Controversy in Pontypridd

“Controversy continues regarding the £10.5million regeneration scheme for Pontypridd. A series of Freedom of Information requests by RCT Welsh Liberal Democrats have uncovered that the Council has no idea of how many new businesses have set up in the area over the last twelve months. With the Labour Cabinet recently launching an economic development strategy which is supposedly going to drive forward the economy agenda and bring new businesses and jobs to RCT, it is unbelievable that the council does not hold any information on the formation of new businesses. Just how are they going to measure the success of their strategy?”

You can read the full article by Eluned Parrott, AM here.

 

 

Why RCT constituents shouldn’t vote Labour next May.

One reason. Just the one.

An article posted on Wales Online outlines the increase Leader of RCT Council saw in his salary as Council leader (not including the other two salaries he receives) whilst other council members saw a cut of 40% in their terms and conditions to “protect front line services”. It seems that even those who work for or on the Council are taken for granted, just like the constituents who keep them in power.

It seems that RCT Labour not only take their constituents for granted, but also the staff that constitute the second largest Local Authority in Wales.

It’s apparent that Leader of RCT Council was being paid £1,800 from public money including £58,962 as council leader, including £1,177 in travel, £23,544 as chairman of South Wales Police Authority and £13,344 from Cwm Taf Health Authority. This included a rise from £57,221 a year in 2009-10 to £58,962 in 2010-11 for being council leader.

Anthony Christopher’s response to Coun Pauline Jarman’s (Plaid Cymru opposition leader on RCT council) comments regarding Rusell Roberts’ pay show how RCT Labour’s moral authority is broken and in ruins. Whilst I, to some extent, agree that having one individual representing different positions, allowing needs and requirements to be properly represented, receiving a pay increase whilst preaching the “protecting front line services” rhetoric questions the Council and Council Leader’s integrity.

It’s time RCT Labour realised that they can no longer take people for granted, and if RCT don’t take the opportunity to elect an honest and united Council next May, it will be a wasted opportunity.

We live in hope.

New town centre for Talbot Green?

New town centre for Talbot Green?

I was interested to read in the Pontypridd Observer of plans for a £200m new town centre for Talbot Green. The project claims to bring up to 1,900 jobs to the area although that seems a bit ambitious and will include, a cinema, cafes, restaurants, bars, a hotel, office space, and housing

Surely Talbot Green town centre has already been side-lined with the development of two out-of-town retail parks in recent years, drawing investment away from the town centre itself. Looking at the levels of traffic in the area, there’s no doubt that the two retail parks have been successful. However, another development of this size (33,000 square metres), can only make matters worse. With the development planned for outside Talbot Green town centre, the development will only cause local business within the town centre itself to suffer and further increases in traffic levels – which the area surely can’t cope with.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats opposed the controversial plans to build on the Mwyndy site for this reason, and nothing has changed. The recently opened Church Village bypass has relieved traffic in the villages along the route but not at either end.

What about the regeneration of Pontypridd Town Centre? £10 million has been spent on footing the regeneration of Pontypridd whilst the Talbot Green development is set to receive £200m. The regeneration of Pontypridd Town Centre is well overdue to say the least and all efforts should be made to ensure that the regeneration of what is supposedly the county town goes ahead as planned with all efforts centred on the regeneration. Efforts in Pontypridd pale in comparison to the proposed efforts in Talbot Green.

Rhys Taylor

The future of YG Llanhari.

A recent blog post by RCT Liberal Democrats on Welsh Medium Education in RCT, and YG Llanhari’s (doubtful) future. As I mentioned in my blog post yesterday (here) As RCT’s blog said, we/us/I welcome the increase of Welsh Medium provision, even if it is in the 3-19 schools structure RCT are so fond of.

You can read the full blog post and link to the original article here.

RCT Labour and education. Best kept separated.

Several months ago, RCT Labour unveiled plans to overhaul secondary education in RCT, resulting in the closure of secondary schools and all sixth forms, each moving to a single site – the tertiary college system Merthyr Council decided to go ahead with.

RCT are now proposing the closure of three secondary schools in the Cynon Valley (Aberdare Girls, Aberdare High and Blaengwawr Comprehensive), which would move to a ‘state-of-the-art’ school in Ynys, for 1,600 pupils which would open in 2014. If we look back to the last time RCT granted a ‘state-of-the-art’, purpose built secondary school (Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen’s replacement building – course, we all know how that one went), it wasn’t the practical, purpose built school everyone had been hoping for – that includes the replacement building for Garth Olwg Primary School.

£23m has already announced for new primary schools across RCT; Cwmbach (£6.7m); Ynysboeth (£5m); and Abercynon (£11.4m). Our Labour-controlled council estimates it will be spending £74m in the Cynon Valley – money of which is hopes to be given back by the Welsh Government, which, as Labour Council should know and like to highlight, is facing cuts. Blaengwawr governors chairman Brian Fitzgerald said: “I don’t know how voters will feel about borrowing £50m in the hope that the Welsh Government will pay some of it back – by then the bill will be £70m.”

The article mentions something about ‘Prudential Borrowing’ and surplus spaces to pay off the ‘mortgage’, and personally, it just screams ‘playing games with education’ as they did with Rhydfelen. Things never change, particularly when people vote for the same thing.