Two Plaid councillors in Carmarthenshire who have raised concerns previously about the rail service to Carmarthen have given a cautious welcome to the plans by the Government for rail investment, which may bring some improvements.
Cllr Alan Speake said, “It’s good news of course that Plaid’s Transport Minister has been able to secure the electrification of the main line as far as Swansea, when the London govrenment had originally planned that the scheme would stop at Bristol. But we must see this as just the first phase. It is vital for West Wales that the rest of the line, to Carmarthen and beyond, should also be electrified so that trains can run through rather than having to change at Swansea.”
Cllr Linda Davies Evans added, “The One Wales government has also agreed to invest in doubling the track around the west of Swansea, and this work will enable trains to run to West Wales more frequently when it is completed. This is another important step, and I hope that it will be completed rapidly, so that extra trains can run and the whole service become more reliable.”
Friday, 28 August 2009
Friday, 14 August 2009
Plea for speed limit at Denham Avenue
Plaid County Councillor Mari Dafis has asked for a speed limit of 20 mph to be imposed at Denham Avenue, Llanelli, in the interests of safety. Cllr Dafis said this week, "There are serious problems at Denham Avenue. Although the speed limit is currently set at 30mph, in practice a number of vehicles actually travel at up to 50mph along this stretch of road.
"There have been problems with parked cars being smashed into as a result, and I am concerned about the possibility of a serious accident occurring if no action is taken. There are two schools in the vicinity, and that ought to be sufficient reason for reducing the speed limit to 20mph and introducing other measures which will help to keep traffic within the speed limit.
"I have been told that budgetary constraints prevent the council from doing anything this year, but I will keep pressing for this in the hope that action can be taken when funds are available."
"There have been problems with parked cars being smashed into as a result, and I am concerned about the possibility of a serious accident occurring if no action is taken. There are two schools in the vicinity, and that ought to be sufficient reason for reducing the speed limit to 20mph and introducing other measures which will help to keep traffic within the speed limit.
"I have been told that budgetary constraints prevent the council from doing anything this year, but I will keep pressing for this in the hope that action can be taken when funds are available."
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Response to language strategy
The Welsh Government recently published a new draft strategy for Welsh-medium education, and Plaid's 30-strong group of councillors in Carmarthenshire has this week given its response. Group leader, Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths said, "Carmarthenshire is one of a very small number of counties in Wales where there is still a majority of Welsh speakers. It is absolutely crucial for a county like this that there is a strong and clear strategy for the expansion of Welsh medium education, and we welcome the fact that the Government has produced the first-ever national strategy for doing this. There are, however, a number of weaknesses, and we have highlighted these in our response.
"We very much welcome the One Wales Government's proposal to ensure that a proper and thorough survey is conducted to establish the true level of parental demand. This is something for which we have been calling in the county council although to date the Labour/Independent administration has refused to properly carry out a survey. Instead, we have had a sham questionnaire in one part of the county, with no real attempt to fully explain the advantages. But most important of all, there is no purpose in obliging councils to conduct surveys unless they are also then obliged to make provision to meet the full level of demand highlighted by those surveys.
"We also felt that the targets being set were not ambitious enough, particularly in a county like Carmarthenshire, and have called on the government to set more challenging targets."
"We very much welcome the One Wales Government's proposal to ensure that a proper and thorough survey is conducted to establish the true level of parental demand. This is something for which we have been calling in the county council although to date the Labour/Independent administration has refused to properly carry out a survey. Instead, we have had a sham questionnaire in one part of the county, with no real attempt to fully explain the advantages. But most important of all, there is no purpose in obliging councils to conduct surveys unless they are also then obliged to make provision to meet the full level of demand highlighted by those surveys.
"We also felt that the targets being set were not ambitious enough, particularly in a county like Carmarthenshire, and have called on the government to set more challenging targets."
Monday, 3 August 2009
Welcome for Welsh education expansion in Llanelli
Plaid councillors in Carmarthenshire have welcomed a report from the county’s officers recommending a number of options for increasing the number of Welsh medium places in prmary schools in Llanelli. The demand for Welsh-medium education has increased substantially in the town, and the county council has been struggling to respond to the demand for some two years now. According to the latest plans, the Council intends to increase the number of places in all of the current Welsh schools, and recognises the need to start planning now for more Welsh schools in the area.
Councillor Dyfrig Thomas said, “More and more parents are choosing Welsh-medium education for their children in the town. They understand the advantages of ensuring that their children are completely bilingual, and also know that Welsh schools are the best way of doing that.
“I very much welcome the plans to increase the number of places in Ysgol Dewi Sant as well as the substantial increase in Ysgol Ffwrnes, and this is as well as the new school for Brynsierfel. But all of this is just a short term answer to the immediate problem – the figures clearly show that we need to find a site for a further Welsh school urgently, and start planning for another school after that.”
