Carmarthen council boss embroiled in flats row
THE chief executive of a council in south west Wales is embroiled in a bitter dispute at a large Cardiff flats development where he chairs the management company.
Mark James, Carmarthenshire County Council’s £169,000-a-year top official, heads the company which manages the 900-apartment Century Wharf complex in Cardiff Bay, where he is understood to own an apartment.
Some residents of the 14-acre, upmarket estate have criticised Mr James for the lack of action against flat owners who sublet their apartments to stag and hen parties and other short-term tenants.
They say that people using apartments for a short period of time cause noise and other anti-social behavioural problems.
Gareth Griffiths, a former police inspector who owns an apartment at Century Wharf, said short-term tenancies were banned under the leasehold agreements all owners had signed.
He said: “A significant proportion of the apartments are owned by absentee landlords who don’t live in Century Wharf.
“Under the terms of their leasehold agreements, owners are not supposed to let out apartments on tenancies of less than six months without consent.
“But very regularly some of the apartments are being let out to people attending stag and hen parties in Cardiff.
“The noise levels in the middle of the night are terrible, but no action has been taken against the landlords responsible.
“Mr James does not accept that action needs to be taken against those concerned.”
Mr Griffiths also said he and others were unhappy that a former female tenant of Mr James had been appointed to an administrative post with the management company by Mr James, without the job having been advertised.
In response to the complaints, Mr James has claimed that “There is a cancer in parts of [Century Wharf ]”.
In a letter to another of the residents who had raised concerns, Mr James wrote: “We both know that there are those who have used their apartments without consent over the years and it is nigh on impossible now to try to wind back the clock.
“Furthermore, there is little evidence that the various types of residency make any difference as to behaviour.
“We have owner/occupiers who are very anti-social as well as some of those who are on assured shorthold tenancies. It is a myth that it is only one group that are anti social. The evidence simply does not support this.
“With regard to the other matters that are now being raised, they are personal, unpleasant and both unnecessary and confrontational.
“It is little wonder that the motives behind them are regarded with considerable scepticism and suspicion. I am surprised and saddened that you appear to have aligned yourself with all this.
“There is a cancer in parts of CW [Century Wharf]. It is probably why 16 managers have left in 15 years. I can understand why. I for one will not be a party to further witch hunts and bullying and will do all I can to stop it.”
In response to concerns about the appointment of Mr James’ former tenant to a job, Mr James released to us the text of a letter he had written to Mr Griffiths, which said: “It is not usual to discuss details of individual members of staff, given the duty of care owed by the employer to employees.
“However, you have raised some matters which appear the subject of some rumour and gossip and directors are prepared to respond to provide facts not fiction, given some rather unpleasant comments that are being made.
“The Chairman was asked by directors at their meeting on January 24, 2017 to see if he could find someone urgently given the parlous staffing position.
“A draft job description and person specification was agreed at the directors’ meeting on January 24 ... The Chairman was given delegated authority by directors at that meeting ‘to proceed with an appointment as soon as possible, as directors felt that the post was urgently required’.”
Mr James added: “Enquiries were made informally locally and a candidate with sound administrative experience and very high academic qualifications (including a 1st class Honours Degree and Masters Degree) was identified.
“They were also available at short notice.
“This was reported to directors and directors were informed that the candidate was known to one director.
“This is not particularly unusual at Century Wharf where staff, certainly those who are recruited at very short notice, are often known to managers or even related to members of staff.
“In a small team, such knowledge even if personal is often invaluable and avoids unnecessary expense of advertising, and the perils of recruiting people who prove to be less than a good fit”