Our Vulnerable People Pay The Price For Labour's Economic Mismanagement

Labour want to cut Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance for over 65s wrecking their chances of living independently.

An estimated 2.4 million elderly people need support to cope with a physical or mental disability*. These people rely on disability benefits – a third of them through the Disability Living Allowance for over 65s, and two thirds of them through the Attendance Allowance.

By being able to live at home, aour elderly, some with chronic medical conditions,( I nurse many each year at Ysbyty Gwynedd) are able to maintain some degree of independence, and with the right support are able to lead independent, fulfilling lives for many years.

Those over 65 who claim Disability Living Allowance currently get an average of £75 every week, and those who receive Attendance Allowance get an average of £60. This compares to an average pensioner’s income of around £250 a week. This means that some of Gwynedd's most vulnerable pensioners could lose around a quarter of their income – amounting to a loss of around £8 billion a year throughout the UK.


Surely isn't it better for the individual and the country if older people are empowered to live at home wherever possible. It can cost Cyngor Gwynedd up to £500 a week to pay for a residential home place for an individual, and it's likely to keep rising in coming years. Assuming that a place in a home is readily available and don't have to wait weeks in a hospital bed while funding, red tape etc is sorted out. (A hospital bed is estimated to cost us taxpayers around £2000 a day, it's different budgets, but ultimately it's the taxpayers that pay.)

Having worked in a nursing home myself many years ago, I have seen for myself how stressful it can be for an elderly person to have to leave their home and move to an unfamiliar environment. It's upsetting to say that some coped better than others.
We need to look at ways to avoid this if we can.

The elderly are an easy target for this government. Surely, Ministers at the Department for Work and Pensions can see how devastating this cut will be for some of the most vulnerable in our community? I'm sure there are other more wasteful areas that could be cut, but don't hold your breath on that.

(* source Age Concern)

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Hwyl am Rwan

Dylan

How transparent is our planning process?

While out canvassing the other week, a gentleman said to me that "too many planning applications these days are decided by planning officers and not the councillors that we vote for." I'm no expert on planning matters but I would be concerned if this was the case in Gwynedd as our councillors who form planning committees are, for better or worse answerable to the good people of Gwynedd every four years at election time. Planning officers are employed by the council and as they don't have to face election, are not answerable to us the electors.

I therefore decided to investigate this claim and it would appear that the majority of planning cases are indeed delegated to planning officers. 77.5% of planning cases in Gwynedd in 2005/06 (out of 1611 cases), 83% in 2006/07 (out of 1586 cases), 82.7% in 2007/08 (out of 1554 cases), and 82.1% in 2008/09 (out of 1213 planning applications)*. (*Source Cefnogol Datblygu, Cyngor Gwynedd.)

This certainly does raise questions about the accountability to the public about the whole planning process in Gwynedd. It looks to me like too many applications are decided by officers. How much involvement do our councillors actually have? Who decides the important applications? Are councillors dodging responsibility by referring cases to committee? What does this say about democracy in Gwynedd? These are questions you can ask your local councillor next time they come knocking.

Hwyl am Rwan

Dylan


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Rememberance Day Thoughts

I was honoured yesterday to have laid the Conservative Party's Rememberance wreath at the Cenotaph at Caernarfon. Despite there being less veterans each year, turn out for the parade and service seems to be increasing each year. I especially noticed more young people turned up at this year's event to pay their respects to our forces past and present.

May we never forget

Caernarfon Wanderers FoneAid Appeal

Over the next month, we at Caernarfon Wanderers will be collecting old mobile phones of any age and condition to donate to FoneAid who are leaders in the collection, recycling and reuse of mobile phones and their components.

FoneAid was launched in 2007 as a mobile phone recycling campaign for all groups and organisations such as sports clubs, charities and hospitals. Organisations will receive £3 per mobile and an additional £100 in vouchers for each 100 phones collected. All money raised will go towards supporting our senior and under 18 sides.

FoneAid guarantee that each handset will either be reused in developing countries or recycled, and all phones collected will be diverted from landfill sites where they can cause serious environmental problems.

So please have a root around your houses and see if you have any old handsets that you can donate. We will be very greatful for any contributions. If you have any old phones, please phone or text me on 07778 512795 or email me at dylanpeaches@hotmail.com or message me on my Facebook page and I will arrange to collect them from you.

Diolch yn fawr / Thank you

Dylan


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Caernarfon Town Centre Environmental Project

As you will be aware, Cyngor Gwynedd have announced that £2.4 Million is to be spent on improving Caernarfon Town Centre. Unlike the previous 'improvements' an in depth public consultation is being launched to gather opinions prior to plands being drawn up.

I have looked at the questions being proposed and here are some of my views on the state of our town centre at present. (These will not necessarily be the views of Caernarfon Online)

POOL STREET:

How Could vehicles / servicing be better managed?

Simple, Scrap the pedestrianisation of Pool street and make it a one way street again. Have a zebra crossing at the top and bottom of the street for pedestrians. Make short stay parking bays on the left hand side of the street. This will make things easier for the casual shopper who may only want to pop into the chemist for a prescription or to the bank etc. A limit of, say 30-40 minutes could be in place and enforced by a traffic warden who would be responsible for the Maes as well. IF WE MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR PEOPLE, THEY WILL BE MORE LIKELY TO COME INTO TOWN AND SPEND.
Pedestrianisation leads to confusion and near misses between shoppers and vehicles.
Cars should be on the road and people should be on the pavements. Simple as.

