Tuesday, March 09, 2010
How sad are some Political Parties?
What can I tell you about a Political Party which has no idea who some of its own elected members are? Would anyone ever believe this could happen? Well, I have to tell you that it does, and it is.
We did of course have the last European election earlier last year, in June. - The 4th to be precise. More than 9 months have now passed and the Conservative Party still have photographs of the wrong person in at least two areas of Cardiff North, and that is just the ones I know about. If anyone else sees Conservative posters in other parts of Cardiff North showing their ex-MEP along with telephone no's. etc. telling everyone how to get hold of their Conservative MEP please let me know. I would be interested to know how many people in Cardiff North are being given this misinformation. The photograph is one of a man who didn't even stand in that election. I am certainly not going to tell them that their current MEP is a woman. You'd think one of them would have noticed wouldn't you?
How sad is that? This is a Party which is hoping to be running the country after the next election! I would have to say that they quite clearly cannot even run their own Party!!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Letters Sent to & From the Standards & Ethics Committee
This letter was sent by me to the Chair of Cardiff County Council Standards & Ethics Committee
Georgina Phillips
Hill House, Druidstone Road
Old St. Mellons,
Cardiff CF3 6XE
24th February 2009
Dear Mr. Hanuk,
I was a Labour Member of Cardiff County Council from 1999 – 2008, representing the Ward of Pontprennau & Old St. Mellons. Since losing the May 2008 election I have continued to play an active part in various issues, attending certain meetings of Cardiff County Council as an observer. I am trying to stay up to date with issues which I feel are of importance either to myself personally, the residents of Pontprennau & Old St. Mellons, or to the residents of the Capital City of Wales.
One of the major issues at present is of course education, and the School Reorganisation proposals. Having very much enjoyed being Labour Party spokesperson for education, I have continued to attend all possible education meetings as an observer.
One of the great regrets I have at present is the fact that I cannot attend meetings of the Schools Sub-Committee. These meetings are now being held behind closed doors, and members of the public were given no explanation as to why, or by whom this decision was made, and I have spoken with members of the public who have resigned from that committee after expressing serious concern about the situation. I would have to say that when the decision was made after the May 2008 election, I felt at the time that things did not bode well for the future of the education of our children in Cardiff.
On 12th January 2009 I attended a meeting of CCC Children & Young People Scrutiny committee. There had been a 'call-in' made by Councillor Ralph Cook in response to a decision of the Executive to build a new school on the site of the Eastern Leisure Centre in Llanrumney. There has been a great deal of concern expressed by many residents living in the area about these proposals, and so the Scrutiny Committee was meeting to discuss the request for the proposal to be referred back for re-consideration by the Executive.
I attended that meeting to observe, as did more than 200 other residents. It was a very long meeting, and sometimes a little heated, finishing some time after 19.00. At the end of the discussion a vote was taken on whether or not to refer back the proposals. The vote was four to five in favour of allowing the decision to proceed.
After the meeting I continued to check all information provided on the Council Website. Finally, just a few days ago I made another check, and the minutes of that particular meeting had been provided.
Having read them I can only say that I was appalled by the lack of content in the minutes. They had absolutely no bearing at all on what had actually happened at that meeting. There was no mention of the fact that there was even a vote taken.
The final paragraphs of that meeting simply stated that:-
'The Chairperson thanked the Panel for their comprehensive responses to Members’ questions. The Committee considered all the evidence received and discussed the key issues, and the best way forward for this item. In general, Members concluded that they did not wish to prolong the decision making process by formally referring the decision to Council or Executive for reconsideration.
AGREED – That following consideration of the decision of the Executive, the Committee agreed not to refer the decision back to the Executive, and therefore, under the call-in procedure, the decision could now take immediate effect.'
The statement implies that there was full agreement on this decision when in fact there was not.
I felt so incensed by the appalling inaccuracy of these minutes that I immediately contacted the Council to voice my concerns and to request that these minutes be challenged. I was of course informed that it was already too late for me to do that because the minutes had been agreed at the subsequent, regular meeting of the committee. The draft minutes of certain meetings are not made public on the Council’s Website until after they are ratified, after which of course they cannot be challenged.
Since members of the public are able to attend meetings to observe, why can they not also see the draft minutes? I am beginning to understand why the majority of members of the public have no wish to sit in on these meetings as an observer, indeed I am beginning to wonder myself - what is the point?
I was informed that I could have travelled down to County Hall and requested to see the draft minutes which I could have read and then commented. I have two problems with this suggestion. Firstly, where is the information informing members of the public of this fact? And secondly, since members of the public can read draft reports which are tabled at a Scrutiny Committee on the Council Website, and also the draft proposals of meetings of the Council Executive, including the draft minutes of the previous Executive meeting, why is it not possible for draft minutes of Scrutiny Committee meetings to be provided in the same way? In short, if the draft minutes are in the public domain, then why are they not published on the Council website? I strongly suspect it is simply to avoid public overview of contentious issues.
The whole idea of Scrutiny Committees is to question/challenge Executive proposals, with all members of a Scrutiny Committee listening to arguments with an open mind and voting accordingly.
I wish to express serious concern over the fact that these minutes clearly imply that the whole committee agreed that these proposals should go ahead. As an observer at that meeting, I do not accept that there was a unanimous agreement that this should happen.
In my opinion, there is a distinct political steer in these minutes.
It is for this reason that I am writing to request that the Standards & Ethics Committee look in to the situation with regard to both the reason why Scrutiny Committee draft minutes are not available on the Web, and to ascertain whether this could be brought about, and also to investigate the concern of there being political input in to how Scrutiny Committee minutes are being recorded.
Regards
Georgina Phillips
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This was the response received20th April 2009
Dear Ms Phillips
Thank you for your letter dated 24th February 2009. As your letter set out a number of concerns regarding the Council's decision-making processes, I asked the Council's Monitoring Officer and the Clerk to the Council to provide me with their views on the matters you raise. Having received their views I am now able to respond to the various points you raise and these are set out below.
With regard to your concerns about being unable to attend meetings of the Schools Sub-Committee, I am informed that meetings of the Schools Sub Committee are, open to the public and the dates of such meetings are displayed on Notice Boards and included on the Council's website. I also understand that the agenda, minutes and reports are available to the public within 3 working days of the meeting. I am informed, however, that the Members of the Sub Committee do occasionally have informal briefings from officers which are not, as they are not decision-making meetings, public meetings.
Your letter refers to a vote taken at the Children & Young People Scrutiny Committee on 12th January. I am informed that votes are not normally taken at Scrutiny Meetings as they are non decision making bodies. However, a decision was required on this occasion because an Executive decision had been called in for scrutiny. You will be aware that, after some debate, Committee members were asked to indicate whether to refer the decision back to the Executive or allow it to take immediate effect. A vote was therefore taken to establish the Committees' views on this important matter.
With regard to your comments regarding the minutes of the Scrutiny Committee, I am informed that, as was the practice when you were a County Councillor, the minutes of all Committees are drafted and submitted to the next meeting for approval on their accuracy, and, once they are approved, they appear on the Council's website. In any event, the minutes are not, I understand, a matter for public challenge, but for the Committee members to approve, or amend, as a correct record at their next meeting. I understand that draft minutes would not be generally available for inspection but could be made available as part of a freedom of Information request.
The Clerk to the Council is content that the minutes were an accurate reflection of the meeting and that they were consistent with the general "style" of Scrutiny Committee minutes that have been established over many years. The minutes set out statements from Cllr Ralph Cook, who was responsible for the call-in; the Chief Schools Officer; the Executive Member for Education and questions from Members of the Committee. Although the minutes did not refer to a vote being taken, this is, I am informed, consistent with custom and practice where votes are not recorded in Committeeminutes unless it was a "recorded vote", or, immediately after a vote has been taken, a member asks that his/her vote is recorded in the minutes.
You express concern that "the minutes imply that the whole committee agreed that the proposals should go ahead". I understand, as suggested earlier in this letter, that the matter was determined by a simple majority vote conducted in accordance with the Council's Constitution. As no member requested that their vote be recorded the minutes refer to the fact that "in general, Members concluded that they did not wish to prolong the decision making process. ..."
The Clerk to the Council was very concerned at your suggestion that there may have been political input into the drafting of the minutes has reassured me that this was certainly not the case. With regard to your comments regarding draft minutes not being available on the Council's website, the Clerk to the Council informs me that he is already investigating the possibility of including draft minutes in the papers that are published at least 3 days in advance of Council Committees.
I hope that this clarifies the position with regard to the concerns you set out in your letter.
Kind regards
Yours sincerely
Signed on behalf of Akmal Hanuk, Chair of Standards & Ethics Committee.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Another Vote Lost by One!
Monday 12th January 2009 - I attended a meeting of Children & Young People Scrutiny Committee, of which as mentioned before one of the Cllrs representing Pontprennau & Old St. Mellons is a member. It was arranged to discuss the proposals to demolish Eastern Leisure Centre and build a school on the site to replace Llanrumney and Rumney High Schools. The proposal had again been 'called in' by local Councillors who are against it. There are issues stemming from this which will of course affect the majority of children on this side of Cardiff.
I estimate a few hundred people turned up to hear the debate. Naturally there were some quite tense moments throughout the discussions, but for the most part the public made every effort to stay as calm as possible, listening intently to the arguments.
The Conservative Cllr for Pontprennau & Old St. Mellons did attend, but as usual she left early - way before the expected end and certainly before she had the chance to vote on the proposals, and once again the vote was lost by one. Of course she made excuses but the bottom line is she is failing to represent the residents of her Ward at crucial times. As she departed those nearby were asking me 'What could possibly be more important to a County Councillor than the education of Cardiff's children?' I could only say that I have no idea but I think her lack of commitment is inexcusable - it's actions that count not words.
