A call for Pembrokeshire County Council to spread a little festive cheer by not issuing any court summonses for non-payment of council tax as a way of “showing empathy” for residents under financial pressure is to be heard later this week.

A Notice of Motion by Independent group leader Cllr Huw Murphy, to be heard at the December 12 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, asks: “That PCC do not issue any summonses for appearance at magistrates court for non-payment of council tax during the month of December.”

It adds: “At a Corporate O&S meeting on November 14 it was disclosed that since April 2024 PCC have sent out 14,000 reminder letters with regards to council tax (late payment) and issued 4,000 summonses for non-payment of council tax, which clearly evidences the financial pressure many Pembrokeshire residents currently face.

“December is for many families a festive month and although the debt does not go away the avoidance of any prosecutions during the month of December in the lead up to the festive holiday will indicate some empathy by PCC towards its residents under most financial pressure.”

The notice of motion will be heard at the December 12 meeting.

Cllr Murphy is no stranger to festive cheer calls; last year asking for the council to overturn a “mean-spirited” decision to end the free collection of trees in Pembrokeshire after the festive season.

That 2023 ‘Christmas tree call-in’ motion, supported by councillors Vanessa Thomas, Anji Tinley, Alan Dennison, Elwyn Morse, Michael James and Iwan Ward, was defeated by nine votes to four.