Good news for Anglesey's beleaguered small towncentre shops and businesses -- following Cllr Bryan Owen's swift action in 'calling-in' the controversial parking changes on Anglesey, the Scrutiny Committee has this morning resolved to send the Pay-and-Display decision to debate and vote at the next meeting of the Full Council.
The ruling Plaid Cymru/Labour coalition tried to impose these new parking fees without consultation and 'under the radar' -- however if they now want to drive it through they will have to vote for it openly in the Council Chamber on December 9th. You can be sure that this blog will record exactly how each councillor decides to vote.
34 comments:
Druid.
What we saw today was a lesson in how true Democracy works with a number of those such as Councillors, Clive McGregor, Hefin Thomas and Tom Jones, who thought they could get this lunacy through underhandedly, getting a good kick up the backside
In fact I would go as far as to say that what was witnessed was a revolution taking place were the Elected Members of our Island clawed back Democracy, once and for all.
Cllrs Bryan Owen, Peter Rogers, Goronwy Parry, Barrie Durkin, Rhian Medias as with other, all spoke with passion & disgust at the failure to consult.
The vote was 7 to send it to full council, 2 against, & the one who made the most noise in favour of Pay & Display, Plaid Cumru Cllr John Penri Williams capitulated & then abdicated from voting! In all an excellent day for Democracy.
About time some of these brazen bozo councillors resigned.
Well done to Cllr Rhian Medi for standing up to the party line and opposing this madness.
Anon 15.36
Great spiel about democracy etc etc. Can't fault it.
Why the deliberate misspelling of Cymru though? Couldn't resist a dig?
An attitude that shows why Anglesey has problems possibly.
Only goes to show that Clive McGregor and his Alliance are in tatters. This is what you get when you try and run an undemocratic rabble with unlawful "Terms Of Engagement". Melt down
If the Full Council throws this one out McGregor, his Executive and the Alliance are finished.
Sorry about the Misspell of Cymru, was'nt deliberate at all.
"Well done to Cllr Rhian Medi for standing up to the party line and opposing this madness."
Well done indeed. Well done to the Druid and his followers, too, because through this blog, which cannot be silenced by a stern look from a councillor or officer, we are showing that this tattered council is under very close scrutiny. As I've said previously, ignore the electorate at your peril!
One can only imagine the turmoil that will follow once dramatic decisions on services have to be taken; I gather there is a possible legal challenge on the horizon already.
TGC.
There is more than one.
Sent to the Full Council.
For the Scrutiny Committee to find it necessary to send a decision of this magnitude to full council is a very serious affair.
Apart from the extensive costs to the council tax payers, it shows that the Leader of the Councillor and his executive can't be trusted, and if they fail on this again, they should pack up and move over. Don't forget they did the same over the leisure centre closure's.
If the Full Council throws this one out McGregor, his Executive and the Alliance are finished.
Doubt it. Not over a slack handful of carparks and 30K.
Take more than that. An awful lot more.
16.02
Thank You. Sorry for being so abrupt. I could have asked first coudn't I. I apologise.
Possible solution for raising £30K?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-11565253
"... council workers face staff car park charges"
any news on what the chairman of the FSB(selwyn williams) had to say? Was the FSB report into parking mentioned?
"... council workers face staff car park charges"
About to be imposed at about £200 a year, I understand.
Voice on the street.
Yes FSB report into street parking was read out, by Cllr Durkin.
Selwyn Williams spoke out quite strongly against the Pay & Display decision and voted to send the Decision to full Council.
TGC
It came out today that's its to be £100.per annum.
17.59
I would have hoped for a sliding scale.
To each according to need, from each according to ability (to pay).
PS. I'm assuming that this charge won't be a 'claimable' expense.
a bit rich the druid asking for an open vote,having hidden behind the mask himself.the main targets seem to be plaid and labour so could it be that he is lining himself up to be the next conservative A M for anglesey?if so why not come clean and be honest about it.if not dispel the strong feeling on the street that all this is aimed for personal gain and unfair advantage.
can I obtain the minutes of this meeting? If so, how?
18:30, if plaid & labour are behind the parking charges why can't the druid say so? or are you saying plaid & labour have nothing to do with it?
What a shame that this on-going debate continues to concentrate on the actions of elected members.