More trees and places to rest?

No not on Pool street, there is enough of this on the Maes.

Which pedestrian links are more important?

Better signage needs to be put at Penllyn informing shoppers of the way to our main shopping area (Pool Street).

Also introduce an evening refuse collection, say around 5-5.30 for businesses. Currently, they have to put their bags out at close of business for collection at 6.30 the following morning. These bags are frequently attacked by seagulls and the contents strewn all over the street. Why spend all this money on improving the town centre and then have it covered in rubbish?

THE OLD TOWN

Can on street parking be removed? Is there a better place for it?

At the moment, no and no.

The old arches that serve as an entrance to the promenade need to be livened up. Perhaps some information boards for visitors telling them a little about the history of the old town. Get rid of the vegetation that is growing on the town walls.

BANGOR STREET / POOLSIDE

One option being considered is reversing the one way system so that you enter town through Bangor street and leave through Penllyn. Bangor Street has always been the historical entrance into Caernarfon and should be again, but I'm not sure about reversing the one way system in Penllyn, how would the Bus station work?

For me, there is only ever one place for the buses and that was on the Maes.

Since the implementation of the one way system. Bangor Street has been dying, therefore it's ironic that a funeral director has just opened oposite the library.

How can we encourage shoppers to visit Bangor Street?

Having some shops there would be a start. Cyngor Gwynedd could consider putting a bus drop off point somewhere along the street, so that shoppers could visit Bangor St shops when they first enter town. This could make Bangor street a more attractive proposition to anybody setting up business in the town.

I could go on about this all day, but I won't. I'm sure many of you will have opinions on this project, feel free to share them with us on COL. The most important thing is that this time, traders are LISTENED TO.

When this project finishes in 2013. Caernarfon town centre will have had £4.8 Million spent on it. Please spend it wisely this time.


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Hwyl am Rwan

Dylan

Ready for Change

So, party conference season is over and politicians from all parties (and independent) can now get back to work, although I'm sure most of them will have one eye on the general election to be held anytime before June.

I won't give you my opinions on the other parties' conferences as they are bound to be a little biased coming from a Conservative. I know you are all intelligent enough to come to your own conclusions.

After 12 years of hard Labour, Wales needs change. Gordon Brown has taken us into this mess, but won't take responsibility for what's gone wrong. The Prime Minister said he had ended boom and bust, but Britain has endured one of the deepest recessions in the developed world. Here in Wales, Rhodri Morgan refuses to be honest about where his Assembly Government will cut a reported £416 Million from its budgets next year and how this will affect our services and economy across Wales.

Here in Arfon, we will shortly be announcing who will be the Conservative candidate for Arfon. I am continually asked why there is no candidate in place. As I write this, only two thirds of candidates in Wales have been chosen so Arfon isn't the only seat without a candidate. So far only Plaid and UKIP have confirmed candidates for Arfon.

When the election comes, the choice in Arfon is clear, Labour is a spent force, They have been in power for 12 years and what do they have to show for it? Wales is currently the poorest part of the UK and Child poverty is the highest of all the UK nations. People shouldn't forget that Gordon Brown and Rhodri Morgan have been in charge of the Welsh economy for the last decade, but won't admit responsibility for what's gone wrong.

Plaid Cymru must take their share of the responsibility too. They promised to 'kick Labour into touch' at the 2007 Assembly election, and ended up proping them up in government. At their core, Plaid want independence for Wales. Independence would be a disaster for Wales, economically, politically and socially. In the event of a hung parliament at Westminster, who would bet against Plaid joining up with Labour in London to form a coalition? They've done it in Cardiff and who knows what desperate measures Labour will resort to remain in power. Be careful that A VOTE FOR PLAID WILL BE A VOTE FOR LABOUR. and can we really afford another five years of Hywel Ddrud?

As for the Lib Dems? Your guess is as good as mine!


So here goes, the 2010 election campaign starts here, watch this space.....


Hwyl am Rwan

Dylan


Follow me on twitter: Username: dylanjonescofi

Prison Blocked at Caernarfon

So, the 'Noes' have it!

HM Prison Caernarfon will not now be a reality due to a U-turn by the Ministry of Justice.

They have now decided that the site is 'not suitable for a prison development' despite holding a long consultation and various surveys before the site was chosen earlier this year.

My views on the proposed prison developments were well known to regular readers of this page. I have been in favour of this all along and I am disappointed that it has fallen through, mainly because of the jobs it could have brought to the town as the prison is built and in the future.

My view is that due to Labour's mismanagement of our economy, all Government departments are looking at cuts of around at least 10% and I'm sure that the Ministry of Justice have had to look for a much cheaper site.

You can't expect me to believe that they didn't know about the asbestos and other pollution at the site that would prove costly to clear.

Apparently, the Ministry of Justice's desicion is down to 'a number of issues'

Make no mistake about it, The whole thing stinks, LABOUR HAVE FAILED CAERNARFON!

The site's owners Bluefield Caernarfon Limited will now press ahead with their back up proposal of a mixed use leisure and residential development, but don't hold your breath on that one after all the hostility shown towards the Victoria Dock project.

Expect to see a derelict factory rusting away for years to come. I wonder what Craig Smith makes of all this.....

Hwyl am Rwan

Dylan