Llangefni Magistrates' Court to close, County Court repreived

The UK Government this afternoon announced the findings of HMCS's Court Estate Rationalisation programme. There is both good and bad news for Anglesey.

The bad news is that, following the recent consultation, Llangefni Magistrates' Court will be closed along with 12 others throughout Wales. The good news is that the Government has confirmed that the County Court in Llangefni has won a reprieve.

The closure of Llangefni Magistrates' Court will be implemented as part of a phased programme starting in April 2011. I am informed that it is hoped that staff will only be reduced by natural wastage, but voluntary redundancy packages will also apparently be considered. Cases that would previously have been heard at Llangefni will now in all likelihood be heard at either Holyhead or Caernarfon Magistrates' Courts.

Many of the courts which will close in Wales are quite old and not able to provide suitable facilities for victims or witnesses. These changes will mean that the money saved from closing under-used or not-fit-for-purpose courts will be able to be reinvested into modernising and improving other courts.

Even though I am very glad that the County Court in Llangefni has been reprieved, I am personally very saddened to see Llangefni's Magistrates' Court close -- I would have preferred if they could both have stayed open. However the rationalisation of the courts throughout the UK is part of a larger reform of the justice system which also includes sentencing and rehabilitation and changes to legal aid. If you are affected by these changes and would like to speak to me regarding them I am happy to meet with anyone at any time -- please get in touch using the 'Contact me' section above.

How Llangefni's "Three Towns Fund" cash should be spent (updated)

    
The Holyhead & Anglesey Mail has a very troubling story this week about how Anglesey County Councillors are planning to spend Llangefni's £1.8m slice of the Three Towns Fund. This money, provided by the European Regional Development Fund, the Welsh Assembly's Mon a Menai programme, the Lottery and Anglesey County Council's own coffers, is supposed to spent on projects which:

• create jobs
• win back shoppers to town centres
• and build on tourism projects

However, the Council have decided to use the majority of the money earmarked for Llangefni (£1.4m)  to fund Menter Môn's plans to turn the Llangefni Town Hall into offices for themselves and the volunteer service providers, Medrwn Môn. The idea being that the upper floors (which used to house a theatre) are transformed into offices, whilst the ground floor is made into a multipurpose space which could host exhibitions and other events.

Before I go on I should point out that as far as the Druid is concerned Menter Môn does a fantastic job and this post should in no way be seen as being critical of them. However,  considering the aims of the fund set out above, is this really the best use the Council could find for the money?

• Menter Môn already have offices in Llangefni (behind the Council buildings) - so effectively one organisation already present in Llangefni is going to move to another part of Llangefni. Accordingly there is no net impact on jobs in Llangefni.
• As Menter Môn's employees already presumably shop in Llangefni, it is difficult to see how this will deliver any more shoppers to Llangefni's town shops.
• Do you often hear Llangefni residents say, "you know what Llangefni needs? More office space, thats what". No? Neither do I.

Of course its easy to criticise, and as Gerallt Llywelyn, the Menter Môn CEO says in the article, "we have come up with a vision for the town hall when no-one else would come forward". Accordingly, here is the Druid's advice to the Council on how the money should have been spent:

• The very first thing that I would urge the Council to do would be to look at rectifying the incredibly shortsighted decision they made years ago to house the Oriel Môn so far outside the centre of Llangefni. Its current position next to the Public Golf Course means that the shops of Llangefni enjoy no benefit from its presence as it is just too far for Oriel visitors to walk into the town centre. People come in cars and leave in cars without spending any time in Llangefni itself. What a ridiculous own goal by the Council considering that the natural location for the Oriel would have been inside the defunct town hall located slap-band in the town centre. I appreciate that after all the money the council have lavished on it, it would take a great deal more than £1.8m to bring the Oriel to the town hall, but it's impossible to write about what should be done in Llangefni without mentioning this characteristically backward decision by the council.
• The key to Llangefni's future actually lies in its past. As the road signs when you enter the town say, Llangefni is a "Market Town" - this is what Llangefni's past success was built on and what it should also capitalise on now. If the town hall cannot be repurposed to house the Oriel collection, then the ground floor should be refitted so that it can serve as an enclosed market. The bustling Thursday markets in Llangefni used to bring in visitors from all over the island which benefitted both the market traders and also the local shops - now the current market is a shadow of its former self. Making a dedicated market area and promoting not just the traditional Thursday market, but also holding other specialist markets on different days of the week - think farmer's markets, antiques markets, etc - would be a sustainable investment which would keep on giving to the town. 

The problem as always with Anglesey County Council is not so much a lack of money, but a lack of vision. The Druid's modest proposal above would not take a large amount of money, would fullfil all three aims of the Three Towns Fund, and would make a great deal of difference to the town if promoted and marketed in the right way - much more than just blowing the money building a set of offices.
       

UPDATE: An anonymous commenter below feels this is proof of Ieuan Wyn Jones delivering for Anglesey. I couldn't disagree more and offer this reply: 

"This would be the Three Towns Fund money supplied by the Welsh Assembly Goverment then."