The nub of this issue rests with the Council lacking a Regeneration Policy - with clearly defined priorities.
In this specific case, the policy context would have enabled members to consider more effectively the benefits of additional income to maintain the Island's roads against the negative impacts on town centres.
Informed decision making.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11757173
17:35.
16:02 SAYS, No problem. Thanks for the apology.
Not Plaid. Not Labour.
The decision to implement Pay & Display, was taken by the Portfolio Holders Cllr Hefin Thomas & Cllr Tom Jones and approved by the Executive made up of members from the alliance.
It was interesting to see that four members of the alliance that were either members of the Scrutiny Committee, or there to speak against Pay & Display, were from the alliance.
It will also be interesting how many from the alliance altogether are against it. No doubt we will see on December 9th.
"dispel the strong feeling on the street that all this is aimed for personal gain and unfair advantage."
Well, if there's any truth in that, there's also truth in the fact that Druid has, for whatever reason, brought a voice to the electorate of Anglesey. Before this, to highlight Council deficiencies, we had:
(1) the Council's complaints policy, where the person complained about regularly issue their own rebuttal; is an unfinished policy after 16+ years; gets you marked on their 'nutter' list.
(2) The newspapers; unable to conduct meaningful investigative journalism and feeding largely on Press Office handouts.
(3) Amlwch.net; lively debate, shut down twice under pressure from Amlwch town councillors and others.
So, if the Druid has achieved all this, I personally wouldn't have a problem at all with him/her taking up wider politics - IF what you say is true. Has Ieuan Wyn Jones done anything for you lately? Hmm?
I stand to be corrected but I believe that the area on Glanhwfa Road near to the police station which were the old council offices has been demolished and a nice shiny new car park created for the council staff including a nice bridge across the river so the poor mites have good access to their offices in the gin palace. Now I wonder how much this cost we the taxpayers and whether there are plans afoot to recoup some of the cost by following those councils in the south and charge the staff (and counillors for that matter) to park. I think a small charge of say, £2 a day would be ahppropriate in keeping with what we the public have to cough up in local authority car parks arond the island. The obnoxious Hefin Thomas at highways might earn his crust by introducing such charges.
The biggest car parks in Llangefni are at the council offices and are free of charge. Why is it that everyone except council workers and councillors must pay for P & D Parking ? The other question is 'where did the council get the money from to create the car parks'? could it be from the very people they now intend charging to park there?
What a lot of grabbers.
The Car Parks at the Council Offices are to become Pay & Display soon. The Councillors and Staff will then be Charged a none-returnable fee of £200.00 per year.
In fact, unbeknown to almost everyone. Anyone can get a annual parking ticket from the Council to park on any Council car park, at any time, anywhere on the Island, for a one off payment of £100.00.
Don't all rush at once!
The Councillors and Staff will then be Charged a none-returnable fee of £200.00 per year.
What's the betting that for the senior Officers at least that it's either waived, added in to their salary, or claimable on their expenses.
By the time all the dodges have been pulled I bet it's only the lowly that pay it.
Several months ago I warned that the council were (possibly) going to engage Pavement Wardens and charge a levy for pedestrians using the pavements....of course this was a joke...perhaps as much of a rediculous joke like charging everyone on Anglesey to park...similarly, perhaps the council will try to have all roads under their control made Toll Roads, that might gring in some extra cash.
All the Big Store owners must be laughing theior socks off, perhaps soon we will see big posters COME AND SHOP WITH US - FREE PARKING!! I suppose the council will not care at all...they still get their rates even if a business premises has shut.
I believe that over several years this council has charged residents when they launch their boats, then no wonder they were intent on closing the swimming pools...they could then charge for people swimming in the sea and there would be no maintenance charges!!
Walos
I doubt the big store owners will be laughing that much. In the near future (2012 is it?) businesses are going to have to start paying a tax on every car parking space above a nominal 10 spaces. I think this is initially aimed at employee spaces and then a few years later rolled out across customer spaces as well. As I recall on this bleary-eyed saturday morning it's currently 'on hold' pending a review and may be altered by the new government but not scrapped. I'd check further but to be frankI'm in favour of it and I also have a dogs head at the moment after taking substantial refreshment last night. (The wife wants to raid M& S in Bangor and I'm using my current condition as justification not to drive)
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