Tuesday 30 August 2011

Cllr Gravell Makes a Vow

I read this morning that Carmarthenshire Council Leader, Meryl Gravell has vowed to do "anything and everything in my power" to keep Ffos Las racecourse open as it faces a cut in fixtures.

Pity she didn't make the same vow to keep day centres and care homes for the elderly, schools, libraries etc open, which I would have thought was a far more fitting pledge for a Council leader to make.

Whilst I naturally hope attractions such as the racecourse remain open for the benefit of the county, I do hope this doesn't include a financial bail-out from the Council, a couple of years ago the owner applied for planning permission for 500 houses on the basis that the racecourse wouldn't be financially viable without them.

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Carmarthenshire-Council-leader-vow-Ffos-Las/story-13229848-detail/story.html


1 comment:

Cneifiwr said...

The linked article doesn't really explain any of the background to this, and makes it sound as though Ffos Las is being picked on unfairly. In reality, Ffos Las could be victim of a "double whammy", with the numbers of racing horses in sharp decline across the country (put that down to the recession), and a sharp drop in the levy. This is money levied on bookmakers and goes to fund many racing fixtures. The drop does not reflect a decrease in betting, but rather has come about because bookmakers have been shifting their business offshore to avoid the levy.

In other words, rampant greed is one of the main reasons for this self-inflicted problem.

Looks like another of Meryl's visionary schemes is about to bite the dust.

Perhaps the council could turn Trimsaran into a miniature Las Vegas, with casinos and "massage parlours".

If you think that's whacky, Cllr Stephen James, one of Meryl's proteges, thinks that Burry Port has the potential to be the Saint Tropez of the South.

Topless bathing in Burry Port, anyone?