No, as I wrote at the top of my post, the WAG only supplies a portion of the money. The rest comes from the EU, the Lottery, and Anglesey County Council. 

"Seems like Ieuan Wyn Jones can deliver for the island after all. No mention of it in your post, though Druid." 

You call this delivering? Firstly, as I just pointed out, only a portion of the money came from WAG; Secondly, despite Anglesey being officially the poorest county in the UK with a GVA per head of just 53% of the UK's average, only £8 million has been allocated for regenerating the Island as part of the Three Towns Fund. Compare this to the £100 million of European funding that the Welsh Assembly recently injected into the much more prosperous area of Swansea - with a much higher GVA per head figure than Anglesey (7% above the all-Wales level but 19% below the UK average). To add insult to injury, the Swansea announcement came on almost the very day that Anglesey Aluminium was closing with a loss of 450 jobs. Is being tossed scraps from the table your definition of IWJ 'delivering for the island'? Because it isn't mine. For more info from an impartial source, see this for example.

"The lack of objectivity in this blog is getting quite farcical. Why don't you just come out for the Tories and be done with it? At least your pretence at being independant could then be seen for what it is - a complete nonsense." 

I'm afraid that the lack of objectivity is being shown by yourself if this is the best you can point to show us that 23 years of Ieuan Wyn Jones has been good to the Island.
     

Anglesey special feature on the BBC Politics Show

  

With Ynys Môn within reach at the general election for Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives, it was singled out for a special feature on the weekly BBC 'Politics Show' on Sunday with correspondent Max Cotton despatched to explain what makes Anglesey just so different from the rest of the country. You can watch it here on iPlayer (beware BBC programmes expire after just seven days).

Cotton concludes that the defining characteristics of Anglesey residents is that they are "very, very welsh", are not NIMBY-ish, and they like nuclear power and low flying jets. Max also interviewed each of the four main candidates and here are the highlights (interjected with the Druid's comments):

ALBERT OWEN (Labour) 

Max Cotton: I think everyone I've spoken to here has said that jobs and regeneration are the two huge issues. We've had a Labour government for 13 years, is it your fault? Is it Tony Blair's fault that Anglesey is suffering?

Albert Owen: No, I came into politics in the 80s when it was a damn sight worse than it is now, we have to be honest about that. There was mass unemployment and mass depopulation in the 80s and 90s. Its certainly a lot better now.

The Druid: A lot better now? Are you serious, Albert? Was it really worse in the 80s? I don't think so - and here's why:

• Anglesey Aluminium started smelting in 1971 and continued production all the way through the 80s and 90s, only closing with a loss of 400 jobs in September 2009
• The Wylfa Nuclear Powerstation was also commissioned in 1971, carried on through the 80s and 90s and is now only months away from being decommissioned
• The Octel chemical plant in Amlwch began production in 1953 and continued through the 80s and 90s (under various different names) until it closed in 2005
• The Eaton Electric plant in Holyhead opened in 1960 under the name Midland Electric Manufacturing Company, it operated all through the 80s and 90s and only closed in December 2009 with a loss of 250 jobs
• The Peboc Eastman chemical plant in Llangefni was established in 1970, continued production all through the 80s and 90s, and only closed its doors in 2008 with a loss of 100 jobs
• Anglesey is an island of farmers, yet the economic contribution of agriculture in North Wales (including Anglesey) has declined by a staggering 67 per cent during the period 1997-2007, compared to an overall UK decline of just 7 per cent. You only need to compare a visit to the Morgan Evans livestock auctions in the 80s or 90s with one now to see how things have declined
• This decimation of agriculture on Anglesey has directly affected the abattoir and meat-packaging plant in Gaerwen (now called Welsh Country Foods and part of the Vion Group) which began operating back in 1980s and continued throughout that decade and the 1990s; it has only begun downsizing this year with a loss of 200 jobs; the chicken processing plant in Llangefni, commonly known as 'Chuckies' and owned by the same company was established even earlier and also continued production throughout the 80s and 90s, until it lost a whole shift (140 jobs) last year 
• Throughout the 80s and the 90s, the High Street of Anglesey's main market town, Llangefni, was bustling and enjoyed a vibrant street market on Thursdays. Back then there was hardly a single closed shop, yet now at least half of the storefronts are closed or converted to charity shops and the Thursday market is a shadow of itself (see here). Furthermore, Bangor may not be on the island but Anglesey residents have long travelled over the bridge to shop there - now Bangor High Street, also bustling with activity in the 80s and 90s, is rapidly resembling a ghost town (as the Druid has discussed here)

Please note: I'm not saying that everything was tickety-boo on Anglesey in  the 80s and 90s - but to say things were worse then than they are now, as Albert Owen is trying to do, is demonstrably false. All of the above large-scale businesses weathered the 80s and 90s and are only closing now, with a loss of thousands of jobs.

Anyway, I digress. Back to the interview:

Max Cotton: But you've been losing jobs and employers, haven't you?

Albert Owen: We've been losing a couple of employers in the last year as has everywhere, this global crisis has hit Anglesey hard, no ifs or buts about it, but we've got to take the brave decisions.