I wonder if the other Conservative Councillors in attendance were as disappointed as the residents and I. I am quite sure I will hear a great deal more about this, so Watch This Space!
I estimate a few hundred people turned up to hear the debate. Naturally there were some quite tense moments throughout the discussions, but for the most part the public made every effort to stay as calm as possible, listening intently to the arguments.
The Conservative Cllr for Pontprennau & Old St. Mellons did attend, but as usual she left early - way before the expected end and certainly before she had the chance to vote on the proposals, and once again the vote was lost by one. Of course she made excuses but the bottom line is she is failing to represent the residents of her Ward at crucial times. As she departed those nearby were asking me 'What could possibly be more important to a County Councillor than the education of Cardiff's children?' I could only say that I have no idea but I think her lack of commitment is inexcusable - it's actions that count not words.
I wonder if the other Conservative Councillors in attendance were as disappointed as the residents and I. I am quite sure I will hear a great deal more about this, so Watch This Space!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Christmas Newsletters for both Pontprennau & Old St. Mellons
Below is a run-down of most of the information which went in to my Christmas Newsletters in Pontprennau and Old St. Mellons. Some of the issues which were raised at that time now need to be enlarged upon, so watch this space as I will very soon be bringing everyone up to date with the current situation.
Pontprennau News
Who Is Fighting for Pontprennau?
As I had said in my first Newsletter after the May election, I continue to stay heavily involved in Pontprennau and its issues. Among other things I am still attending all possible meetings which relate to the situation with Cardiff Schools.
I recently attended the Cardiff Council EBM (Executive Business Meeting) to hear the report on schools in Canton. As many people will know from recent newspaper articles, this Council proposes to build a new primary school there. So what about us in Pontprennau?
Bearing in mind that Pontprennau residents have for years been told that a new school cannot be built while there are so many surplus places, this latest turn of events gave Pontprennau's two Conservative Councillors the perfect opportunity to force the Pontprennau school issue back into the limelight. But where were your Councillors?
Unfortunately, they DIDN’T TURN UP and the opportunity was missed. To be an effective Cllr you need to be in the right place at the right time - I still turn up at every opportunity - why can't they?
We should be asking where the money is coming from to build schools in areas that have an abundance of empty places and why can't it be spent in an area with no school at all?
I would also like to know why it is that when Councillors right across Cardiff are fighting for their schools, ours leave meetings early and fail to vote at crucial opportunities – that is exactly what happened at a recent meeting of the Children & Young People Scrutiny Committee called to discuss the proposed new build. The Conservative Councillor on that committee left before the vote - which was lost by one!
Pontprennau Youth
The Pontprennau Pumas football club continues to grow, currently having several boys in the under 9's who according to the manager, “show great promise”, and the adult group who seem to get better and better. As usual we would like to thank Cardiff Gate for their continued support and sponsorship of the Pumas. We would also like to thank Mr. Rob Thomas for his kind support and sponsorship of the mini track-suit tops.
The Pontprennau Youth group is still up and running and working hard. The last equipment they helped provide at the Community Centre was a second TV and stand, which is mainly for use with the Nintendo Wii.
There is still funding available to provide facilities for young people in the area and I find it sad that little or nothing is being done with it. It seems to me that the Youth Group would be the perfect people to get into discussions with, but nobody has contacted them. They are keen and eager to be involved, but frustrated by the lack of movement on this issue.
Christmas Fair and Door - Knocking
The recent Christmas Fair held at the Community Church Centre was the most well attended event I have yet seen in Pontprennau. It was wonderful to see so many people turn up. It was I think very successful.
Before arriving at the Fair, MP Julie Morgan, Pontprennau resident and candidate for the forthcoming European elections Lisa Stevens, several members of the Labour Party Women's Forum and myself had all been out and about in Pontprennau knocking doors and chatting with as many women as we could find at home, with the time to stop on a Saturday morning for a chat. We did have a questionnaire, and were asking a few questions about whether women were inclined to vote or not, and how much do they know about what the Labour Party has done for women and families.
It was good to be out and about and talking to people again, I do miss my street surgeries and the opportunity to chat to residents.
We will be returning to the area with the members of the Women's Forum regularly over the coming months to try and meet with more women to take on board their views.
PACT Meetings
The priorities which were decided upon at the last PACT meeting were the problem with anti-social behaviour in the park near Butterfield Drive, and also the problem with speeding traffic on Croescadarn Road.
One of the other issues discussed at the meeting, concerned residents who had been contacted with regard to a youth facility which it was suggested would be installed in one of the parks in Pontprennau. Some of the residents living in that area were very unhappy about any suggestion of this particular facility being provided in that particular park.
As I have already said, why was there no discussion with the young people on this? It could be that they have some much more constructive suggestions to make.
The next meeting is to be on the 15.01.09 at the Community Church Centre, Heol Pontprennau at 7.00pm.
The Ups and Downs of Politics
As I have said to lots of people over the past months, although I feel that during the next three and a half years left until the next election I now have a very different role to play in Pontprennau, - it is I think still worthwhile.
As well as doing what I can to continue to help people who contact me with individual problems, I also want to keep residents informed of issues which I feel can sometimes be just a little politically one-sided! So, for anyone who does not know the address of my Blog, which is where most of this information can be found it is:-
GeorginaPhillips.blogspot.com
I know that not everyone has access to a computer, which is why I will continue with my Newsletters. However, I can get so much more information in my Blog, and so if you're interested in the politics, that is where you will find my comments on the good and bad side of politics.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Old St.Mellons News
I am very glad to be able to begin this latest Newsletter by saying that I am still as busy as ever here in the village. I have continued to attend the regular PACT meetings and the monthly Police Surgeries.
I also attend the monthly meetings of the Community Council, as well as some of the committees of the County Council, as an observer. At the moment the two areas I am particularly interested in are the Standards and Ethics Committee and the Schools Sub Committee, both of which I am keeping an eye on.
I am also continuing to watch the monthly meetings of Full Council, but this is definitely a sign of the times as I do not even have to leave home to watch the whole thing from start to finish. I can now simply watch it on my computer.
The monthly meetings are being 'WebCast', so for anyone who is as sad as I am and wants to actually give the time to have a look at what our Council is up to, all you have to do is log on to the Cardiff County Council website. On the first page if you scroll down you will see where it says 'webcasting of council meetings'. Click on that and there it is in glorious technicolour!
The Ups and Downs of Politics
As I have said to lots of people over the past months, although I feel that during the next three and a half years left until the next election I now have a very different role to play in this village, - it is I think still worthwhile. As well as doing what I can to continue to help people who contact me with individual problems, I also want to keep residents informed of issues which I feel can sometimes be just a little politically one-sided!
So, for anyone who does not know the address of my Blog, which is where most of this information can be found it is:-
GeorginaPhillips.blogspot.com
I know that not everyone has access to a computer, which is why I will continue with my Newsletters. However, I can get so much more information in my Blog, and so if you're interested in the politics, that is where you will find my comments on the good and bad side of politics.
PACT Meetings
As already mentioned, I still attend the PACT meetings here in the village. The priorities which were decided upon at the November meeting were Motorcycle Annoyance in the village, Dog-fouling in Wern Fawr Lane and Tyr Winch Road, and finally the parking problems all around the area of Wern Fawr Lane.
Unfortunately it is necessary for me to criticise the Conservative Cllrs. who sit with the Police representatives during these meetings. I am there as a member of the public to simply observe proceedings. I make no comments or complaints, just listen to other residents concerns and frequently look into issues which have been raised to ascertain what is being done to resolve them.
Unfortunately during these meetings, there have been occasions where one of the Cllr's has informed the residents present that the reason certain issues have not been resolved is because the one time Labour Cllr for this area (me!) had stopped them from happening. - Going on to say that these issues will now be dealt with by the two Conservative Cllrs! What can I say except that I wait with great interest to see if this Cllr continues to blame me for her failures.
I'm sure that most people who know me would be well aware of the fact that this is simply political point-scoring as I would never stand in the way of anything which would benefit the village and its residents, providing it was achievable.
Therefore there are two points I would like to raise;
Firstly, that I have no problem at all with genuine criticism being made by the Conservative Cllrs about me, as long as that information is accurate and can be backed up with proof, not just spurious accusations. I myself will be criticising them on what I am sure will be a regular basis, but any criticism I make will be supported by accurate proof. If I make any criticism which is only my opinion, then I shall state that fact.
Secondly, as one or two residents have pointed out, it is totally unacceptable for PACT meetings run by the Police to be used as a political platform.
For anyone who is interested in attending these PACT meetings, either to express their own concerns, or simply to hear what answers are being given to the questions asked, the next meeting will be 13.01.09 at 7.00pm. It will be held at the Eastern Business Park in Wern Fawr Lane.
Local School - Governing Body
I know that many people will not yet be aware of the fact that after eight terrific years, I am no longer a member of the governing body of St. Mellons Church in Wales primary school. I find that sad and I will miss that time and the parents and teachers I came to know well.
The main reason I am talking about this now is because I do want all residents to know that my removal from the governing body was not a matter of choice. I would have been happy to have remained in that post, and had notified the Governors Services Dept. of Cardiff Council of that fact just before the May election.
A few people have now asked me whether I left because I no longer wanted to be involved since I am not a Councillor any more. Absolutely not, I would never have done that.
I have no idea why it happened, but all I can say is that I did not 'leave', - I was simply removed. If anyone would like a fuller explanation as to exactly what happened, please feel free to give me a ring.
Problems in the Village
I know that we do have a lot of other problems going on here in the village at the moment, in fact so many that it is simply not possible to mention them all! I have remained up to date with all that has happened concerning the parking along Wern Fawr Lane, Old Newport Road, Ffordd Brynhyfryd and Ty To Maen Close.
I am also up to date on the situation with the Newport Road consultations which have gone out, - firstly with a suggestion of bus lanes being provided, and then because of all the concern expressed, a revised scheme showing cycle lanes instead!
