Re: AGM

hedleymccarthy · AGM

Annual meeting of council Thursday.
The story so far :-
Six weekly cycle of meetings.
Peacehaven planning granted.
Foundry Bridge opened late, still not completed.
Wetherspoons?
Rail Feeder buses withdrawn.
Closure of Garnlydan Primary School.
Closure of Nantyglo Comprehensive School.
Abertillery year 7 pupils relocated to Nantyglo during building work.
Fortnightly Refuse Collection.
Animal Pound closed.
Library hours cut.
Switch off half of borough's street lights.
Council tax up by 4.95%.
Coalition councillor found guilty of inappropriate behaviour and intimidation.
Seem to be doing OK so far Laughing

Ian

And of course none of these things have their roots in the previous administration and exactly what difference would there be if it was still in place Rolling Eyes

better or worse.......do we a poll on that Wink

hedleymccarthy

Perhaps you know something I don't Ian, if you say there were roots in the previous council you should enlighten us. Rolling Eyes

Ian

Being a member of the labour party I thought you would be very knowledgable on the subject of taking over when things are already well into the planning stage and then carrying on with them instead of changing them. Rolling Eyes

alfie · Re: AGM

hedleymccarthy · Re: AGM

martyn142

And yet Hedley, despite all that, most people I talk to would rather entrust civic matters to a herd of rabid rhino than to the party you lead.

Funny old world innit? Laughing

hedleymccarthy

I dread to think who you talk to Martyn Wink

martyn142

alfie · Re: AGM

Thanks Alfie I will attempt to answer each of your queries.
1. Foundry Bridge we were in power when work started as you rightly say, the completion was scheduled for November 2008, we lost control May 1st 2008 , on June24th it was still anticipated completion November 2008. August 4th 2008 we were informed of a 6 week delay. I can make documents available which confirm this. The bridge is open to traffic and pedestrians - perhaps the previous administration of which you were a key player never factored in the additional works cost wise but rather just the bare cost of the civil engineering works? Moreover you were prepared to take the glory when the Ebbw Vale rail line opened late so perhaps a little latitude is due? We will have to wait for the Abertillery one for many years.......
2. Wetherspoons when we left office it was due to open in October 2008. I don't blame the present council for this, but I think you will find the delay if that's all it is, is more to do with the economic crisis than planning So why blame the current administration as you did in your opening?
3. In 2004 John Hopkins grasped the nettle, it stung him and he let it go. It was then intended to merge Brynmawr and Nantyglo. In 2007 I set up Schools Development Working Party to take a borough wide view and my preference was a school merger. I have never voted to close Brynmawr in fact I've never had a vote on the subject, there was a free vote in the Education Scrutiny Committee which was in favour of option 1 which would keep Nantyglo open the seven in favour of option 1 was 3 Labour, 3 Independent and 1 Peoples Voice against were 2 Labour 2 Independent and 1 Peoples Voice. - a little mendacious perhaps - tell us exactly what option 1 was?
4. You are correct to point out that Cllr,Daniels was deputy leader to John Hopkins at the time of his suspension by the Labour Party. The coalition took him into their 'partnership' last May. There was no need to do this as they already had the majority, I wrote to Des Hillman for clarification on which councillors were covered by the coalition and he confirmed to me that all but the Labour members were covered by his "partnership arrangements" in a letter of June 3rd 2008, I can if you require make this correspondence available for your perusal. You make it sound as if you were never there when Coun Daniels was effectively in power as deputy leader and during the period when the intimidation etc took place - but you were and so to castigate the current administration in which Cllr Daniels never held any executive position and so is not part of a coalition administration is sheer hypocrisy to say the least!
I trust this clarifies the position.[/quote]

hedleymccarthy

What's it all about Alfie?

Ian

What's it all about Alfie?.....surely should be what's it all about Hedley,as you must constantly be trying to answer this question or asking yourself it. Laughing

Perhaps Cilla can record it as an election campaign song for you Wink

This thread also seems to contain a new opening line for your speeches...'during the time that I haven't been leader' Rolling Eyes

hedleymccarthy

sorry I forgot to include the closure of the bowls centre Embarassed

Dai 6

hedleymccarthy

I agree with that Dai.

Rocke

Where do we start ?

Annual meeting of council Thursday.
The story so far :-
Six weekly cycle of meetings.
A report put before the first Council Meeting after the elections.
That's an agenda set out by the previous administration.
If it didn't want a 6-weekly cycle why did it a) commission it and b) include it for debate ?
Not a poisoned chalice surely ?

PS - it's only a pilot scheme - the vote's this week as to whether it becomes the norm.
( More misinformation ).

Talking of poisoned chalices............

Peacehaven planning granted.

This is an interesting one.
This land was sold under a previous adminstration but for some reason PP was only applied for years later, coincidentally ( ? ) a short time after a change of administration.
The applicant satisfied all the Planning Conditions attached to the original sale of the land, therefore it couldn't be turned down.
I'm not sure if the land was sold by private treaty not sealed bids, under rules brought in by a previous administration.

If I get a chance I'll have a look into this as a mater of public interest.

Foundry Bridge opened late, still not completed.
This has to be the comment of such breathtaking arrogance.
Already caught out the author of this statement doesn't just have skin as thick as a rhino, but probably the brainpower of one as well.
As one who precipated the reaslisation that the Bridge was behind schedule, and one who kept people properly - and correctly - informed of progress I'll leave it at that.

