Tuesday 3 January 2012

++ Ynys Môn local boundary changes: consultation ends today ++

Proposed boundaries (in yellow) overlaid on a map of Ynys Môn.
New ward names in purple, numbers in brackets indicate number of
councillors to be returned by each ward.
(click to enlarge)

Whatever you may think of the proposed boundary changes for local elections on Ynys Môn, today is your last opportunity to let the Local Boundary Commission for Wales know. All you need to do is email them on: lgbc.wales@wales.gsi.gov.uk

You may want to ask them why Ynys Môn has only been given just six weeks for this consultation (over the Christmas period too) whereas the rest of Wales will have up to four years to consult on their own local boundary changes?

Or why their proposals will make Ynys Môn the only county in Wales to elect all of its councillors via multi-member wards?

Or why they have proposed such unnatural new divisions such as "South Eastern Anglesey" which combines Llangristiolus and Rhostrehwfa in the North with Gaerwen and Brynsiencyn in the South and then is neatly divided in half by the natural barrier of the Malltraeth marshes?

Or why the oddly shaped "Central Anglesey" seems to be composed of the leftover parts of all the other wards?

Or whether they think a council is viable with just 30 members.

Anyway, whatever questions or comments you have, today's your last chance to have your say. The full proposals are here and an overlay of the proposed new boundaries onto a map of Ynys Môn is above — so make your comments directly to: lgbc.wales@wales.gsi.gov.uk

P.S. Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i chi gyd!

33 comments:

kp said...

The council is viable with just 5 members, the current commissioners.

We simply don't need, nor do we want, any more of these 'serve the public and help yourself' types (euphemistically known on this island as councillors).

We are well and truly sick of them. And we need to be well and truly rid of them!

Anonymous said...

Commie.

In the Council said...

KP.
We are well and truly sick of you and your truly baseless ignorant trash.

Andrew said...

Kp - The Druid actually likes you otherwise he would have posted my jokes that prove us Welsh have a wicked sense of humour.

Why don't you go back to the Fatherland since half the English have German blood coursing through their veins. The English only discovered humour when they met the Celts and would never in a million years have conquered Briton if it were not for the Romans wiping us out a thousand years before. Fact.

Amused said...

Whatever we may think, KP has his/her uses.....almost an agent-provocateur,stirring up our inner-most thinking...not a bad thing !Let him/her wind you up to his/her hearts content.

Maes Llwyn said...

I fully support the proposed boundary changes, if they result in eliminating the Bad-7, and welcome baggage-free new Members to the Council, especially here in the nororious north............

Anonymous said...

Maes Llwyn....word is that existing and new Labour Members will dominate the North ??

Maes Llwyn said...

19.46 Yes, a campaign of credible honest candidates is starting....watch this space.

mairede thomas said...

Maes Llwyn are you going to the planning meeting tomorrow where 2 39 meter wind turbines are on the agenda? The Planning Officer has recommended that they be given consent, what do people up your way think?

Anonymous said...

The Council of Collective Failings, doesn't deserve public sympathy it needs systematic removal by voting out the corrupt and evil, unfortunately, miracles do not happen, even under Commissioner Intervention.

Anonymous said...

As we all know that Carl Sergeant is gerrymandering to manipulate the voters, Labour will have a very hard time keeping any seats on Anglesey.

OPPOSED TO THE MADNESS said...

Sorry off thread.

Planning Committee Tomorrow 1pm

OFFICERS ARE RECOMMENDING APPROVAL FOR TWO 39.6 METRE HIGH WIND TURBINES IN AN AGRICULTURAL FIELD 45 METRES AWAY FROM THE PUBLIC ROAD LEADING FROM lLANDYFRYDOG TO MAENADDWYN.

No consideration for other people or their property.
No consideration for wild life
No consideration period.

THIS MUST BE STOPPED, ANY ONE AVAILABLE YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED.

Tomorrow 1pm Council Chambers.

Maes Llwyn said...

WIND TURBINES.......they will be approved......there is policy support for them, locally and nationally.......Councillors or their cronies are themselves applicants......vested interests prevail etc etc.......with regret.