I have and will continue to stay as involved as possible with everything happening at the moment, looking at what exactly can be done and what is being done to address these problems.
Coffee Mornings
I did mention in my last Newsletter that it is my intention to continue to organise coffee mornings at Caersalem Baptist Church. I have been so busy over the past months that it has been impossible to arrange a date. However, as soon as the Christmas period is over and we begin to go in to the warmer spring weather, it is my intention to organise something.
Pontprennau News
Who Is Fighting for Pontprennau?
As I had said in my first Newsletter after the May election, I continue to stay heavily involved in Pontprennau and its issues. Among other things I am still attending all possible meetings which relate to the situation with Cardiff Schools.
I recently attended the Cardiff Council EBM (Executive Business Meeting) to hear the report on schools in Canton. As many people will know from recent newspaper articles, this Council proposes to build a new primary school there. So what about us in Pontprennau?
Bearing in mind that Pontprennau residents have for years been told that a new school cannot be built while there are so many surplus places, this latest turn of events gave Pontprennau's two Conservative Councillors the perfect opportunity to force the Pontprennau school issue back into the limelight. But where were your Councillors?
Unfortunately, they DIDN’T TURN UP and the opportunity was missed. To be an effective Cllr you need to be in the right place at the right time - I still turn up at every opportunity - why can't they?
We should be asking where the money is coming from to build schools in areas that have an abundance of empty places and why can't it be spent in an area with no school at all?
I would also like to know why it is that when Councillors right across Cardiff are fighting for their schools, ours leave meetings early and fail to vote at crucial opportunities – that is exactly what happened at a recent meeting of the Children & Young People Scrutiny Committee called to discuss the proposed new build. The Conservative Councillor on that committee left before the vote - which was lost by one!
Pontprennau Youth
The Pontprennau Pumas football club continues to grow, currently having several boys in the under 9's who according to the manager, “show great promise”, and the adult group who seem to get better and better. As usual we would like to thank Cardiff Gate for their continued support and sponsorship of the Pumas. We would also like to thank Mr. Rob Thomas for his kind support and sponsorship of the mini track-suit tops.
The Pontprennau Youth group is still up and running and working hard. The last equipment they helped provide at the Community Centre was a second TV and stand, which is mainly for use with the Nintendo Wii.
There is still funding available to provide facilities for young people in the area and I find it sad that little or nothing is being done with it. It seems to me that the Youth Group would be the perfect people to get into discussions with, but nobody has contacted them. They are keen and eager to be involved, but frustrated by the lack of movement on this issue.
Christmas Fair and Door - Knocking
The recent Christmas Fair held at the Community Church Centre was the most well attended event I have yet seen in Pontprennau. It was wonderful to see so many people turn up. It was I think very successful.
Before arriving at the Fair, MP Julie Morgan, Pontprennau resident and candidate for the forthcoming European elections Lisa Stevens, several members of the Labour Party Women's Forum and myself had all been out and about in Pontprennau knocking doors and chatting with as many women as we could find at home, with the time to stop on a Saturday morning for a chat. We did have a questionnaire, and were asking a few questions about whether women were inclined to vote or not, and how much do they know about what the Labour Party has done for women and families.
It was good to be out and about and talking to people again, I do miss my street surgeries and the opportunity to chat to residents.
We will be returning to the area with the members of the Women's Forum regularly over the coming months to try and meet with more women to take on board their views.
PACT Meetings
The priorities which were decided upon at the last PACT meeting were the problem with anti-social behaviour in the park near Butterfield Drive, and also the problem with speeding traffic on Croescadarn Road.
One of the other issues discussed at the meeting, concerned residents who had been contacted with regard to a youth facility which it was suggested would be installed in one of the parks in Pontprennau. Some of the residents living in that area were very unhappy about any suggestion of this particular facility being provided in that particular park.
As I have already said, why was there no discussion with the young people on this? It could be that they have some much more constructive suggestions to make.
The next meeting is to be on the 15.01.09 at the Community Church Centre, Heol Pontprennau at 7.00pm.
The Ups and Downs of Politics
As I have said to lots of people over the past months, although I feel that during the next three and a half years left until the next election I now have a very different role to play in Pontprennau, - it is I think still worthwhile.
As well as doing what I can to continue to help people who contact me with individual problems, I also want to keep residents informed of issues which I feel can sometimes be just a little politically one-sided! So, for anyone who does not know the address of my Blog, which is where most of this information can be found it is:-
GeorginaPhillips.blogspot.com
I know that not everyone has access to a computer, which is why I will continue with my Newsletters. However, I can get so much more information in my Blog, and so if you're interested in the politics, that is where you will find my comments on the good and bad side of politics.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Old St.Mellons News
I am very glad to be able to begin this latest Newsletter by saying that I am still as busy as ever here in the village. I have continued to attend the regular PACT meetings and the monthly Police Surgeries.
I also attend the monthly meetings of the Community Council, as well as some of the committees of the County Council, as an observer. At the moment the two areas I am particularly interested in are the Standards and Ethics Committee and the Schools Sub Committee, both of which I am keeping an eye on.
I am also continuing to watch the monthly meetings of Full Council, but this is definitely a sign of the times as I do not even have to leave home to watch the whole thing from start to finish. I can now simply watch it on my computer.
The monthly meetings are being 'WebCast', so for anyone who is as sad as I am and wants to actually give the time to have a look at what our Council is up to, all you have to do is log on to the Cardiff County Council website. On the first page if you scroll down you will see where it says 'webcasting of council meetings'. Click on that and there it is in glorious technicolour!
The Ups and Downs of Politics
As I have said to lots of people over the past months, although I feel that during the next three and a half years left until the next election I now have a very different role to play in this village, - it is I think still worthwhile. As well as doing what I can to continue to help people who contact me with individual problems, I also want to keep residents informed of issues which I feel can sometimes be just a little politically one-sided!
So, for anyone who does not know the address of my Blog, which is where most of this information can be found it is:-
GeorginaPhillips.blogspot.com
I know that not everyone has access to a computer, which is why I will continue with my Newsletters. However, I can get so much more information in my Blog, and so if you're interested in the politics, that is where you will find my comments on the good and bad side of politics.
PACT Meetings
As already mentioned, I still attend the PACT meetings here in the village. The priorities which were decided upon at the November meeting were Motorcycle Annoyance in the village, Dog-fouling in Wern Fawr Lane and Tyr Winch Road, and finally the parking problems all around the area of Wern Fawr Lane.
Unfortunately it is necessary for me to criticise the Conservative Cllrs. who sit with the Police representatives during these meetings. I am there as a member of the public to simply observe proceedings. I make no comments or complaints, just listen to other residents concerns and frequently look into issues which have been raised to ascertain what is being done to resolve them.
Unfortunately during these meetings, there have been occasions where one of the Cllr's has informed the residents present that the reason certain issues have not been resolved is because the one time Labour Cllr for this area (me!) had stopped them from happening. - Going on to say that these issues will now be dealt with by the two Conservative Cllrs! What can I say except that I wait with great interest to see if this Cllr continues to blame me for her failures.
I'm sure that most people who know me would be well aware of the fact that this is simply political point-scoring as I would never stand in the way of anything which would benefit the village and its residents, providing it was achievable.
Therefore there are two points I would like to raise;
Firstly, that I have no problem at all with genuine criticism being made by the Conservative Cllrs about me, as long as that information is accurate and can be backed up with proof, not just spurious accusations. I myself will be criticising them on what I am sure will be a regular basis, but any criticism I make will be supported by accurate proof. If I make any criticism which is only my opinion, then I shall state that fact.
Secondly, as one or two residents have pointed out, it is totally unacceptable for PACT meetings run by the Police to be used as a political platform.
For anyone who is interested in attending these PACT meetings, either to express their own concerns, or simply to hear what answers are being given to the questions asked, the next meeting will be 13.01.09 at 7.00pm. It will be held at the Eastern Business Park in Wern Fawr Lane.
Local School - Governing Body
I know that many people will not yet be aware of the fact that after eight terrific years, I am no longer a member of the governing body of St. Mellons Church in Wales primary school. I find that sad and I will miss that time and the parents and teachers I came to know well.
The main reason I am talking about this now is because I do want all residents to know that my removal from the governing body was not a matter of choice. I would have been happy to have remained in that post, and had notified the Governors Services Dept. of Cardiff Council of that fact just before the May election.
A few people have now asked me whether I left because I no longer wanted to be involved since I am not a Councillor any more. Absolutely not, I would never have done that.
I have no idea why it happened, but all I can say is that I did not 'leave', - I was simply removed. If anyone would like a fuller explanation as to exactly what happened, please feel free to give me a ring.
Problems in the Village
I know that we do have a lot of other problems going on here in the village at the moment, in fact so many that it is simply not possible to mention them all! I have remained up to date with all that has happened concerning the parking along Wern Fawr Lane, Old Newport Road, Ffordd Brynhyfryd and Ty To Maen Close.
I am also up to date on the situation with the Newport Road consultations which have gone out, - firstly with a suggestion of bus lanes being provided, and then because of all the concern expressed, a revised scheme showing cycle lanes instead!
I have and will continue to stay as involved as possible with everything happening at the moment, looking at what exactly can be done and what is being done to address these problems.
Coffee Mornings
I did mention in my last Newsletter that it is my intention to continue to organise coffee mornings at Caersalem Baptist Church. I have been so busy over the past months that it has been impossible to arrange a date. However, as soon as the Christmas period is over and we begin to go in to the warmer spring weather, it is my intention to organise something.
Friday, November 07, 2008
The Most Unacceptable Side of Politics.
I said just a few weeks ago that I was going to keep residents informed through my blog of the political game-playing, both the funny and unsavoury sides, and some of the consequences of political point-scoring.
