A trio of county councillors – including two cabinet members – have been given dispensation to speak on matters important to their wards by the standards committee.

Members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s standards committee discussed three applications from county councillors at their meeting on Monday, May 10.

Cabinet member for economic development, leisure, culture and tourism Clr. Paul Miller was granted dispensation to speak, but not vote, on matters involving the Neyland Community Hub as a “non-remunerated director of Neyland Community Interest Company.”

He told the meeting that the facilities were essentially complete and “moving into discussions with council and health board on the next phase of the community project” which will focus on “joined up health and social care with a community focus.”

Clr. Miller previously had similar dispensation which has lapsed, and the committee were happy to renew the permission.

Clr. Neil Prior, cabinet member for transformation, was also granted permission to speak but not vote on matters involving Pobl Group housing as a paid non-executive board member.

He said his experience in the role with Pobl, which manages social housing across Wales, including around 15 homes in the county, and other supported living schemes, could be “beneficial to Pembrokeshire council’s own housing ambitions.”

St Davids councillor David Lloyd’s application to speak on housing matters was also approved, but voting was considered “unwise” due to his involvement with “lobbying group” ‘Siarter Cartrefi Cymru’ which is pushing for a reassessment of housing policy in Wales to protect local communities and the Welsh language.

Clr. Lloyd told the committee about his work as a campaigner for affordable housing which pre-dates his work with Siarter and had resulted in a Notice of Motion currently in the council system calling for the adoption to the principles of the Welsh Housing Justice Charter to address the housing needs of the people of Pembrokeshire.