Anonymous said...

Maes Llwyn.

Don't bank on it.

ATTM said...

Today's Wind Turbine application defered for site visit.

Concerns been shown with any application over 15 meters to hub.

Common sense will prevail.

Anonymous said...

ATTM, interesting !
Lets start a discussion ?
There is formal local and national planning policy that supports the principle of onshore wind turbines in the interests of alternative energy and carbon reduction.....in the general public interest( note this !)
Planning Officers are obliged to uphold the policy and recommend approval if applications comply with the policy.....its the law.
So, why does a Committee, of lay Members, without formal training, make policy on the hoof, so to speak ?
For good order, either we have a policy, or we have not ?
Incidentally, I positively loathe turbines.

Anonymous said...

It's the way we do things on this Island, meetings behind closed doors and the approval of permissions on a " your turn next time" policy.
This is why we have no faith in the Planning Policies of this Catalogue of Failures calling itself a Council.

OTTM said...

O'ye of little faith.
Do you not realize that YNYS MON is on the verge of a tourism employment melt down if we allow such a raping of our natural beauty, and for who's benefit? not your's or mine. Just the fat cats who don't give a dam.

mairede thomas said...

Actually the policy is not so clear cut as Anon @ 19.25 paints it.
1. Planning Policy Wales (PPW) has a policy for wind farms in TAN8. The 8 areas of Wales that have been identified as suitable for wind farms have been subject to empirical evidence gathering and scrutiny before they were identified.
2. Ynys Mon is not one of these areas and no kind of study or evidence has been gathered to assess the impact of such developments on the island.
3. I understand there are now some 72 applications, in sites scattered throughout the island, waiting in the wings. This number effectively makes Ynys Mon an island wind farm.
4. The Environment Minister has written to planning bodies to explain that TAN8 is evidence based and that part of the rationale for TAN8 was to prevent the proliferation of wind farms in other unsuitable locations.
5. The Welsh Government has a policy of support for micro-generation, and much of the introduction in the On-Shore Wind Energy SPG is reprinted from the document which was sent to all planning authorities to ensure that micro-generation is supported by them. However the size of some turbines is far bigger than is defined as micro or domestic.
6. WAG is now consulting on Chapter 7 of PPW, Supporting the Economy. WAG proposes that this new Chapter will say “The policy requires local authorities to establish a robust, locally appropriate evidence base of the economic characteristics of their areas and to develop locally appropriate development plan policies based upon informed assumptions about possible changes, whilst having regard to national economic policies” This is exactly what now needs to happen on Ynys Mon. It will not be good enough to put up industrial size wind turbines only to find that jobs in tourism, recreation, leisure and sport are lost in the area as a result.
7. On-shore wind turbines are not the only or even best form of renewable energy. And not the only way of meeting CO2 reduction targets.
8. As far as I am aware neither WAG nor UK Government nor indeed EU Directives give any particular planning policy primacy over other planning policies. The need to balance the social, economic and environmental issues remains enshrined in planning law and practice.
There is a lot more that needs to be considered in policy terms, but I hope the above shows readers that ‘approval’ of large on-shore turbines should in no circumstances be thought of as unquestioned and unquestionable planning policy.

mairede thomas said...

I urge all people who live near Pentraeth or who care about the onshore wind energy consultation to attend the public meeting tonight at 7pm in Pentraeth Village Hall (on Beaumaris Road next to football field).

An Eye On... said...

KP isn't a commie - far from it. She is very right wing - probably slightly further than Thatcher.

As for the council, unfortunately most people have had enough of the antics of certain individuals and the disgrace they have broght to the Office of Councillor.

If this is the fastest way to be rid of them then so be it. If this is not the best way that can be sorted another day but the primary objective is to get them out and as quickly as is humanly possible. It's just a shame that even to do it this fast necessitates a delay for a year.

And for those councillors who aren't the hard-core problem, very few of you are innocent - if you knew or suspected what was going on and did not say something publicly then you are very very much part of the problem as well.

This proposed system - although far from perfect, makes it very difficult to retain your seat unless you work hard - and in the interests of your voters, for the entire tenure. It also makes it far easier for you to lose your seats and that is a good thing.