Cllr Thomas added, “It’s very encouraging to see that the demand is growing in every part of the town, from people in all our comminties.”
Councillor Dyfrig Thomas said, “More and more parents are choosing Welsh-medium education for their children in the town. They understand the advantages of ensuring that their children are completely bilingual, and also know that Welsh schools are the best way of doing that.
“I very much welcome the plans to increase the number of places in Ysgol Dewi Sant as well as the substantial increase in Ysgol Ffwrnes, and this is as well as the new school for Brynsierfel. But all of this is just a short term answer to the immediate problem – the figures clearly show that we need to find a site for a further Welsh school urgently, and start planning for another school after that.”
Cllr Thomas added, “It’s very encouraging to see that the demand is growing in every part of the town, from people in all our comminties.”
Friday, 31 July 2009
Transport priorities need to be revisited
The priorities in the Regional Transport Plan for South West Wales need to be revisited according to Plaid councillors in Carmarthenshire.
Cllr Siân Thomas said that she welcomed the fact that the proposed Llandeilo by-pass was one of the top priotities, but was concerned about the timescales for delivery. "According to the plan," she said, "this road is one of the very top priorities for the area, but we are not even expecting the work to start until at least 2014, with every possibility of further delay beyond that."
Cllr John Edwards called for a higher priority for work on the A48 between Cross Hands and Pont Abraham where there had already been a number of accidents, and said, "There is a real need for action over some of the junctions along this stretch of road in the interests of public safety."
Cllr Siân Thomas said that she welcomed the fact that the proposed Llandeilo by-pass was one of the top priotities, but was concerned about the timescales for delivery. "According to the plan," she said, "this road is one of the very top priorities for the area, but we are not even expecting the work to start until at least 2014, with every possibility of further delay beyond that."
Cllr John Edwards called for a higher priority for work on the A48 between Cross Hands and Pont Abraham where there had already been a number of accidents, and said, "There is a real need for action over some of the junctions along this stretch of road in the interests of public safety."
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Boost for much-used hall
Neuadd Bro Fana, at Ffarmers, is to benefit from a grant of up to £15,500 from the Assembly Government under the Rural Development Plan for Wales. Welcoming the news, local ward councillor, Eirwyn Williams, said, "This hall is in a very rural area, but is used by a plethora of groups and societies. The hall committee has now agreed to a proposal from the school's former dinner ladies to set up a village café and shop to provide addiitonal services to the community, subject to planning permission.
"I am certain that this will not only provide a facility which the community will use, but will also further increase the use of the hall, since the grant is to be used to refurbish the kitchen and store area which will then be available for community events as well. I am delighted that this application for grant has been successful, and wish the new enterprise well."
"I am certain that this will not only provide a facility which the community will use, but will also further increase the use of the hall, since the grant is to be used to refurbish the kitchen and store area which will then be available for community events as well. I am delighted that this application for grant has been successful, and wish the new enterprise well."
Monday, 27 July 2009
Call to delay development at Llandeilo
Carmarthenshire county council in its last meeting heard calls for a delay to a proposed large scale development at Llandeilo. Plaid members of the county council expressed their concerns over the traffic problems in Llandeilo, and argued that adding significantly to the size of the town before building a by-pass would only make matters worse.
Cllr Siân Thomas said, "The Environment Committee has already heard about serious concerns about the level of pollution in Rhosmaen Street, and there is no way that we can add to the traffic without making that worse. When is the by-pass coming? The latest government plans suggest that it will not be until at least 2014, and we should not even be considering building more houses on this scale before then."
Plaid's leader, Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths asked, "Are we really comfortable to be moving ahead with this development before the problem is solved?"
Cllr John Edwards said that he very much welcomed the development brief which the council's officers had prepared, but shared the concerns about timing. "It's much better that we plan in this fashion," he said, "trying to set out a pattern for the development in advance rather than merely responding to the developers. It's a very welcome development, and I applaud the council's officers for the work which they have done. It is important, however, that we not only control the form of the development, but also its timing, so that we maintain the best possible environment for the residents of the county."
Cllr Siân Thomas said, "The Environment Committee has already heard about serious concerns about the level of pollution in Rhosmaen Street, and there is no way that we can add to the traffic without making that worse. When is the by-pass coming? The latest government plans suggest that it will not be until at least 2014, and we should not even be considering building more houses on this scale before then."
Plaid's leader, Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths asked, "Are we really comfortable to be moving ahead with this development before the problem is solved?"
Cllr John Edwards said that he very much welcomed the development brief which the council's officers had prepared, but shared the concerns about timing. "It's much better that we plan in this fashion," he said, "trying to set out a pattern for the development in advance rather than merely responding to the developers. It's a very welcome development, and I applaud the council's officers for the work which they have done. It is important, however, that we not only control the form of the development, but also its timing, so that we maintain the best possible environment for the residents of the county."
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