There is growing unrest in my nearby town of Llandovery. Many residents are no longer prepared to sit back and let the County Council bulldoze various plans through the town without proper consultation. A residents group has been formed and will be staging an exhibition tomorrow. The organisers have brought together local groups with the intention of keeping everyone in the town informed and to give them a voice, this includes the campaigners against the closure of Pantycelyn School who have fought such a long battle. There are some very determined folk in Llandovery and many of them are now questioning the actions of the County Councillor Ivor Jackson and are considering challenging his position as their elected member.
In support of their efforts I am publishing a couple of flyers outlining their aims. I hope the group inspires others in the county to take a similar stance;
PANTYCELYN SCHOOL CLOSURE
.jpg)
In support of their efforts I am publishing a couple of flyers outlining their aims. I hope the group inspires others in the county to take a similar stance;
LLANDOVERY AREA TENANTS & RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
L A T R A
EXHIBITION & REGISTRATION DAY!
AT THE ASSEMBLY ROOMS NEXT WEDS, SEPTEMBER 12 AT 10.00am – 8.00pm
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY THE LAW GIVES EVERY CITIZEN THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD BY COUNTY OFFICALS. WE ARE ENTITLED TO FULL CONSULTATION!
1) THE PROPOSED DECISION TO CLOSE PANTYCELYN
SCHOOL WAS MADE
WITHOUT PUBLIC CONSULTATION!
2) THE PROPOSED BUILDING OF A HUGE NEW HOUSING
ESTATE IN LLANDOVERY WAS RECOMMENDED FOR
FULL PLANNING APPROVAL BY OUR TOWN & COUNTY
CLLRS & BY PLANNING DEPARTMENT OFFICERS
WITHOUT PUBLIC CONSULTATION!
3) THE PROPOSALS FOR THE LLANDOVERY REGENERATION
PLANS HAVE BEEN DRAFTED
WITHOUT PUBLIC CONSULTATION!
4) THE ENORMOUS WIND TURBINE PROPOSAL HAS BEEN
RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL FOR PLANNING
WITHOUT PUBLIC CONSULTATION!
LLANDOVERY AREA TENANTS & RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION WILL BE LOOKING TO POSTPONE THESE PROPOSALS UNTIL EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE TO MAKE THEIR VIEWS KNOWN. WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES WHERE APPROPRIATE. ALL LATEST INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE DAY!
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
IF YOU CARE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR TOWN & THE FUTURE FOR YOUR CHILDREN & GRANDCHILDREN THEN VISIT OUR EXHIBITION & REGISTER FOR FREE. EVERYONE IN TOWN AGED 16 OR OVER CAN BECOME A MEMBER
REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE.
Already signed up to LATRA? Come along anyway and view the exhibition. We have your registration cards printed for you to collect. Look forward to seeing you again!
BE HEARD!
------------------------------------------
CONSULTATION PROCEDURE
91% OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE LLANDOVERY AREA OBJECTED TO THE CLOSURE OF PANTYCELYN. MOST OF THESE NAMES WERE IN THE FORM OF A VALID PETITION PUT FORWARD TO CARMS COUNTY COUNCIL. HUGE EFFORTS WERE PUT IN BY YPAG ON THIS PETITION.
NONE OF OUR OBJECTIONS WERE COUNTED IN THE STATISTICS OF RESPONSES. THE PETITION WAS, IN EFFECT, COUNTED AS ONE OBJECTION.
WHY?
BECAUSE THE DESIGNATED DATE FOR HANDING IN THE PETITION GIVEN TO THE YSGOL PANTYCELYN ACTION GROUP BY CLLR IVOR JACKSON WAS A DAY AFTER THE DEADLINE.
JUST A TERRIBLE SLIP-UP? YOU DECIDE!
THE CONSULTATION MEETING TO DECIDE WHERE TO SITE THE NEW SCHOOL WAS SCHEDULED FOR THE AUTUMN. 150 LETTERS OF OBJECTION AGAINST THE PROPOSED FFAIRFACH SCHOOL WERE SENT IN. THE DATE FOR THE MEETING WAS SUDDENLY BROUGHT FORWARD SEVERAL MONTHS BY CARMS COUNTY COUNCIL – NO NOTICE OF THIS WAS GIVEN TO THE SCHOOL GOVERNORS. THEY WERE INFORMED VIA RADIO CYMRU!!! THEY HAD JUST 48 HOURS TO PREPARE THEIR CASE.