I didn't think then that an example of the ugly side of politics would come so soon. However, recently I witnessed what I feel is an example of why so many people have no respect for politicians. At County Hall on Friday evening (07.11.08) several elected members threw principle and integrity out through the window in an effort to frustrate one particular Councillor.
Let’s provide a little background. As some people will be aware from recent articles in the South Wales Echo, the Independent Councillor for Rhiwbina - Jayne Cowan has for some time been fighting for the right to lay a wreath on Remembrance Sunday. Her request was made in a quiet and dignified way but was deliberately ignored. Time went on, Remembrance Sunday was approaching and she was still being blocked. You may quite rightly ask the question, why on earth would laying a wreath be a problem?
Jayne Cowan and one of the other Independent Councillors for Rhiwbina used to be Conservative Councillors, who left the Party following some bitter disputes. Jayne also spends a great deal of time questioning what Cardiff's Liberal Democrat/ Plaid Cymru Council is doing with public money. Scarcely a meeting goes by without her asking several sometimes embarrassing questions which are often highlighted in the press. In short she is a good opposition Cllr doing what she was elected to do – checking that the ruling groups are doing the job they were elected to do. This upsets many other members, in particular the executive members of the Liberal Democrat/Plaid Cymru Group who wish she would just shut up.
I shall not comment on whether I agree with Jayne's politics, the fact is Remembrance Sunday is a time for all politicians to put aside their differences to honour the millions who died fighting for our democratic right to practise politics on every other day of the year – the leaders of all political groups should be seen together at the cenotaph, each paying respect to the fallen by the simple act of laying a wreath.
The group of Independent Councillors is too small to force a debate on an issue such as this so the Labour Group stepped in and called a special meeting of the Council to debate the question before the date of the next Remembrance Day Service. The meeting was arranged for Friday 7th November and most Councillors took their place in the Council chamber. I sat in the public area waiting to hear the debate, but what happened next was an absolute disgrace, and every member of Cardiff Council who played a part in the fiasco should be ashamed.
The Lord Mayor announced the start of the meeting, and before any debate could begin the leader of the Tory Group Dave Walker (Cllr. for Lisvane) announced that the Tory Group did not feel it appropriate so close to Remembrance Sunday for this debate to take place, so they would leave the meeting. Next, the leader of Cardiff Council, Liberal Democrat Rodney Berman (Cllr. for Plasnewydd) said exactly the same thing. He was followed by Neil McAvoy, leader of Plaid Cymru (Cllr for Fairwater), with the same reason for stifling the debate.
Collusion? If so it would have meant hours of behind-the-scenes manoeuvring to stop one Councillor from carrying out the simple act of laying a wreath. – Is that what we pay them for? Where was the individual member’s sense of honour (or indeed their sense of shame) as like sheep they followed their leaders out of the chamber, grinning and posturing as though they had scored a big hit?
It is difficult to explain how offensive I find such behaviour, I once had respect for several of these Elected Members. However, I had travelled down to County Hall to watch that debate because I had been under the impression it was being seen as a genuine, serious debate in which I would be able to hear the differing views and understand the reason behind their decision to oppose the request. They on the other hand were not looking for serious debate, they were looking for political point-scoring. I was left feeling sullied by their dirty politics.
When everyone except the Labour and Independent members had gone the Lord Mayor simply announced that the meeting was no longer quorate and therefore the meeting was closed.
For a moment I thought all was not lost as Russell Goodway, (Cllr. for Ely) approached the Council’s Legal Officer who was still present. I was not able to hear what was taking place, but Cllr. Goodway was quite clearly steering the Legal Officer through a considerable wedge of paper. Then, without any more ado it was announced that Cllr. Cowan would after all be able to join the other Group Leaders and lay a wreath at the cenotaph on Sunday.
At the event Cllr. Cowan was not able to lay a wreath, despite all that had happened the answer was still no. It would appear that the information provided by Cllr. Goodway to the legal Officer on Friday evening in the Council Chamber stated that among the list of representatives who would be able to lay wreaths at the annual Remembrance Day Service were ‘…..Leaders of bona fide opposition groups on the council ……’ Cllr. Cowan fits that criteria, and so the question is who is playing politics with the Remembrance Day Service? My argument would be that it is certainly not the Labour Party, and it’s not the Independents. It is in my opinion the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Plaid Cymru Parties who should all be ashamed of their appalling behaviour.
I didn't think then that an example of the ugly side of politics would come so soon. However, recently I witnessed what I feel is an example of why so many people have no respect for politicians. At County Hall on Friday evening (07.11.08) several elected members threw principle and integrity out through the window in an effort to frustrate one particular Councillor.
Let’s provide a little background. As some people will be aware from recent articles in the South Wales Echo, the Independent Councillor for Rhiwbina - Jayne Cowan has for some time been fighting for the right to lay a wreath on Remembrance Sunday. Her request was made in a quiet and dignified way but was deliberately ignored. Time went on, Remembrance Sunday was approaching and she was still being blocked. You may quite rightly ask the question, why on earth would laying a wreath be a problem?
Jayne Cowan and one of the other Independent Councillors for Rhiwbina used to be Conservative Councillors, who left the Party following some bitter disputes. Jayne also spends a great deal of time questioning what Cardiff's Liberal Democrat/ Plaid Cymru Council is doing with public money. Scarcely a meeting goes by without her asking several sometimes embarrassing questions which are often highlighted in the press. In short she is a good opposition Cllr doing what she was elected to do – checking that the ruling groups are doing the job they were elected to do. This upsets many other members, in particular the executive members of the Liberal Democrat/Plaid Cymru Group who wish she would just shut up.
I shall not comment on whether I agree with Jayne's politics, the fact is Remembrance Sunday is a time for all politicians to put aside their differences to honour the millions who died fighting for our democratic right to practise politics on every other day of the year – the leaders of all political groups should be seen together at the cenotaph, each paying respect to the fallen by the simple act of laying a wreath.
The group of Independent Councillors is too small to force a debate on an issue such as this so the Labour Group stepped in and called a special meeting of the Council to debate the question before the date of the next Remembrance Day Service. The meeting was arranged for Friday 7th November and most Councillors took their place in the Council chamber. I sat in the public area waiting to hear the debate, but what happened next was an absolute disgrace, and every member of Cardiff Council who played a part in the fiasco should be ashamed.
The Lord Mayor announced the start of the meeting, and before any debate could begin the leader of the Tory Group Dave Walker (Cllr. for Lisvane) announced that the Tory Group did not feel it appropriate so close to Remembrance Sunday for this debate to take place, so they would leave the meeting. Next, the leader of Cardiff Council, Liberal Democrat Rodney Berman (Cllr. for Plasnewydd) said exactly the same thing. He was followed by Neil McAvoy, leader of Plaid Cymru (Cllr for Fairwater), with the same reason for stifling the debate.
Collusion? If so it would have meant hours of behind-the-scenes manoeuvring to stop one Councillor from carrying out the simple act of laying a wreath. – Is that what we pay them for? Where was the individual member’s sense of honour (or indeed their sense of shame) as like sheep they followed their leaders out of the chamber, grinning and posturing as though they had scored a big hit?
It is difficult to explain how offensive I find such behaviour, I once had respect for several of these Elected Members. However, I had travelled down to County Hall to watch that debate because I had been under the impression it was being seen as a genuine, serious debate in which I would be able to hear the differing views and understand the reason behind their decision to oppose the request. They on the other hand were not looking for serious debate, they were looking for political point-scoring. I was left feeling sullied by their dirty politics.
When everyone except the Labour and Independent members had gone the Lord Mayor simply announced that the meeting was no longer quorate and therefore the meeting was closed.
For a moment I thought all was not lost as Russell Goodway, (Cllr. for Ely) approached the Council’s Legal Officer who was still present. I was not able to hear what was taking place, but Cllr. Goodway was quite clearly steering the Legal Officer through a considerable wedge of paper. Then, without any more ado it was announced that Cllr. Cowan would after all be able to join the other Group Leaders and lay a wreath at the cenotaph on Sunday.
At the event Cllr. Cowan was not able to lay a wreath, despite all that had happened the answer was still no. It would appear that the information provided by Cllr. Goodway to the legal Officer on Friday evening in the Council Chamber stated that among the list of representatives who would be able to lay wreaths at the annual Remembrance Day Service were ‘…..Leaders of bona fide opposition groups on the council ……’ Cllr. Cowan fits that criteria, and so the question is who is playing politics with the Remembrance Day Service? My argument would be that it is certainly not the Labour Party, and it’s not the Independents. It is in my opinion the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Plaid Cymru Parties who should all be ashamed of their appalling behaviour.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Politics Are Back!!
There are a few very definite advantages in no longer being a full-time Councillor. One of which is that I am now able to attend as an observer all meetings of the Council that I feel are either of interest to myself, or they are very important to the residents living in the area of Pontprennau and Old St. Mellons.
I recently attended to observe a meeting of the Schools Sub Committee, the first meeting held since the May election. Because of the changes in some of the Councillors now sitting on that committee, the first meeting was mainly concerned with bringing everyone up to date on the situation. However, I will continue to attend all meetings relating to the schools, and I will also keep everyone informed of the plans, proposals and the ups-and-downs of that particular committee!
Another advantage in no longer being a Councillor is that I now have time to be involved in the politics of the situation. All elected members have very different views on how they use their time as an MP, AM, Councillor etc. - And, for me I felt that since being elected means that you are there to represent the whole community no matter what the individuals politics are, mine were put on hold.
Not any more, my politics are back! It is for this reason that I am going to be keeping residents informed through my blog of the political game-playing, the funny side of it - and the very serious side of some of the consequences of political point-scoring.
A good starting point to highlight political game-playing relates to the questions asked by Councillors at the monthly meetings of the Council. A clear indication of the actual agenda behind many of the questions asked can be seen in a question which was put to Cllr. John Dixon at the July meeting of the Council. John is the executive member for the Health, Social Care and Wellbeing portfolio, and is a Councillor for the area of Adamsdown.
