Carmarthenshire’s Plaid Councillors have demanded to know who’s taking decisions in the county and when. This follows the apparent implementation of a decision by the council’s leaders before the decision was actually taken. Plaid Cllr Marie Binney asked in the council meeting on 9th December whether free parking would be allowed in council-run car parks during the run up to Christmas, as had been the case in previous years.
Cllr Binney said, “I was delighted to be told that the council’s leaders had agreed to provide free parking again this year, starting on the 10th December for two weeks. Then, just after Christmas, I read the minutes of the Executive Board for their meeting on 14th December, and discovered that the decision wasn’t actually taken until that meeting. Put simply, the decision appears to have been implemented four days before it was actually taken!
“I then discovered that the decision was reported in the latest edition of the Council’s propaganda sheet, Community News. Now that paper went to print on 25th November, and I understand that items have to be ready some 10 days before that, so that they can be translated and set out etc. So, who actually took the decision and when? On whose authority was the story included in Community News, and on whose authority did the council stop charging for car parking on 10th December?
“Whilst I think the decision taken was the right one, I am seriously concerned that the council has either acted illegally by implementing a decision in advance of the meeting, or else has acted illegally by taking decisions in secret without proper notice. Plaid have expressed our concerns to the Chief Executive and asked for a full explanation.”
Monday, 25 January 2010
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Missing the obvious
Carmarthenshire county council is failing to properly plan for the increasing costs of an ageing population, claimed Plaid Cllr David Jenkins. Cllr Jenkins has raised a series of detailed questions about the council’s financial position, including the reasons for a significant overspend on services for the elderly.
Cllr Jenkins said, “There is plenty of data available indicating that the population is ageing, but the council appears not to have adequately allowed for that in its budget. When I queried this, I was told that the council did indeed try to estimate for this, but had underestimated the costs. Worst of all, they actually told me that they have got it wrong every year for the past few years – they seem not to be learning from previous mistakes.
“The fact that the council has regularly and consistently under-estimated the growth of the elderly population in the county is also relevant in the context of their proposals to close care homes. It is crazy to talk about reducing the provision of care homes when they have effectively admitted that they do not really know how many people will need them, but
Cllr Jenkins said, “There is plenty of data available indicating that the population is ageing, but the council appears not to have adequately allowed for that in its budget. When I queried this, I was told that the council did indeed try to estimate for this, but had underestimated the costs. Worst of all, they actually told me that they have got it wrong every year for the past few years – they seem not to be learning from previous mistakes.
“The fact that the council has regularly and consistently under-estimated the growth of the elderly population in the county is also relevant in the context of their proposals to close care homes. It is crazy to talk about reducing the provision of care homes when they have effectively admitted that they do not really know how many people will need them, but
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Council unprepared for winter weather
Plaid Cymru in Carmarthenshire have strongly criticised the county council over the lack of preparedness for the recent snow and ice. Rural areas in particular have been badly hit as the council has concentrated all its efforts on the county’s main roads, and completely ignored other routes.
Plaid’s group leader, Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths, said, “Carmarthenshire is a very rural county; most of the county’s road network is in rural areas. Yet the council seems to have had little or no concern for the needs of people in those rural areas, and roads through villages across the county have been ignored, making life extremely difficult for local residents. Of course there’s a cost involved, but in principle, it’s a fairly simple matter to grit minor roads as well as major ones. The county seems to be interested only in looking after the towns and ignoring the villages. I am calling for a complete review of the council’s policy on gritting, with a view to doing more to keep rural roads passable during periods of snow and ice.”
Plaid’s group leader, Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths, said, “Carmarthenshire is a very rural county; most of the county’s road network is in rural areas. Yet the council seems to have had little or no concern for the needs of people in those rural areas, and roads through villages across the county have been ignored, making life extremely difficult for local residents. Of course there’s a cost involved, but in principle, it’s a fairly simple matter to grit minor roads as well as major ones. The county seems to be interested only in looking after the towns and ignoring the villages. I am calling for a complete review of the council’s policy on gritting, with a view to doing more to keep rural roads passable during periods of snow and ice.”