Wetherspoons?
A complete ass as well - what on Earth has the council got to do with a commercial company deciding to invest here ?
Planning Permission hasn't been declined, the previous administration's fixation with cosying up to one of our previous Inspectors and restricting free trade by atempting to apply Saturation Orders has been thrown out by this one.
Simple economics is what's delaying Wetherspoons.

Rail Feeder buses withdrawn.
In effect withdrawn by WAG.
They paid for them, then took the money away, coincidentally (?) as soon as possible after a new administration took control of our Council.

Closure of Garnlydan Primary School.
Last I read it wasn't closing - misinformation again.
btw there's more to come on this - and I'll be the one saying it.

Closure of Nantyglo Comprehensive School.
Closure of a school not being used by a substantial number of children who could be there.
Closure of a school that is the victim of a protracted fall in the birth rate.
Year 7 students would probably have been able to work out the consequences back in the late 90's and certainly when previous administrations - oh, bu&&er it, I've had enough of being apolitical now - when THE LABOUR GROUP had it brought to their attention a few years back.
Echoes of the Foundry Bridge here - we suspect problkems, we find them and we have to sort them out.
Regrettably this time it's children's education that's being disrupted not traffic.
However, time will show whether the right action was taken.

Abertillery year 7 pupils relocated to Nantyglo during building work.
The best that can be said for this statement is extraordinary foresight.
There is a proposal but as anyone with a modicum of a brain cell will know - especially parents, governors ( of which many are Labour nominees ) and members of the School Development Board ( set up belatedly by Cllr. McCarthy and occasionally atended by him ) - it ios a proposal and there is another afoot - to accommodate all on the Aber Comp. site.
I'll say this is an attempt to muddy the waters. Any other view would get me into trouble.

Fortnightly Refuse Collection.
Complete nonsense, since 'refuse' is a generic term and can only mean 'all rubbish'.
Anyone not had some sorts ( yes, more than 1 ) of collection in the last fortnight ?
I'll say this is an attempt to muddy the waters. Any other view would get me into trouble.

Animal Pound closed.
Anyone noticed ?

Library hours cut.
Anyone noticed ?
Besides, it's better cutting Library opening times than Care Assistants' hours.

Switch off half of borough's street lights.
Isn't it amazing how some people seek to stir things up.
Give an incorrect statement and nowhere near a statement regarding the complete situation.

And I say that because it simply is not true and the author of this has clearly done no research before posting it.
There are 11,700 lights in the Borough and 6,362 of these are fitted with the technology to be switched off. However, not all of them will be turned off. I'll find out the exact percentage.
Weasel now comes to mind ( it's getting like animal farm today, isn't it ? ).
Those lights that are switched off will be switched off after midnight.
In Winter that means switched off for less than 50% of darkness and in Summer for approx. 4 hours.
Shows it in a different light now doesn't it ?
(And of course shows up the high subjectivity of the plank who does these posts).

Council tax up by 4.95%.
Because the LABOUR-LED WAG gave this Borough the relatively smallest amount to spend.
Easy to see why - this administration has to cut your cloth according to what WAG pays. I think we can all guess what the LABOUR PARTY's election claptrap will contain in 2012.
( Don't worry - you won't understand the one for AM elections in 2011 - it might be written in McCarthyish ).

Coalition councillor found guilty of inappropriate behaviour and intimidation.
He wasn't a 'coalition councillor' when he committed the offence though was he ?
Did THE LABOUR GROUP not know of the issue before a formal complaint was made.
Why did THE LABOUR GROUP suspend him ? - Isn't a man innocent until proven guilty ?
Oh no, of course not - they cast every man adrift a few years ago didn't they ?
First sign of trouble - dissociate yourself from it. Power at all costs.
Anyone want to bring up other examples - problems regarding traffic calming, for example, or sitting as judge and jury whilst a school governor ?

Seem to be doing OK so far.

FAR BETTER THAN THIS BOROUGH WOULD BE UNDER LABOUR.
Consider the 2012 elections had this lot got back in:

Six weekly cycle of meetings, highly effective initiative carried out by Labour in 2008.
Peacehaven planning not even come up for approval.
Foundry Bridge opened late, still not completed.
Wetherspoons?
Rail Feeder buses still required because Aberbeeg-Abertillery rail link still not even on the plans.
Closure of Garnlydan Primary School - oh yes, it will have to happen.
Closure of Nantyglo Comprehensive School - deemed a failing school by Estyn. Insufficient pupils to be sustainable. School fails to respond to special measures.
Pupils moved with one term's notice and have to be bussed as far as Tredegar.
Abertillery year 7 pupils relocated to Nantyglo during building work.
Fortnightly Refuse Collection - yes, all refuse.
Animal Pound closed.
Library hours cut.
Switch off half of borough's street lights.
Council tax up by 4.95%.
Labour Group changes Leader in order to dissociate itself with the sins of the past 4 years. An attempt to con the public that 'we've changed'.
Seem to be doing OK so far .................. ?

Rocke · Re: AGM

Rocke

hedleymccarthy

You're spinning like a top Laughing

Dai 6

Rocke