The question came from Councillor Dave Walker who is the Cllr. for Lisvane. The question asked was:-
'Does the Executive Member believe in upholding the principles of
honesty and integrity, as outlined in the code of conduct promoted
by this Executive and approved by this Council, in all areas of his
political work?'
The reply from Councillor Dixon was:-
'I’m not certain I have understood what Cllr Walker means by
“promoted by this Executive”. The code is a mandatory one, as set
out in The Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct) (Wales)
Order 2008 and was agreed by Council on 15 May 2008 without
ever having been before the Executive for decision. If anything, the
code is one that has been “promoted” by the Standards and Ethics
Committee following their consideration of the Model Code on 27
November 2007.
So, as the application of the Code is mandatory on all members,
compliance is an issue of statutory obligation, rather than belief.
I would, however, remind Cllr Walker that he personally would be
in breach if he has not, as per Section 6.1.c of Part 5 of the Code of
Conduct, reported to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
and to the Monitoring Officer any conduct which he reasonably
believes breaches the code.
Having said that, I now wait for Cllr Walker’s real question.'
I am hoping over the next few days to receive a copy of the questions asked at the October meeting of the Council. I wait with interest to see whether John was right, and if so, where is that question actually leading?
Another question asked by the same Cllr. at that July meeting gives further insight in to the political game-playing and point-scoring on both sides.
Question from County Councillor Walker:–
'Since your Deputy Leader is facing a writ for libel based on leaflets
which the Monitoring Officer is quoted as describing as ‘factually
incorrect and impugns the reputation and proper action of the
council’, will you advise Members, particularly from your own
group, to resist the temptation to make false or exaggerated claims
about their fellow councillors which could result in personal writs
and negative media coverage, which could bring this Council into
further disrepute?
Reply from County Councillor Berman (Leader of Cardiff Council and Cllr. For Plasnewydd)
'Firstly, I would point out that I do not think it is appropriate for me
to comment on matters that are being considered outside of the
Council so I will not specifically address the matters contained in
the preamble to your question – although it is my understanding
that your assertion is not strictly correct.
In relation to exaggerated claims, I would politely suggest that you
should perhaps have words with your Group’s spokesperson on
finance who repeatedly claims on an annual basis to the press that
he believes he can deliver a 0% increase in Council Tax without
cutting services and then proposes an alternative budget in this
Chamber which is only able to deliver a 0% increase in Council
Tax by cutting services.
I am unsure what specifically you might be referring to when it
comes to false or exaggerated claims.
Is it the claim that appeared in a Conservative leaflet distributed in
Heath prior to the 2007 Assembly elections stating that the then
local Liberal Democrat councillors for Heath wanted to force
children “hoping to move from Ton yr Ywen Primary to the
excellent Llanishen High away from the area into other secondary
schools with spare places”? In fact one of those councillors had
publicly expressed her opposition to the proposals and the other two
had publicly stated their belief that the proposals should proceed to
a consultation in order that they could then use that consultation to
argue against them.
Is it the claim in Conservative leaflets distributed prior to this year’s
local elections that voting Conservative would lead to South Wales
Police being better funded by the Council when in fact the Council
does not actually fund South Wales Police?
Is it the claim in Conservative leaflets issued prior to this year’s
local elections that Conservative Councillors had forced Cardiff
Council to put extra resources into anti-graffiti initiatives? In fact
the alternative budget the Conservative Group proposed this year
(which was voted down by the Council) contained no proposal to
provide additional funds for anti-graffiti initiatives and actually
sought to make substantial unspecified savings in the service area
responsible for tackling graffiti.
Is it in the claim in a Conservative leaflet being circulated in
Pentyrch this week that my party has been in charge of Cardiff
Council for five years? In fact the Liberal Democrats have held the
leadership of the Council for just four years and seventeen days.
As I have indicated before in relation to similar questions, it is not
necessarily my role as a politician to advise Members on issues
such as legal matters for which the Council specifically employs
properly qualified members of staff to provide such advice.
However, if you have a specific issue of concern then I would be
happy to give it what consideration I am able to.'
It is amazing what dreadful memories we politicians seem to have. Things which Parties do when in power are forgotten about when another Party is in the driving seat, and suddenly this becomes unacceptable, and they will now fight for the residents against these appalling proposals.- Even though at the time of the last administration they fully supported them!
This is shown in a question from Councillor Dianne Rees (Cllr. for Pontprennau and Old St. Mellons), who takes the following stand:-
'Liberal Democrats often campaign alongside Conservatives to retain post
offices, which are at the heart of our communities and vital for the most
vulnerable. The Local Government Association says that “If Post Offices are
being considered for closure, then local councils must look at alternative ways
of keeping services available”.
What action did you take to try to keep services available in the recent spate
of closures and will you follow the example of Conservative Essex County
Council and 150 other local authorities keen to follow its lead ,in re-opening
closed branches in Cardiff, such as Old St Mellons Post Office, as a
“community service” providing a computer terminal, with free access to the
Council’s website, provided from a community projects budget and do you
agree that this is what effective local government should be about?'
Reply from Councillor Berman:-
'I am not sure if it is so much the case that Liberal Democrats are now
campaigning alongside Conservatives on this issue as that, in more recent
years, Conservatives have decided to join Liberal Democrats and also Plaid
Cymru in campaigning on this issue. The Conservatives were indeed much
less active and, as the evidence would show, significantly less effective in
campaigning to retain local post offices during the period between 1979 and
1997 whilst in Government at Westminster. During that time the
Conservatives in fact oversaw the closure of around 3,500 post office
branches across the UK.
As I outlined in my response to a similar question from Councillor Robson
back in March of this year, I have previously discussed this matter with the
Chief Executive and – like many other local authorities across the UK – the
Council has been monitoring the situation in Essex, where a post office in
Epping was recently re-opened with the financial support of the County
Council.
Unfortunately, this kind of initiative did not emerge in time to save those post
offices in Cardiff that were closed most recently by Post Office Ltd. as part of
the Network Change Programme. Furthermore, such an initiative requires a
significant financial investment by local authorities and, as the new
Conservative Chairman of the Local Government Association has pointed out,
it will not be possible for every local authority to go down this route and those
who do will not be able to save every post office.
We also have to be cautious in giving the impression that local authorities can
easily pick up and fund services that the UK Government walks away from.
In that context, I would remind you that this Council is already working with
South Wales Police to keep the 101 single non-emergency number going in
Cardiff after the UK Labour Government withdrew all funding for the service
earlier this calendar year. Given the tough financial constraints under which
we the Council operates, there is a limit to the extent to which we can take
such action.
The Executive has, however, made a political commitment to taking forward
the development of ‘one-stop shop’ advice centres in local communities
around the city, as outlined our Capital Vision document. This will assist in
providing better public access to Council services and will be linked to the
expansion of the ‘Connect to Cardiff’ (C2C) contact centre.
We will also explore the establishment of partnerships with local post offices
and other community-based organisations in order to develop new
mechanisms for allowing people to access the local services they value and
need within their local communities.'
Supplementary Question from Councillor Rees:-
'I am pleased that you are monitoring and learning from the excellent action of
Conservative Essex County Council but you haven’t answered my question.
What action did you take to try to keep services available in the recent spate
of closures in Cardiff? Can you outline what action this Council took when
the closures were announced?'
Reply from Councillor Berman:-
'Obviously your memory is not quite what it was because I would have
thought it is quite apparent to all Members what action we took – because we
certainly involved all Members in the actions. We invited representatives of
the Post Office to come to the Council to hear the concerns of Councillors.
All Members who wished to were invited to attend that. In fact, I seem to
recall that you were one of those Members who attended that meeting and
raised your concerns. So it does strike me as a little bit odd that you are trying
to say you have no knowledge of any action that was taken when, actually,
you participated in some of the action that was taken.
We put in a very strong response to the consultation which was agreed
through the Executive as well. But ultimately the fact of the matter is that the
consultation, as many people felt, was pretty much a sham because a decision
had already been taken that so many Post Offices had to go. Therefore, we
were quite clearly told that in fighting to try to save some Post Offices, the
likelihood was that other Post Office branches would just have to shut instead.
So we worked as hard as we could within the options that were available to
us.
But really you are trying to seek to blame us when the blame really should go
to the UK Government who have created the situation whereby Post Offices
are in such dire financial straits because they have been completely deprived
of income.
But as you can see from my original answer to your question, it’s not just
something that has come about under the present Labour Government because
under the previous Conservative Government 3,500 Post Offices closed. So
when we hear that one Conservative-led Council has saved one post office I
think we have to take that as something that rings quite hollow when it is
taken against 3,500 Post Offices the Conservatives presided over closing.'
Is it only politicians who are so adept at speaking with a forked tongue? Anyway, watch this space, I will continue to keep everyone up to date with the truth behind the game!
I recently attended to observe a meeting of the Schools Sub Committee, the first meeting held since the May election. Because of the changes in some of the Councillors now sitting on that committee, the first meeting was mainly concerned with bringing everyone up to date on the situation. However, I will continue to attend all meetings relating to the schools, and I will also keep everyone informed of the plans, proposals and the ups-and-downs of that particular committee!
Another advantage in no longer being a Councillor is that I now have time to be involved in the politics of the situation. All elected members have very different views on how they use their time as an MP, AM, Councillor etc. - And, for me I felt that since being elected means that you are there to represent the whole community no matter what the individuals politics are, mine were put on hold.
Not any more, my politics are back! It is for this reason that I am going to be keeping residents informed through my blog of the political game-playing, the funny side of it - and the very serious side of some of the consequences of political point-scoring.