Monday, 18 January 2010
Forcing change on the council
Carmarthenshire County Council is likely to be compelled to change the way in which it appoints chairs of its committees under a new Measure proposed by the Welsh Government. The Government has been telling authorities for some years now that these posts should be allocated across political parties on a proportional basis, but the ruling Labour/ Independent Party has to date insisted on taking more than its share of posts. The Government is also likely to insist that the chair of the audit committee should be an opposition member, another step which Carmarthenshire has refused to take.
Cllr Gwyn Hopkins from Plaid, said, “It seems as though the council’s Independent and Labour Parties will only change their approach when they are forced to do so. Democracy, of a type implemented in most councils across Wales, will only come to Carmarthenshire when the ruling parties are faced with a statutory requirement. Plaid have consistently argued for many years that posts within the council should be shared out on a fair basis, giving all parties a chance to influence the decision-making process, but Meryl Gravell and her clique have been determined to keep as much power as possible to themselves, and lock Plaid councillors out of all the decision-making processes. We have given them a number of opportunities to follow the advice which the Government has given them, but they have refused on every occasion. Now it seems as though they are going to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into a more democratic and open approach.”
Cllr Gwyn Hopkins from Plaid, said, “It seems as though the council’s Independent and Labour Parties will only change their approach when they are forced to do so. Democracy, of a type implemented in most councils across Wales, will only come to Carmarthenshire when the ruling parties are faced with a statutory requirement. Plaid have consistently argued for many years that posts within the council should be shared out on a fair basis, giving all parties a chance to influence the decision-making process, but Meryl Gravell and her clique have been determined to keep as much power as possible to themselves, and lock Plaid councillors out of all the decision-making processes. We have given them a number of opportunities to follow the advice which the Government has given them, but they have refused on every occasion. Now it seems as though they are going to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into a more democratic and open approach.”
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Call for more detail on youth scheme
Plaid’s councillors in Carmarthenshire have called for more information about a new scheme to encourage children and young people to join “uniformed youth organisations”. The scheme, called Young Dragons, is being piloted in two parts of Wales, namely Blaenau Gwent and Carmarthenshire, but there is currently very little information available.
Plaid’s leader on the council, Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths, said, “I have asked that more information be presented to the relevant scrutiny committee so that councillors can discuss the scheme. I was told that the council is seeking to include other organisations in the scheme, including the Urdd and the YFCs, and that is a very important point. Those are two of the most important youth organisations in the county – and unlike many other organisations, they operate bilingually as well. That is vitally important in Carmarthenshire. I do not understand why there is an emphasis on ‘uniformed’ organisations, and I have a number of misgivings about that emphasis.”
Plaid’s leader on the council, Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths, said, “I have asked that more information be presented to the relevant scrutiny committee so that councillors can discuss the scheme. I was told that the council is seeking to include other organisations in the scheme, including the Urdd and the YFCs, and that is a very important point. Those are two of the most important youth organisations in the county – and unlike many other organisations, they operate bilingually as well. That is vitally important in Carmarthenshire. I do not understand why there is an emphasis on ‘uniformed’ organisations, and I have a number of misgivings about that emphasis.”
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Plea for YFC funding
Plaid Cllr Eirwyn Williams has urged Carmarthenshire County Council to make more funding available to YFCs in the county. He raised the issue at the last meeting of the council, drawing attention to the sums given by neighbouring councils to the YFC.
“Ceredigion makes £16,000 available, and Pembrokeshire give £8,650,” said Cllr Williams. “But this county contributes nothing to the YFC’s core funding, which is what they need. They need to see the county council helping them to plan for the long term future, and to sustain their traditional core activities, not simply to seek to fund short-term fashionable activities.”
Cllr Williams drew attention to the vital role played by the movement in developing skills and talent. “Many of our county’s leaders, in all sorts of fields, honed their skills in YFC activities; we are talking here about making an investment in the future of all of us.
