Minister unveils proposals for future of local government

Proposals for the possible future shape of local government in Wales have been unveiled today (Tuesday).

Among the changes suggested in a white paper put forward by Local Government Minister Leighton Andrews are:

* Council elections every five years, not four as at present

* Maximum five terms - 25 years - for councillors

* Maximum two terms - 10 years - for council leaders and cabinet members

* Pay councillors in line with those on similar sized councils elsewhere in the UK

* Public sector employers to give staff unpaid leave to carry out duties as councillors, and other employers encouraged to do the same

* Council leaders and chief executives given a duty to promote and respect diversity

* Youth councils to be set up by each authority

Mr Andrews told BBC Wales: "It's seen as a bit of an old boys club and we want to cut out the cosy cabals."

Welsh Liberal Democrat Local Government spokesperson Peter Black said: “Limiting the terms of councillors would result in some popular councillors being forced to step down against the wishes of the people they represent. We are a democracy, it should be up to the electorate to decide whether their councillor continues to represent them.” 

* For a detailed summary of the white paper, see: http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dsjlg/consultation/150203-power-to-local-people-summary-en.pdf

Police complaints simplified by commissioner

A crime tsar has revealed he's simplifying the way members of the public can make a complaint against the police.

 

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick was speaking following the publication of a report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

 

The report showed the total number of complaints against North Wales Police rose by eight per cent  to 330 in 2013/14, compared to an increase of 15 per cent for England and Wales.

 

 

The rise follows an increase of three per cent in the force’s recorded complaints in 2012/13.

Some of the increase in 2013/14 is down to the definition of a complaint being broadened beyond an officer’s conduct to include ‘direction and control’ matters to do with operational policing.

Mr Roddick (pictured left) said: "I accept that all complaints must be treated seriously as it is very important that the officers and staff of North Wales Police uphold the highest possible standards at all times.

 

"The increase in the number of complaints lodged against North Wales Police was due, at least in part, to a change in the definition of a complaint and that the increase here was considerably lower than the average for England and Wales.

 

"One factor in the rise in complaints is that there is now greater awareness of Police and Crime Commissioners than there was of the old police authorities. This has led to an increase in the public’s confidence to make complaints and given them the reassurance that the PCCs will oversee the process effectively. 

“I must say that based on my experience of working closely with North Wales Police for the last two years I believe that the great majority of police officers and police staff carry out their duties with great integrity and to the highest of standards. 

 

"Where the actions and behaviour of officers and staff fall below those standards, I am satisfied that the checks and measures in place in North Wales Police ensure that those issues are dealt with effectively.

 

“I am in the course of reconsidering the complaints procedures and will be sending my suggestions to the Home Office next week.

 

"My aim is to simplifying the process for members of the public and to introduce an independent element into the handling of them. I do not want people to feel the process is too cumbersome.

 

"If people have a complaint we would much rather that they let us know. How else can we improve the service?"

 

A483/A55 traffic warning

Drivers from this area heading towards Chester along the A483 may be interested in the following tweet from Wrexham Council this afternoon ...

Wrexham County Borough Council

35 mins ·

A483 Latest
Drivers living around the A483 near Chester and Wrexham are being advised that emergency utility work is taking place tomorrow (Tuesday 3 February).

The Highways Agency has been advised that one lane of the northbound - I.e. Chester-bound - A483 on its approach to the roundabout with the A55 will close from 8.30am until 4.30pm for Scottish Power to carry out works.

County to change pest control service

Denbighshire County Council is informing residents of changes to its Pest Control service as of 1^st April 2015.

The Council has been looking at ways of finding £17 million in cuts from services across the board and  introducing a different way of delivering the Pest Control service has been agreed.

Currently, the Council manages pest control through carrying out inspections and visits to treat properties (private and commercial) that have pest problems such as rats, mice, seagulls as requested. Some of the pest control service is chargeable. 