A good starting point to highlight political game-playing relates to the questions asked by Councillors at the monthly meetings of the Council. A clear indication of the actual agenda behind many of the questions asked can be seen in a question which was put to Cllr. John Dixon at the July meeting of the Council. John is the executive member for the Health, Social Care and Wellbeing portfolio, and is a Councillor for the area of Adamsdown.
The question came from Councillor Dave Walker who is the Cllr. for Lisvane. The question asked was:-
'Does the Executive Member believe in upholding the principles of
honesty and integrity, as outlined in the code of conduct promoted
by this Executive and approved by this Council, in all areas of his
political work?'
The reply from Councillor Dixon was:-
'I’m not certain I have understood what Cllr Walker means by
“promoted by this Executive”. The code is a mandatory one, as set
out in The Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct) (Wales)
Order 2008 and was agreed by Council on 15 May 2008 without
ever having been before the Executive for decision. If anything, the
code is one that has been “promoted” by the Standards and Ethics
Committee following their consideration of the Model Code on 27
November 2007.
So, as the application of the Code is mandatory on all members,
compliance is an issue of statutory obligation, rather than belief.
I would, however, remind Cllr Walker that he personally would be
in breach if he has not, as per Section 6.1.c of Part 5 of the Code of
Conduct, reported to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
and to the Monitoring Officer any conduct which he reasonably
believes breaches the code.
Having said that, I now wait for Cllr Walker’s real question.'
I am hoping over the next few days to receive a copy of the questions asked at the October meeting of the Council. I wait with interest to see whether John was right, and if so, where is that question actually leading?
Another question asked by the same Cllr. at that July meeting gives further insight in to the political game-playing and point-scoring on both sides.
Question from County Councillor Walker:–
'Since your Deputy Leader is facing a writ for libel based on leaflets
which the Monitoring Officer is quoted as describing as ‘factually
incorrect and impugns the reputation and proper action of the
council’, will you advise Members, particularly from your own
group, to resist the temptation to make false or exaggerated claims
about their fellow councillors which could result in personal writs
and negative media coverage, which could bring this Council into
further disrepute?
Reply from County Councillor Berman (Leader of Cardiff Council and Cllr. For Plasnewydd)
'Firstly, I would point out that I do not think it is appropriate for me
to comment on matters that are being considered outside of the
Council so I will not specifically address the matters contained in
the preamble to your question – although it is my understanding
that your assertion is not strictly correct.
In relation to exaggerated claims, I would politely suggest that you
should perhaps have words with your Group’s spokesperson on
finance who repeatedly claims on an annual basis to the press that
he believes he can deliver a 0% increase in Council Tax without
cutting services and then proposes an alternative budget in this
Chamber which is only able to deliver a 0% increase in Council
Tax by cutting services.
I am unsure what specifically you might be referring to when it
comes to false or exaggerated claims.
Is it the claim that appeared in a Conservative leaflet distributed in
Heath prior to the 2007 Assembly elections stating that the then
local Liberal Democrat councillors for Heath wanted to force
children “hoping to move from Ton yr Ywen Primary to the
excellent Llanishen High away from the area into other secondary
schools with spare places”? In fact one of those councillors had
publicly expressed her opposition to the proposals and the other two
had publicly stated their belief that the proposals should proceed to
a consultation in order that they could then use that consultation to
argue against them.
Is it the claim in Conservative leaflets distributed prior to this year’s
local elections that voting Conservative would lead to South Wales
Police being better funded by the Council when in fact the Council
does not actually fund South Wales Police?
Is it the claim in Conservative leaflets issued prior to this year’s
local elections that Conservative Councillors had forced Cardiff
Council to put extra resources into anti-graffiti initiatives? In fact
the alternative budget the Conservative Group proposed this year
(which was voted down by the Council) contained no proposal to
provide additional funds for anti-graffiti initiatives and actually
sought to make substantial unspecified savings in the service area
responsible for tackling graffiti.
Is it in the claim in a Conservative leaflet being circulated in
Pentyrch this week that my party has been in charge of Cardiff
Council for five years? In fact the Liberal Democrats have held the
leadership of the Council for just four years and seventeen days.
As I have indicated before in relation to similar questions, it is not
necessarily my role as a politician to advise Members on issues
such as legal matters for which the Council specifically employs
properly qualified members of staff to provide such advice.
However, if you have a specific issue of concern then I would be
happy to give it what consideration I am able to.'
It is amazing what dreadful memories we politicians seem to have. Things which Parties do when in power are forgotten about when another Party is in the driving seat, and suddenly this becomes unacceptable, and they will now fight for the residents against these appalling proposals.- Even though at the time of the last administration they fully supported them!
This is shown in a question from Councillor Dianne Rees (Cllr. for Pontprennau and Old St. Mellons), who takes the following stand:-
'Liberal Democrats often campaign alongside Conservatives to retain post
offices, which are at the heart of our communities and vital for the most
vulnerable. The Local Government Association says that “If Post Offices are
being considered for closure, then local councils must look at alternative ways
of keeping services available”.
What action did you take to try to keep services available in the recent spate
of closures and will you follow the example of Conservative Essex County
Council and 150 other local authorities keen to follow its lead ,in re-opening
closed branches in Cardiff, such as Old St Mellons Post Office, as a
“community service” providing a computer terminal, with free access to the
Council’s website, provided from a community projects budget and do you
agree that this is what effective local government should be about?'
Reply from Councillor Berman:-
'I am not sure if it is so much the case that Liberal Democrats are now
campaigning alongside Conservatives on this issue as that, in more recent
years, Conservatives have decided to join Liberal Democrats and also Plaid
Cymru in campaigning on this issue. The Conservatives were indeed much
less active and, as the evidence would show, significantly less effective in
campaigning to retain local post offices during the period between 1979 and
1997 whilst in Government at Westminster. During that time the
Conservatives in fact oversaw the closure of around 3,500 post office
branches across the UK.
As I outlined in my response to a similar question from Councillor Robson
back in March of this year, I have previously discussed this matter with the
Chief Executive and – like many other local authorities across the UK – the
Council has been monitoring the situation in Essex, where a post office in
Epping was recently re-opened with the financial support of the County
Council.
Unfortunately, this kind of initiative did not emerge in time to save those post
offices in Cardiff that were closed most recently by Post Office Ltd. as part of
the Network Change Programme. Furthermore, such an initiative requires a
significant financial investment by local authorities and, as the new
Conservative Chairman of the Local Government Association has pointed out,
it will not be possible for every local authority to go down this route and those
who do will not be able to save every post office.
We also have to be cautious in giving the impression that local authorities can
easily pick up and fund services that the UK Government walks away from.
In that context, I would remind you that this Council is already working with
South Wales Police to keep the 101 single non-emergency number going in
Cardiff after the UK Labour Government withdrew all funding for the service
earlier this calendar year. Given the tough financial constraints under which
we the Council operates, there is a limit to the extent to which we can take
such action.
The Executive has, however, made a political commitment to taking forward
the development of ‘one-stop shop’ advice centres in local communities
around the city, as outlined our Capital Vision document. This will assist in
providing better public access to Council services and will be linked to the
expansion of the ‘Connect to Cardiff’ (C2C) contact centre.
We will also explore the establishment of partnerships with local post offices
and other community-based organisations in order to develop new
mechanisms for allowing people to access the local services they value and
need within their local communities.'
Supplementary Question from Councillor Rees:-
'I am pleased that you are monitoring and learning from the excellent action of
Conservative Essex County Council but you haven’t answered my question.
What action did you take to try to keep services available in the recent spate
of closures in Cardiff? Can you outline what action this Council took when
the closures were announced?'
Reply from Councillor Berman:-
'Obviously your memory is not quite what it was because I would have
thought it is quite apparent to all Members what action we took – because we
certainly involved all Members in the actions. We invited representatives of
the Post Office to come to the Council to hear the concerns of Councillors.
All Members who wished to were invited to attend that. In fact, I seem to
recall that you were one of those Members who attended that meeting and
raised your concerns. So it does strike me as a little bit odd that you are trying
to say you have no knowledge of any action that was taken when, actually,
you participated in some of the action that was taken.
We put in a very strong response to the consultation which was agreed
through the Executive as well. But ultimately the fact of the matter is that the
consultation, as many people felt, was pretty much a sham because a decision
had already been taken that so many Post Offices had to go. Therefore, we
were quite clearly told that in fighting to try to save some Post Offices, the
likelihood was that other Post Office branches would just have to shut instead.
So we worked as hard as we could within the options that were available to
us.
But really you are trying to seek to blame us when the blame really should go
to the UK Government who have created the situation whereby Post Offices
are in such dire financial straits because they have been completely deprived
of income.
But as you can see from my original answer to your question, it’s not just
something that has come about under the present Labour Government because
under the previous Conservative Government 3,500 Post Offices closed. So
when we hear that one Conservative-led Council has saved one post office I
think we have to take that as something that rings quite hollow when it is
taken against 3,500 Post Offices the Conservatives presided over closing.'
Is it only politicians who are so adept at speaking with a forked tongue? Anyway, watch this space, I will continue to keep everyone up to date with the truth behind the game!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Want something to smile about? - Click here
Just thought you might like this.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The County Council, Community Council and Politics.
At the recent monthly meeting of the Old St. Mellons Community Council, Agenda item 5 'Local Residents' gave me the opportunity to express concern about the situation which as I have already stated in previous articles, is beginning to occur more and more, and that is the tendency to mix together groups which should, indeed must remain separate.
There is in my opinion, at present a very serious problem in joining together the County Council, the Community Council, and Politics. I asked the Community Council three questions on this, and I am still awaiting some answers.
1) The Community Council had organised a litter pick in Old St. Mellons village but was advertised in the South Wales Echo by the 2 Ward Cllrs who attached it to information which had been organised by themselves to take place in Pontprennau on the same day. There was a very definite impression that the litter-pick had also been organised by them and not the Community Council. However, at the same time residents were advised to contact the Community Council Clerk should they require any further information. Why was this also published (along with other issues relating to the Community Council) in the latest Conservative political leaflet which was distributed throughout Old St. Mellons?