CARMS COUNTY COUNCIL’S EXPLANATION FOR THE CHANGE OF DATE? THE ORIGINAL DATE HAD BEEN A ‘DRAFTING ERROR’. SO THAT’S ALRIGHT THEN!
CARMS COUNTY COUNCIL CHOSE FFAIRFACH!
BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE A STITCH-UP?
HUGELY INCREASED TRANSPORT COSTS ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE CONSULTATION PROCEDURE BECAUSE THEY DO NOT COME UNDER THE EDUCATION BUDGET. THEY COME UNDER THE BUDGET FOR TECHNICAL SERVICES. AN EXPENDITURE OF SOME £8 MILLION DOES NOT HAVE TO BE QUANTIFIED INTO SCHOOL MERGERS. HOW VERY HANDY!
THESE ARE THE THREATENING WORDS FROM OUR PUBLICLY PAID CHIEF EXECUTIVE MARK JAMES AFTER STATING THAT THEY WOULD BE PURSUING COSTS OF THE COURT CASE FROM YPAG. ‘IF IT GOES FURTHER WE WILL BE PURSUING COSTS.’ IT WILL BE GOING FURTHER – LLANDOVERY DOES NOT RESPOND WELL TO THREATS!
-----------------------------------------
Update; Glad to see MP Jonathan Edwards and AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas supporting the group and expressing their concerns about Carmarthenshire County Council's lack of proper consultation;
.jpg)
6 comments:
Unfortunately we are stuck with this council for the next five years, and Llandovery is stuck with Cllr Ivor Jackson.
I hope the town puts up one hell of a fight because they will have to if they want anything to change.
Who is this defeatist masquerading as Cneifiwr? Had it not been for you bloggers and the unbiased media, CCC would get away with treating members of the public like mushrooms i.e. kept in the dark and fed manure. Having been awoken to practices within CCC, I am confident that the good people of Carmarthenshire will take peaceful and legal action all over the county, to ensure democracy prevails. Keep up the good work by raising peoples awareness!
Interesting to see all this going on while we have spent the last 7 months trying to get temporary planning permission for 3 years to reside in our woodland 2 miles from llandovery. We have been managing the woodland sustainably. We sell firewood, sawn timber, charcoal, biochar & honey. The woodland has a long history of charcoal production going back hundreds of years. Producing charcoal is not process you can get going & then go home, that is it needs constant supervision, day & night. The kiln we use once started can be running for many days at a time. We need to be on site continually.
We have living in site for the last 18 months in the attempts to get our business off the ground., but the last 7 months have been wasted trying to jump through the councils hoops. All we want is 3 years temporary planning to prove to the council that we can make a go of it.
We live completely off grid. Our 20x14 foot hut is completely removable. .we are creating employment for 2 people & hope to employ more in the future.
We have had to fight an enforcement notice & have just had our planning application refused, therefore another enforcement notice will soon arrive. We are all family of 4 trying to live sustainably & give our services back to the community. We are not being given a chance. But a new housing estate can be built without the communities support.
Another point why does CCC employ 12 enforcement officers when Powys only employs 2?
It was comforting to learn of Jonathan Edwards MP and Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM support of LATRA and it was laudable of them to express their serious concerns about CCC's lack of consultation. Hopefully, Carl Sargeant AM will take a similar stance.
I, like you Jacqui not only "hope the group inspires others in the county to take a similar stance" but I am imploring the good people of Carmarthenshire, together with CCC employees and the Trade Union to stand united and get behind LATRA and any other group or individual who have good cause to challenge CCC and unlock democracy.
I trust that the New Editor of the Carmarthen Journal will provide its readers with an unbiased view of the exhibition and future events.
An interesting comment from Anon @ 14.31. I know of another family going through something very similar. They are a real asset to their community, living quietly and unobtrusively and making a real effort to integrate.
It defies belief that ordinary families wanting to live in a way which will not wreck the countryside are treated so badly while massive and unwanted new developments are championed by the planners.
Take heart anonymous in the woodland!
LATRA have contacted the author of Field to Farm and awaiting a response. Llandovery has to stand united on this and other issues. If anyone knows of any parent of a child in Pantycelyn be at the school at 6pm next Weds 26th for the Parent/Governors AGM. THEY ARE BANKING ON THE WELSH ASSEMBLY ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE TEXT THEY HAVE SENT TO PARENTS TO PUT PEOPLE OFF GOING! Don't be fooled! Hundreds joining up to the Tenants and Residents Association. If we go down we go down fighting! But reactions from those trying to silence us means that they are at least taking notice. Thanks to all those that came last Weds - a cracking good turnout!
Post a Comment