A couple of employers??! Albert Owen must either think that Anglesey residents don't watch the Politics Show or thinks we are all idiots.

PETER ROGERS (Independent)

The good news is that Peter Rogers is out of hospital following his heart op and recovering; the bad news is that he looks visibly frail.

Max Cotton: Nobody's rung you to say 'please don't do this, Peter'?
Peter Rogers: They are too ashamed of what they have done to me, too ashamed of the success I've had since I left the Conservatives.
MC: And its not resentment, its not bitterness on your part?
PR: Not at all, I think its wrong of you to challenge me on that...
MC: ...no, no, I'm just trying to find out what your motivations are in the nicest possible way...
PR: ...Yeah, yeah. I'm taking votes from all the Partys; I've got a lot of people who are nationalists who see me as a Sensible Nationalist. We need someone to lead, to change the image of Ynys Mon, and I believe that Peter Rogers can change that image.

So, it looks like health problems notwithstanding, Peter Rogers will be standing again at the general election...

DYLAN REES (Plaid Cymru)

Max Cotton interviewed Dylan Rees standing outside RAF Valley, ostensibly to make the point that Plaid Cymru have links with CND and are against having UK military bases on Welsh soil.

Dylan Rees: We are a broad church party. What really unites us is our passion, our vision. I have excellent links and ties with the personnel of RAF Valley and I think they do a wonderful job.
Max Cotton: Plaid Cymru doesn't like nuclear power though, do they?
Dylan Rees: Plaid Cymru, if it had a choice, would  not want to see nuclear power, but how can I as a representative, or any political representative here on Anglesey, in the dire economic situation we find outselves in turn down the possibility of 5000 construction jobs and 800 to 1000 permanent well paid jobs?

Once you've gotten over the shock that Dylan didn't mention Post Offices once, what he basically said is: "our principles are against nuclear power and military bases, but we will ignore our principles just to get elected".

ANTHONY RIDGE-NEWMAN (Conservative)

We didn't see much of Anthony Ridge-Newman, but this is what he had to say:

Ridge-Newman: I come from an entrepreneurial background, my father is an entrepreneur, and I've had experience in business in the City in London and throughout the UK; I travelled around as a corporate presenter and I've done lots of things around the country in terms of business and economics and I want to bring that experience across the bridge into Anglesey; I want to get people working, I want to get people with creative ideas building businesses becoming entrepreneurs themselves and thats what the Conservatives are best at, and I think thats my strength.

The BBC didn't interview the ex-Barman from St Asaph, or maybe they did and just didn't show us that part. Anyway, no great loss.

All interesting stuff and the Druid particularly enjoyed the haunting Celtic music and references to his fellow Druids of yore - although Max Cotton made the common mistake of confusing the Bryn Celli Ddu burial mound with Druidism. Tut tut, one expects better than tired cliches from our National Broadcaster. Which brings me on to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychgwyndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch. Is it really obligatory to have references to it in every single programme about Anglesey?

A birds eye view of Llangefni in the 1950s

  

click image to enlarge

The Druid has come across this 1950s photo of Llangefni taken from the air. This was back in a time when Llangefni was still a very wealthy Market Town with:

• 2 Livestock Auction Houses (one is visible on the bottom left of the photo, and the other is just above the centre on the right hand side)
• 8 pubs (The Red Lion, The Cross Keys, The Bull Hotel, The Market, The Ship, The Good Lion, The Foundry Vaults, and the Railway)
• A cinema (visible above the Auction House in the bottom left) 
• An electricity generating plant (top centre)
• 2 Elementary Schools (Ysgol Penrallt and Ysgol British)
• 1 High School ("County School")
• 4 Butchers
• 4 Banks
• 3 Iron Mongers
• 2 Tailors
• 2 Blacksmiths
• 3 Newsagents / booksellers
• 2 Undertakers

And all of this in a town which must have had only half of its current population. Neither of the Auction Houses exist anymore, four of the pubs served their last pints years ago, the cinema is long gone and the rest of the businesses decimated. Indeed a large portion of the stores now are boarded up or replaced with endless Charity Shops.

As Llangefni was built on the wealth of the surrounding farms and the regular livestock markets held there, its decline is directly connected to the decline of agriculture on the island. The admirable Dylan Jones-Evans has posted on the plight of agriculture in North Wales, noting:

• the economic contribution of agriculture in North Wales has declined by 67 per cent during the period 1997-2007 as compared to an overall UK decline of 7 per cent
• whilst agriculture accounted for 2.5 per cent of the North Wales economy in 1997, this had fallen to 0.6 per cent by 2007. Indeed, agriculture was producing £175 million for the North Wales economy in 1997 but this had plummeted to £57 million a decade later. Unbelievably, this decline accounts for 8 per cent of the total reduction in overall UK agricultural output during this period.
• worst of all, if the relative contribution of agriculture to the North Wales economy had been the same in 2007 as it had been in 1997, then the sector would have been generating an additional £187 million in output that year.

Its a very sad picture - and the effects of this rural malaise are writ large in today's Llangefni.


What will an ariel photo of Llangefni taken in 50 years time show? Will there be anything left?