Anonymous said...

With all the time and money spent on improving this Council of Failings we still have no respect for any of them, and no matter how much faith Carl Sargeant puts into the hands and minds of the Commissioners, they still cannot grasp how little faith and respect the people have for any of the Administrative powers that have been elected to represent us.

The majority of the people have had their lives ruined, by a small minority who through trickery, deceit and wrongdoing have managed to gain a powerful influence. This influence coupled with an insatiable appetite for money and more power, created this evil monster.

The Commissioners were brought in to liberate us from this dark mess, we were being liberated from the concentration camps, but that does not mean that we have to respect those that put us there, just because the Commissioners say that we should forgive and forget.

The commissioners are our Saviours, and we should not allow them to be blinded or allow them to forget the horrific past that the people of Anglesey have endured. Mock Planning Enforcement Notices created to ruin and destroy come to mind, akin to notice of deportation to concentration camps, these are the issues the Commissioners should concentrate on, never mind the bleating of Councillors penned in, because they can't be re-elected.

Anonymous said...

I find it really strange that our Plain Cymru AM or our Labour MP has NOT got the moral fibre or the determination even the courage to request that the Commissioners investigate and speak to victims of the abuse of Authority by this Council, instead, the both of them are sitting around, ignoring the plight of the people and the victims.

Their silence and lack of action defines their lack of backbone, obviously, these Politicians that we have representing us would be UNFIT for military service, but are fit enough to get paid for doing NOTHING.
Their priority, our Plaid Cymru AM and our Labour MP is to ensure that their " valuable" time and "effort" is spent scuppering the Boundary changes. If they had listened to the people we wouldn't be the laughing stock of Wales.

228FPA said...

So come election times who gets voted in again - Cardiff and Westminster?

We have far too many invertibrates on this Island and far too many of them in positions of power/influence.

An Eye On... said...

Story rife around Holyhead (from very reliable sources) is that the upper deck of the new Tesco's car park is going to have to be demolished because the support girders underneath are to low and prevent fire appliances reaching the front of the store at ground level.

If that turns out to be true it will be so so funny.

Anonymous said...

Andrew - "Why don't you go back to the Fatherland since half the English have German blood coursing through their veins. The English only discovered humour when they met the Celts and would never in a million years have conquered Briton if it were not for the Romans wiping us out a thousand years before. Fact."

Another fact is the Celts originated in central Europe in the Late Iron Age, Hallstatt culture 8th century BC, in what we now called Germany.

The Celts were incomers the same as Romans, Saxons, Vikings and Normans (most of who were also Celtic in origin). If you want to be an authentic aboriginal, you have to show your pre-Celtic roots.

An Eye On... said...

Anon - Thgis is a good study of the ethnic origins of various european groupings:-

http://www.eupedia.com/europe/origins_haplogroups_europe.shtml

kp said...

It seems to me the Druid is well out of touch with the feelings of the 'real' people of Anglesey regarding this council.

Maybe he has already become 'one of them'.

Paul Williams said...

KP - To be honest whenever I find that my views are contrary to yours, it reassures me that I'm on the right track.

P.S. Happy New Year.

kp said...

Oh, Druid Sir, I did not intend to cause offence, merely to offer you and your esteemed readers my humble opinion.

As for being on the right track, I leave that entirely to your own conscience.

Happy New Year to you and yours and everyone else. Let's all try and make it a good one, for Anglesey's sake!

Anonymous said...

Creating the wards in ths way seems to be a precursor to
(1) Combining Mon with Gwynedd
(2) Introducing STV

Both would be improvements IMHO.

Penddu

An Eye On... said...

anon - I think it's almost a 'given' that council boundaries are going to be redrawn and Anglesey will disappear into Gwynedd. I think that within 10 years(which is quite quick in these terms) Assembly and Parliamentary ward boundaries will mirror council ones - for example Anglesey and Gwynedd combine as a cou8ncil and at Assembly and Parliament level areit is two seats - Gwynedd East & Gwynedd West.

Anonymous said...

Whenever I see KP mentioned....I think of a pack of NUTS ?...strange that.