From April 1^st onwards, the Council will be acting as an advice and signposting service for consumers with calls by the public being dealt with directly by the Council’s Customer Service Centre.

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Public Protection, said: “Pest Contol  is a non-statutory function that sits within the Council’s Public Protection service and every single service has been asked to consider all of its functions, and look at ways of delivering things differently.

“We have a statutory duty and responsibility to maintain public health for residents and that is why we are not phasing out the service entirely.

“We will be regularly reviewing any developing trends and will respond appropriately if there’s a risk to public health.”  Although the service officially changes as of 1^st April 2015, the Council will not be dealing with any new cases as of 1^st March, to ensure that all those remaining are dealt with."

Campaigner replies to two recent stories

Local campaigner Martin Crumpton replies to two recent stories on llanblogger:

 

Two new llanblogger articles deserve a considered and supportive response, being AM presses for action over A5 "danger" spot and Cottage Hospital closure raised on national TV, both welcome indeed.

 

It’s certainly overdue for the unsafe crossing to Stans to be addressed, but this is a classic example of treating the symptoms without addressing the disease.

Keep Llangollen Special has tried several times over the last few years to push Denbighshire to upgrade the inefficient, barely more than clockwork traffic lights, which are no more sophisticated than a central heating timer, but to no avail.

 

They come on at set times, they go off after a fixed period, regardless of whether there are no cars waiting or if the queue is backed up to Glyndyfrdwy.

 

Currently the safest way to get to Stans is to wait until the A5 is being dug up and temporary lights are in force, a near semi-permanent feature of the A5 it seems.

 

When Stans was welcomed to town, we pushed again to have the lights upgraded especially with load-sensing features to combat the annual summer gridlock, but for the first time to also include consideration for pedestrians crossing the A5 to do their shopping, safe crossing along the top of Castle Street and also across from the Old Armoury to Watkin & Williams.

 

For decades, both motorists and pedestrians have had to play the dangerous game of chicken with each other, especially in Llangollen with its confluence of three streams of traffic where at least one is always obscured from view.

 

In further support for this welcome initiative, KLS will write to Graham Boase, head of Denbighshire Planning and Public Protection, urging his department to update the 20th Century (literally) out-of-date Defined Town Centre Boundary, the one which made both Stans and the Co-op invisible during the controversial planning application by J Ross for Sainsbury’s, which basically concluded that the town had no more than a few tiny shops selling food therefore we needed something which would satisfy a small city, let alone a small town, to rescue us from starvation.

 

Moving on, we were delighted by Cllr Davies’s O-turn on BBC Question Time (an O-turn is two U-turns back-to-back).

From a starting point of opposing the closure of the Cottage Hospital to promoting the new, unreachable Health Centre and even being the architect of a multi-million pound bridge across the Dee, a tacit acknowledgement in itself by both himself and Mr Skates that the River Lodge site is inaccessible to almost all pedestrians.

 

Given that the councillor is a member of the Planning Committee, I will attend and watch avidly as the application to have the hospital demolished and redeveloped is considered – my seat was booked over six months ago and I’ve applied to speak in opposition to it.

 

We rise to cheer the doughty councillor because the fact is the bed shortage was created by the infamous Mary Burrows regime at Betsi Cadwaladr and her ‘Health In North Wales Is Mutating’ credo that began an unending bed crisis since the beginning of November 2013.

 

Even today, during a routine call from the cardio team to check on me,, the lady voluntarily stated that the A&E woes were a direct result of local hospital closures.

As a very frequent flyer to the Maelor, everybody from port to consultant endorses this conclusion. It’s only at Board level where Cardiff’s control-freakery keeps them silent (and the Board isn’t quite as unanimously-obedient as the Health Minister might like to think...).

 

So top marks to both for highlighting these well-known issues – credit where it’s due - and perhaps together we can translate their words into actions.

Perhaps councillor would kindly express a view on the town’s doctors moving to the new Health Centre, an entirely politically-motivated attempt to just the existence of the new Health Centre but which will also sign the death warrant for the Cottage Hospital and ensure Llangollen remains without desperately-needed beds for generations to come.

