Plans to convert a former library into Monmouthshire’s first mosque could be under threat after the county council received a pre-action protocol letter from a group of councillors who oppose the decision. The Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association (MMCA) acquired a 30-year lease of Carnegie Library in Abergavenny in June after setting out proposals to use…
A High Court judge has issued an interim injunction preventing Caerphilly County Borough Council from proceeding with its plans to shut ten libraries pending a judicial review. The local authority had said in August it would pause implementation of its new Library Service strategy, which involves replacing the ten sites with seven “enhanced” community hubs in…
Caerphilly County Borough Council has paused plans to close ten libraries across the county from 1 September after campaigners launched a legal challenge. The council said its new Library Service strategy would have seen the ten sites replaced by seven enhanced community hubs in strategic town centre locations, as well as Community Outreach services within…
There were basic failings in the way financial support was managed by the Welsh Government for the Porthcawl Maritime Centre Project, an audit report has found. Wales auditor-general Adrian Crompton’s report said: “Clear warning signs and opportunities to prevent or reduce the likely loss to the public purse were missed.” The Welsh Government is unlikely…
Complaints to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales have seen a 43% increase since 2019, with complaints involving councils rising by 54% in that time. See what reviewers are saying about the Ombudsman on the link. Is the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales an outdated system? Writing in its Annual Report & Accounts report for 2024-25,…
Financial challenges, combined with increased demand for temporary accommodation, means councils are operating in ‘firefighting’ mode, Audit Wales has warned in a report. The watchdog added that local authorities are focused on managing demand rather than prevention. The temporary accommodation provided “often isn’t meeting people’s long-term needs”, it said. Audit Wales noted that temporary accommodation…
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said his party has a “fight on its hands” after complaining that his party is facing “obstructionism” in the councils Reform UK now controls. Farage’s party took control of 10 councils in this year’s May local elections, marking the first time the party has controlled any councils in local…
The current Environmental Protection Assessor for Wales is Lynda Warren, who stepped into the Interim Assessor role. Written Statement: Interim Environmental Protection Assessor, Wales (1 April 2025) | GOV.WALES in April 2025. Dr Nerys Llewelyn Jones resigned from the position. Decision Reports: 2025 | GOV.WALES, and Warren, who was previously serving as Deputy Interim Environmental…
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published new guidance for social care commissioners in Wales on compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty, after evidence provided by the watchdog’s Wales Committee showed “alarming patterns” of inequality affecting those who need care and those who provide it. The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) is…
Union members in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have begun industrial action today (30 June) in protest against office closures and moves to make them work from the office. The dispute, which began earlier this year, centres on the closure of six offices, the imposition of office attendance policies, and the…