2) I also find unacceptable the name-cards displayed in front of all Community Cllrs at the monthly meetings. The new Chair of the Community Council had actually arrived at the last meeting, her first in the Chair in this new term, with new name cards showing nothing but the names of the Cllrs. These were not used, and the originals remained in place. My objection to these is the fact that the 2 County Cllrs. cards show that they are both County and Community Cllrs. As I pointed out to the Chair, when they walk in to that meeting every month, every Community Cllr leaves behind all the things they do in their life outside the Community Council. They all walk in as equals, nothing more than Community Cllrs. If they don't there is a suggestion of authority, implying that as County Cllrs these 2 members have more authority and more power than any of the other members. - If that were not the case, why would they insist on using these name cards?
3) Quarterly meetings are being held to discuss the M4 widening, something which has a definite impact on life in this Ward. Invited to these meetings are Officers from The Assembly, Cardiff County Council, and Newport Council. There are also County Cllrs and Community Cllrs invited from the affected areas of both Newport and Cardiff. The question I asked is, since other Community Councils have representatives attending these meetings, why does the Old St. Mellons Community Council not have anyone attending? The Clerk informed me that there was one Cllr attending. However, that person is a County Cllr and should attend as such. We are disadvataged by having one person trying to wear two hats, no-one can satisfactorily achieve that. I, along with others wish to see two Cllrs attending these meetings, one from the County Council and one from the Community Council.The Chair did agree this, and a representative from the Community Council has been chosen.
When I receive answers to the other questions asked I will keep residents informed.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
May2008 Council Election
After being a Labour Councillor representing the Ward of Pontprennau & Old St. Mellons for nine years, I was of course disappointed when in the recent May election I lost my seat. This has been a very interesting Ward to represent and has been a lot of fun - I think for everyone! I would very much like that to go on. This used to be a 100% Conservative Ward, and one which many felt would never change. One of those Wards where it was often said that the Cllr didn't have to do any work at all to be re-elected. It was an absolute certainty that no matter what the person did or didn't do, - the Conservative voters would come out on the day. All political Parties have areas like this of course, however in 1999 when the new Labour Government was very very popular and the Tories were very unpopular, the Labour Party took both seats in the Ward.
I worked hard for the next 5 years, and when we got to the 2004 election I held my seat. However, the other Labour Councillor was not standing in this area again, and the new candidate who would have been great for this Ward was not known and didn't live in the area and so was not elected. Therefore, residents then came to have one Tory and one Labour Councillor.
It is now of course the turn of the Labour Party to be unpopular, - and so off we go in a different direction again with the Ward now having 2 Tory Councillors.
I have made a decision to carry on working in the area for the coming 4 years for several reasons.
I worked hard for the next 5 years, and when we got to the 2004 election I held my seat. However, the other Labour Councillor was not standing in this area again, and the new candidate who would have been great for this Ward was not known and didn't live in the area and so was not elected. Therefore, residents then came to have one Tory and one Labour Councillor.
It is now of course the turn of the Labour Party to be unpopular, - and so off we go in a different direction again with the Ward now having 2 Tory Councillors.
I have made a decision to carry on working in the area for the coming 4 years for several reasons.
- I have thoroughly enjoyed working in the community, and I can see no reason why I shouldn't simply carry on working on a voluntary basis.
- I have been contacted by some residents who say that they are Labour supporters and when they need help or advice they would prefer to speak to a Labour Party member.
- I have nine years of experience and I care a lot about the residents in the area and want to go on helping wherever and whenever possible.
- Even people who are Conservative voters have said that they felt it was much more democratic when there were the 2 of us, both from very different Parties with very different views. It is sad that the Ward has now become less interesting.
- I have been and will continue to be very critical of the fact that the 2 Conservative Cllrs are both County Cllrs in the Ward and Community Cllrs in the village of Old St. Mellons. There are many problems with this in my opinion, not least is the fact that both the County and Community Councils meet on the same day each month. I have heard the argument coming from them stating that the meetings are held at different times. It is true that they begin at different times with the meeting of the County Council beginning at 4.30pm at either City Hall or County Hall. Then, the Community Council meeting is held in the village hall beginning at 19.30. Therefore, if the County Council meeting finishes by 19.00 they can attend both meetings, however I do have a list of all the times in the last 4 years when the Conservative Cllr either had to leave the meeting of the County Council early to attend the meeting of the Community Council, or she had to miss the Community Council meeting altogether. There are many residents in the village who would have liked a place on the Community Council but couldn't get in. Why do the Conservative Cllrs want to hold 2 posts? Why won't they make space for other residents to play an active part in the community?
I have a lot of concerns about many things going on in this Ward and this is why I will be staying involved in everything, and keeping an eye on everything. I will continue to keep residents informed of all issues of interest and importance - and in 4 years, I'll be back!
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Environmental Scrutiny Committee Meeting Called!
I had been led to believe it would be several months before the Conservation Area Appraisal of Old St. Mellons would be considered by the Environmental Scrutiny Committee. However, I received notification just yesterday (16th March) that a special meeting has been called for Wednesday 21st March at 5.00pm. This will take place at County Hall, Committee Room 3. The meeting is open for members of the public to attend as observers.
It is also possible for any resident wishing to speak at the meeting to do so at the discretion of the Chair. It would of course be a very positive way forward, since it is always constructive for members of a committee to hear the views of local residents. Therefore if there is any resident who would wish, or be willing to do this, please give me a ring on 2077 7784 and I will contact the Chair of the Scrutiny Committee and do my best to organise it.
This is happening much faster than I had anticipated, and not giving us a lot of time to organise everything. After the Scrutiny Committee meeting of Wednesday, there is a meeting of the Council the very next day. I will now present the petition at that meeting.
We have 148 signatures on this present petition, and if there is anyone else who has not yet signed and would like to, please give me a ring and I will call on you during the next few days.
I have spoken to Sophie Howe, and she will be continuing to assist in lobbying. I will also be speaking to Sue Essex at the weekend, in order to ensure that she is kept up to date on the situation.
I have no idea how soon this report will be referred back to the Executive Business Meeting. Everything will depend on how long it takes for the scrutiny committee to respond to the proposals. At this time the only thing I can say is that I will continue to keep all local residents fully informed.
It is also possible for any resident wishing to speak at the meeting to do so at the discretion of the Chair. It would of course be a very positive way forward, since it is always constructive for members of a committee to hear the views of local residents. Therefore if there is any resident who would wish, or be willing to do this, please give me a ring on 2077 7784 and I will contact the Chair of the Scrutiny Committee and do my best to organise it.
This is happening much faster than I had anticipated, and not giving us a lot of time to organise everything. After the Scrutiny Committee meeting of Wednesday, there is a meeting of the Council the very next day. I will now present the petition at that meeting.
We have 148 signatures on this present petition, and if there is anyone else who has not yet signed and would like to, please give me a ring and I will call on you during the next few days.
I have spoken to Sophie Howe, and she will be continuing to assist in lobbying. I will also be speaking to Sue Essex at the weekend, in order to ensure that she is kept up to date on the situation.
I have no idea how soon this report will be referred back to the Executive Business Meeting. Everything will depend on how long it takes for the scrutiny committee to respond to the proposals. At this time the only thing I can say is that I will continue to keep all local residents fully informed.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Old St. Mellons Conservation area Update!
Further to my last leaflet, here is the latest news for Beech Tree Park
We (Sue Essex, Sophie Howe and I) have continued to lobby Council Officers and Executive Members to withdraw the proposals to remove Beech Tree Park from the conservation area.
The Executive Business Meeting (EBM) took place at County Hall on Thursday 8th March, with the report from the conservation officers on the agenda with a recommendation to agree all of its proposals. The previous day, I had contacted every member of the executive to inform them that I wanted to present a residents petition to full Council rather than to the EBM, and requested that they defer their decision until then. I also sought the help of Greg Owens (Leader of my Group and Councillor for the Ward of Llandaff who has a right to speak at the EBM) and he readily agreed to help ensure that your concerns were properly addressed.
Your direct lobbying, together with such strong representations paid off. Not only was the report deferred, it also has to be examined by a Scrutiny Committee, which means that we have considerably extended our breathing space and involved more elected members in the decision-making process. And, you can be quite sure that I will be speaking at the scrutiny stage to present the strongest possible arguments against the proposal.
Now I have to decide whether to present the petition at full Council on the 22nd March, or wait and present it to the scrutiny committee. Waiting may be better because we could get more signatures on our petition – there is definite strength in numbers!
A note of caution
This fight still has a long way to run and whether we win or not remains to be seen. However of this I am sure, it is worth all the time, effort and lobbying if only to ensure that all concerns will be fully considered and the proposals will not as the officers had wished, be pushed through hastily.
We (Sue Essex, Sophie Howe and I) have continued to lobby Council Officers and Executive Members to withdraw the proposals to remove Beech Tree Park from the conservation area.
The Executive Business Meeting (EBM) took place at County Hall on Thursday 8th March, with the report from the conservation officers on the agenda with a recommendation to agree all of its proposals. The previous day, I had contacted every member of the executive to inform them that I wanted to present a residents petition to full Council rather than to the EBM, and requested that they defer their decision until then. I also sought the help of Greg Owens (Leader of my Group and Councillor for the Ward of Llandaff who has a right to speak at the EBM) and he readily agreed to help ensure that your concerns were properly addressed.
Your direct lobbying, together with such strong representations paid off. Not only was the report deferred, it also has to be examined by a Scrutiny Committee, which means that we have considerably extended our breathing space and involved more elected members in the decision-making process. And, you can be quite sure that I will be speaking at the scrutiny stage to present the strongest possible arguments against the proposal.