“I was very disappointed – shocked even – by the response of council leader Meryl Gravell. She effectively said that the YFC should stop raising money to help others, and use their time and energy to help themselves. But helping others and doing voluntary work is a key part of the YFC ethos. We want our young people to develop with a sense of responsibility to their fellow citizens, not with a narrow focus on what suits and helps only themselves. It would be a very sad day for our society if we all took the view that we should help only ourselves.”
“Ceredigion makes £16,000 available, and Pembrokeshire give £8,650,” said Cllr Williams. “But this county contributes nothing to the YFC’s core funding, which is what they need. They need to see the county council helping them to plan for the long term future, and to sustain their traditional core activities, not simply to seek to fund short-term fashionable activities.”
Cllr Williams drew attention to the vital role played by the movement in developing skills and talent. “Many of our county’s leaders, in all sorts of fields, honed their skills in YFC activities; we are talking here about making an investment in the future of all of us.
“I was very disappointed – shocked even – by the response of council leader Meryl Gravell. She effectively said that the YFC should stop raising money to help others, and use their time and energy to help themselves. But helping others and doing voluntary work is a key part of the YFC ethos. We want our young people to develop with a sense of responsibility to their fellow citizens, not with a narrow focus on what suits and helps only themselves. It would be a very sad day for our society if we all took the view that we should help only ourselves.”
Friday, 18 December 2009
Call for more bilingual signs
“More needs to be done to ensure that private companies follow the public sector’s lead in erecting bilingual signs,” according to a Plaid member of Carmarthenshire county council. Cllr Arwel Lloyd was speaking after being told at a meeting that the planning regulations could not be used to require companies to erect bilingual signs.
Cllr Lloyd told the council that Carmarthen’s Civic Society had written to one company urging them to make their signage bilingual, but had received a response to the effect that the company has all its signage for the whole of the UK prepared centrally, and was not prepared to erect different signs in Wales.
“This shows a complete lack of respect for and understanding of the nature of the country in which they are operating,” said Cllr Lloyd. “Wales is a bilingual country, and in this county, Welsh is spoken by the majority. It is simply not acceptable that large companies can simply disregard that fact.”
Cllr Lloyd has now asked Nerys Evans AM to explore whether the National Assembly can change the planning regulations to give local councils the authority to insist on bilingual signage. Ms Evans said, “I will be asking for a change in these regulations. This is a small step to take, but it gives greater visibility and status to our language. And the additional cost of making the signs bilingual when they are first erected is minimal.”
The proposal also received strong support from Plaid’s parliamentary candidate, John Dixon, who added, “For companies to say that they wish to keep all their signs the same is a silly and dishonest argument. Many of the large companies operating in Wales already operate in a number of other countries, and in every case they adapt their signs to include the local language. There is no justification for them to treat Wales and the Welsh language any differently.”
Cllr Lloyd told the council that Carmarthen’s Civic Society had written to one company urging them to make their signage bilingual, but had received a response to the effect that the company has all its signage for the whole of the UK prepared centrally, and was not prepared to erect different signs in Wales.
“This shows a complete lack of respect for and understanding of the nature of the country in which they are operating,” said Cllr Lloyd. “Wales is a bilingual country, and in this county, Welsh is spoken by the majority. It is simply not acceptable that large companies can simply disregard that fact.”
Cllr Lloyd has now asked Nerys Evans AM to explore whether the National Assembly can change the planning regulations to give local councils the authority to insist on bilingual signage. Ms Evans said, “I will be asking for a change in these regulations. This is a small step to take, but it gives greater visibility and status to our language. And the additional cost of making the signs bilingual when they are first erected is minimal.”
The proposal also received strong support from Plaid’s parliamentary candidate, John Dixon, who added, “For companies to say that they wish to keep all their signs the same is a silly and dishonest argument. Many of the large companies operating in Wales already operate in a number of other countries, and in every case they adapt their signs to include the local language. There is no justification for them to treat Wales and the Welsh language any differently.”
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