 

It is such a strange dichotomy that truth is only valid when spoken by an elected representative and that when an elected representative speaks it, it must be the truth.

The rest of us are relegated to being disenfranchised soothsayers. If democracy could be said to have a shape then it would most closely resemble a pear.

Twenty Club's latest production

The Twenty Club is presenting Patrick Hamilton’s thriller Gaslight at Llangollen Town Hall on  the 5th., 6th. and 7th. March. 

This is a popular stage play, very melodramatic and with a sense of suspense maintained all the way through. 

It tells the story of a Victorian husband who, for his own reasons, wishes his wife to think that she is mad.  He almost succeeds but his plans are disrupted by s former detective, Rough, who appears as from nowhere to act as the lady’s saviour.

The action is set in the room of a four-storey house in London during the passing of one evening.

The dark gloomy setting is made even more frightening by the constant raising and lowering of the gaslights in the room, indicating that there is someone else in the house, roaming the locked apartments upstairs on the top floor.

The Twenty Club is delighted to welcome David Edgar as director for the production, his first in Llangollen;  David is assisted by Mike Law. 

The main roles are taken by Paula Sutton as the wife, Arwel Jarvis as the plotting, devious husband and Mat Oswald-Haggett as the mysterious but sympathetic Rough.

The various support teams are beginning their preparations, Bob Attenburrow has designed the set and rehearsals are well under way. 

This should prove to be an exciting and absorbing evening, with a number of plot twists and revelations, including a very dramatic final scene, so be sure to make a note in your diaries and let all your friends know.

Tickets will be on sale shortly from the usual outlets, with Mair Bowen in charge of the organisation of sales.

Two questions that you might like to consider before you come to see the play -  who was ‘The Cabman’s Friend’ and, `What happened to the Barlow Rubies – all twelve thousand pounds worth of them?’

You’ll find the answers revealed in the flickering glow of Gaslight.

Isherwood hits out at Health Minister over NHS

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has hit out at the Health Minister for failing to address the array of problems currently facing NHS Wales services in North Wales communities.

 

Speaking in the Assembly Chamber this week, Mr Isherwood asked the Minister, Mark Drakeford AM, what the Welsh Government is doing to improve  primary care provision in North Wales and to respond to concerns raised by constituents.

However, Mr Isherwood claims the Minister failed to answer his questions and instead laid the blame for the problems on the Health Board.

 

Mr Isherwood said: “The North Wales Community Health Council has made it clear that you’re responsible for setting the policy and financial frameworks within which the Health Board and they have to operate.

 

“Last week, I told the Deputy Minister that Holywell Community Hospital staff had told me that they w an ted to take pressure off Glan Clwyd but were not being given the staff to do it, and that extra investment in community hospitals like Mold and Holywell and NHS community beds in Flint would take pressure off the general hospitals and enable the health board to use its resources more efficiently.

 

“How, therefore, do you respond to the replies I've received from constituents in Flint to your reply, and the Health Board reply, with evidence supporting their 99.3% referendum in favour of a return of NHS community beds to Flint, that, since the hospital closed, step-down care from Glan Clwyd to Holywell for Flint patients has not worked, waiting times in excess of three months have been experienced by many, there are simply not sufficient beds in the system and, currently, waiting times for a GP visit are three to four weeks?”

 

The Minister replied: “The Member was right when he started by saying that the responsibilities of Ministers are to set policies and provide finance. He might have gone on to note that we are not responsible for operational matters, and his questions would be better directed to those who are responsible—that is to say, the chief executive of the local health board.”

  

Mr Isherwood added: “What is the purpose of having a Health Minister if he refuses to address problems in our health service?

 

“Never was there a clearer case of a Minister and a Government washing their hands of responsibility, locking our health boards in handcuffs and leaving them to take the hit for the consequences of Welsh Government policy.”