Now I have to decide whether to present the petition at full Council on the 22nd March, or wait and present it to the scrutiny committee. Waiting may be better because we could get more signatures on our petition – there is definite strength in numbers!
A note of caution
This fight still has a long way to run and whether we win or not remains to be seen. However of this I am sure, it is worth all the time, effort and lobbying if only to ensure that all concerns will be fully considered and the proposals will not as the officers had wished, be pushed through hastily.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Major modifications at B & Q Pontprennau
I recently met with one of the managers of the Pontprennau branch of B & Q , to discuss the plans for modifying the store, and to consider the best way to address the likelihood of any noise pollution whilst the required work is carried out.
The meeting was very constructive and focused on the company's wish to work with the local community, and to ensure that the process was of as little inconvenience to residents as possible.
There are some major changes to the interior of the store, to make it among other things more family friendly. You may have noticed already that the café has been moved to a brighter and more accessible position. The external timber section is also to be revamped, with new racking and a better layout.
The work has already started with little or no neighbourhood disturbance so far. There will however be some noise whilst the external work is carried out, but I am assured that every effort will be made to keep noise levels to an absolute minimum.
The whole project is expected to be completed by the end of May. During that time there will be a period of four to five weeks when there will be the possibility of external noise from the timber section. Internal work will be taking place around the clock, but we have agreed that external work will be limited to the hours between 7:00am and 9:00pm and will definitely not happen at weekends. I hope this is a fair balance between management's desire to progress the work and the residents right to peace and quiet.
after lengthy discussions I am convinced that there will be no serious problems, and that the work will be well managed, and dealt with in a considerate way. However, if you live close to the Pontprennau retail Park and are disturbed by noise at any time, especially outside of the allowed work periods you can contact the Duty Manager of the day on 2073 0401, or if you prefer, please contact me on 2077 7784 and I will resolve the problem.
The meeting was very constructive and focused on the company's wish to work with the local community, and to ensure that the process was of as little inconvenience to residents as possible.
There are some major changes to the interior of the store, to make it among other things more family friendly. You may have noticed already that the café has been moved to a brighter and more accessible position. The external timber section is also to be revamped, with new racking and a better layout.
The work has already started with little or no neighbourhood disturbance so far. There will however be some noise whilst the external work is carried out, but I am assured that every effort will be made to keep noise levels to an absolute minimum.
The whole project is expected to be completed by the end of May. During that time there will be a period of four to five weeks when there will be the possibility of external noise from the timber section. Internal work will be taking place around the clock, but we have agreed that external work will be limited to the hours between 7:00am and 9:00pm and will definitely not happen at weekends. I hope this is a fair balance between management's desire to progress the work and the residents right to peace and quiet.
after lengthy discussions I am convinced that there will be no serious problems, and that the work will be well managed, and dealt with in a considerate way. However, if you live close to the Pontprennau retail Park and are disturbed by noise at any time, especially outside of the allowed work periods you can contact the Duty Manager of the day on 2073 0401, or if you prefer, please contact me on 2077 7784 and I will resolve the problem.
Old St. Mellons Conservation area
Latest Situation for Beech Tree Park
The battle to keep Beech Tree Park as a part of the conservation area in the village of old St. Mellons is still going on. Assembly Member Sue Essex, Cllr. and Labour Assembly Candidate for Cardiff North Sophie Howe, and myself have continued to try to persuade the Officers and Executive Members of Cardiff Council to withdraw this proposal.
However, despite many letters, emails and telephone calls made to both the Officers who are dealing with this report, and the Elected Members who will finally make the decision, they have steadfastly refused to reconsider the proposals.
An Executive Business Meeting will take place at County Hall on Thursday 8th March at 2.00pm, and this report is on the agenda with a recommendation to agree the removal of Beech Tree Park.
I know that a further petition is being organised by residents in the area, and it will be presented to the Executive Members on Thursday. In the meantime the most constructive thing we can do in the remaining days is to lobby the Executive Member for the Environment, Cllr. Elgan Morgan. The Executive Members can insist on the retention of Beech Tree Park in the conservation area.
The battle to keep Beech Tree Park as a part of the conservation area in the village of old St. Mellons is still going on. Assembly Member Sue Essex, Cllr. and Labour Assembly Candidate for Cardiff North Sophie Howe, and myself have continued to try to persuade the Officers and Executive Members of Cardiff Council to withdraw this proposal.
However, despite many letters, emails and telephone calls made to both the Officers who are dealing with this report, and the Elected Members who will finally make the decision, they have steadfastly refused to reconsider the proposals.
An Executive Business Meeting will take place at County Hall on Thursday 8th March at 2.00pm, and this report is on the agenda with a recommendation to agree the removal of Beech Tree Park.
I know that a further petition is being organised by residents in the area, and it will be presented to the Executive Members on Thursday. In the meantime the most constructive thing we can do in the remaining days is to lobby the Executive Member for the Environment, Cllr. Elgan Morgan. The Executive Members can insist on the retention of Beech Tree Park in the conservation area.
Cllr. Morgan can be contacted by email at elmorgan@cardiff.gov.uk Or, you can write to him at County Hall, Cardiff CF10 4UW. Cllr. Morgan represents the Ward of Plasnewydd and can be contacted by telephone on 20485012.
Please pass on this information to anyone else in the village who feels strongly about the wish to retain Beech Tree Park in the conservation area. If you need any more information, or have any problems, you can contact either myself or Sophie on:-
Sophie Howe, Labour Assembly Candidate for Cardiff North
Tel: 2069 4748 E-mail: howe_sophie@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.sophiehoweblogs.com
Georgina Phillips, Cllr. For Pontprennau & Old St. Mellons
Tel: 2077 7784 E_mail:Geophillips@cardiff.gov.uk www.LHGAP.demon.co.uk
Good luck with the lobbying!
Best wishes,
Georgina
Sophie Howe, Labour Assembly Candidate for Cardiff North
Tel: 2069 4748 E-mail: howe_sophie@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.sophiehoweblogs.com
Georgina Phillips, Cllr. For Pontprennau & Old St. Mellons
Tel: 2077 7784 E_mail:Geophillips@cardiff.gov.uk www.LHGAP.demon.co.uk
Good luck with the lobbying!
Best wishes,
Georgina
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Speed Limit Through the village of Old st. Mellons
09.02.07
With reference to the urgent need for something to be done about the speed at which traffic travels through the village of Old St. Mellons, I sent a letter to the Council's Chief Transport, Infrastructure & Waste Officer.
text of letter:-
Dear Mr. Sherratt,
re: Speed Limit through Old St. mellons village
at present the speed limit along Newport Road passing through the village of Old St. Mellons is 40 mph. There is a pedestrian crossing near the junction of Tyr Winch Road and Newport Road which is frequently used by children on their way to and from school, as well as the elderly and not so agile.
The high speed limit has for many years been of concern to local residents and recently there was an accident when a vehicle hit a pedestrian on the crossing, who died as a result. There have been several other non-fatal accidents at this junction over the years and it appears that many of them are speed related.
Since that fatality, I have been contacted by several residents asking 'how many more accidents must occur before the Council imposes a 30mph limit?
I am convinced that we can no longer ignore the dangers, and i am therefore requesting that a reduced speed limit be imposed as soon as possible. Furthermore, in order to reduce the risk of accidents at other busy points along the road I propose the restriction should cover the section from the village hall to the petrol station at the eastern end of the village.
Yours sincerely,
reply - dated 16.02.07
Dear Councillor Phillips,
Speed limit through Old St. Mellons Village (newport Road/tyr Winch Road)
I refer to your letter dated 9 february 2007, regarding your request for a reduction in the speed limit along Newport Road through the village of Old St. Mellons, in reply to which I would comment as follows.
With regard to the request for a reduction in the speed limit in the village I would confirm that this matter has been investigated to determine the viability of this request and the practical limits of any new speed limit. Your comments about the extent of such a limit has been taken in to account as part of this process. As a result of the above investigation, I am pleased to inform you that I will be writing to you and your fellow ward Member shortly with a proposal.
Yours sincerely,
I will keep everyone up to date on this sitaution.
With reference to the urgent need for something to be done about the speed at which traffic travels through the village of Old St. Mellons, I sent a letter to the Council's Chief Transport, Infrastructure & Waste Officer.
text of letter:-
Dear Mr. Sherratt,
re: Speed Limit through Old St. mellons village
at present the speed limit along Newport Road passing through the village of Old St. Mellons is 40 mph. There is a pedestrian crossing near the junction of Tyr Winch Road and Newport Road which is frequently used by children on their way to and from school, as well as the elderly and not so agile.
The high speed limit has for many years been of concern to local residents and recently there was an accident when a vehicle hit a pedestrian on the crossing, who died as a result. There have been several other non-fatal accidents at this junction over the years and it appears that many of them are speed related.
Since that fatality, I have been contacted by several residents asking 'how many more accidents must occur before the Council imposes a 30mph limit?
I am convinced that we can no longer ignore the dangers, and i am therefore requesting that a reduced speed limit be imposed as soon as possible. Furthermore, in order to reduce the risk of accidents at other busy points along the road I propose the restriction should cover the section from the village hall to the petrol station at the eastern end of the village.
Yours sincerely,
reply - dated 16.02.07
Dear Councillor Phillips,
Speed limit through Old St. Mellons Village (newport Road/tyr Winch Road)
I refer to your letter dated 9 february 2007, regarding your request for a reduction in the speed limit along Newport Road through the village of Old St. Mellons, in reply to which I would comment as follows.
With regard to the request for a reduction in the speed limit in the village I would confirm that this matter has been investigated to determine the viability of this request and the practical limits of any new speed limit. Your comments about the extent of such a limit has been taken in to account as part of this process. As a result of the above investigation, I am pleased to inform you that I will be writing to you and your fellow ward Member shortly with a proposal.
Yours sincerely,
I will keep everyone up to date on this sitaution.
