Mark James and Carmarthenshire County Council. For more, see - http://carmarthenplanning.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-have-issued-proceedings-for-libel.html

Support from Carmarthenshire County Council is helping to provide first class community facilities in Felinfoel, help people escape the debt trap, find work or enjoy their retirement. The council’s Chief Executive Mark James toured projects in the Llanelli area with officers from the regeneration and leisure department to see for himself the benefits being enjoyed by the local community. He visited the Glanymor and Tyisha Communities First base in Station Road, Llanelli, to meet staff and volunteers from the Llanelli Communities First Debt and benefit Support, Volunteering Demonstration Project. The three year project is now at his halfway mark and is already exceeding expectations with more than 2,000 people helped by the volunteers, more than three times the whole project target. The target for dealing with almost £1.4m of domestic debt has already nearly been met. Communities First Volunteer Development Officer Bryony Wiffen said: “The figures speak for themselves and are evidence o...

The jungle drums were beating very loudly at the Llanelli Star centenary party staged at the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli, last night. The suggestion was that Carmarthenshire County Council boss Mark James had decided to pull advertising from the Carmarthen Journal. Surely, not. Surely, if he had decided to take such action,county councillors would be aware of the matter. But, there again . . .

Carmarthenshire Council chief executive Mark James wins the inaugural Lloyd Award for Blogger of the Year. Tune in to his blog on the thisiscarmarthenshire site and you will see why. There is always the risk of the pot calling the kettle black and I hold my hands up and admit that sometimes as a much as a week goes by without updating this blog. But I am way off the pace when compared to Mr James. The Mark James blog works at level few can challenge - just one entry, back on March 12. And that was about something that happened back in January. I suppose he can plead pressure of work, lack of time etc. But he could always delegate the updating to someone. The only entry is worth repeating in all its glory - I VERY much enjoyed the Parc y Scarlets official opening recently, which was a huge success enjoyed by the largest home crowd the Scarlets have ever had. The stadium at Pemberton was awash with red shirts and the sounds of "Sospan Fach" and "Yma o Hyd" as the home...