A Saundersfoot councillor has questioned whether Council Tax payers are getting enough ‘bang for their buck’ when it comes to seeing ‘bobbys on the beat’ around the seaside community, in light of recent tax demands going towards the police precept.

With the Council Tax for householders rising to 12.5%; and a 200% premium for second home owners, county councillor for Saundersfoot’s south ward Cllr Chris Williams has questioned what benefits the seaside village will see from the recent council tax hike, after fielding queries from property owners over the extra charges going directly towards the Dyfed-Powys Police Crime Commissioner precept.

“There has been contact with local residents and second home owners with some queries in relation to the Council Tax demands they have received of late, as each letter lists the demands from three different authorities - Pembrokeshire County Council, Saundersfoot Community Council, and the Police & Crime Commissioner for Dyfed Powys,” said Cllr Williams.

“The second home premium is charged at 200% in addition to the standard rate on these demands, but I question why these properties are paying the surcharges to the Police & Crime Commissioner.

“Whilst I understand residents in Saundersfoot must make a fair contribution to the Police service provision, I strongly question why this extra amount collected is going to Dyfed Powys Police which covers the whole force area.

“I feel that the amount of £404.81 should be set aside for the Police and the remaining put into Saundersfoot and Pembrokeshire.“

Saundersfoot's former police station
The police station at Saundersfoot was put up for sale last year (Observer pic)

Cllr Williams said that Saundersfoot is in the top 5 communities in the Dyfed Powys area for the number of second/holiday homes, but last summer he questioned the level of police presence around the seaside village over the busy holiday season, as well as raising concerns over the police station being put up for sale.

“Recently the police station in the village shut and the police presence amongst the community doesn’t reflect the income they are receiving from communities such as Saundersfoot,” he continued.

“If you look at the incredible work the local fire services are achieving locally, yet they don’t receive a penny from the money collected in Pembrokeshire from Council Tax.

“I will be asking the Police & Crime Commissioner what actually Saundersfoot gets for this extra income as I can’t see how the village is benefiting and I feel that this system isn’t working as it should when originally set up to tackle the second home problem.”