This morning I met with community councillors and residents in Llyswen, along with representatives of Powys County Council to discuss the problem with flooding in Church Lane that has occurred over a number of years, which residents believe has got progressively worse over the past months.

It appears that a culvert is blocked or broken and this is causing the flow of water to the stream to slow up, which has consequences when there is heavy rainfall of flooding in the lane. Church Lane of course leads to a number of properties and the floods that have occurred, although not directly effecting properties, causes a great number of problems to residents trying to access or leave their properties via Church Lane.

Why the Question of responsibility?

We need to find out who is responsible for the problem culvert. It appears that this culvert was installed back in 1976 but who is responsible for it we are not sure. The helpful people from the council are going back to look in the archives to try and find out more information.

Of course, the problem is financing any repairs. I can understand the councils view - that they don’t want to be paying out for repairing or even replacing the culvert if it is not their responsibility. There are tremendous strains on the budget and it looks like the highways maintenance may be struggling again in the next financial year.

But of course, and quite rightly, residents are concerned and want this problem resolved as quickly as possible. Let’s hope this gets sorted out once and for all - whoever is responsible - so the residents of Church Lane don’t need to rely on their wellies all winter.

Today I have received the news that the school transport appeal was finally granted yesterday at a meeting held in County Hall.

This will mean that the resident for whom we were appealing will now receive free school transport to Gwernyfed High School.

I would now like to encourage other parents to re-apply for school transport as they may have previously been turned down but since this ruling, now be eligible for free transport.

Lobbying WAG over the poor financial settlement -

Cllr Clair Powell, Mick Bates AM, Kirsty Williams AM and Cllr William Powell.

Yesterday I joined the Powys Against Cuts in Education Group (PACE) to lobby the Welsh Assembly Goverment over the latest poor settlement that the authority has received. The lobby was timed to coincide with the budget debate that took place in the Assembly.

PACE are concerned that the poor 1.5% settlement may lead to cuts in the education budget.

I welcomed the opportunity to lobby the Welsh Assembly Government for the vital funding for education in Powys.  Our children cannot loose out because the WAG has negotiated a bad settlement from Westminster and is passing this onto local authorities.

Tomorrow I am joining residents of Powys to lobby the Welsh assembly about the budget settlement we have received. Initially 0%, but now given a floor of just 1.5%, the Powys Against Cuts in Education group have arranged to lobby the Welsh Assembly tomorrow ahead of the finance debate that will take place at the assembly in the afternoon. The very poor settlement is extremeley worrying for Powys  and I hope that the Assembly members will take notice of the concerns we raise. We need to fight for a new formula as being a rural area we are constantly losing out when it comes to the budget settlements. We, in rural areas have our own deprivation issues to face. We have poor or even non existent tranpsort links and need to tackle sparsity issues. There is a huge demand on our adult and social care services and we must ensure that the Welsh assembly take these serious issues into consideration.

Here are some concerns raised by PACE (Powys Against Cuts in Eductaion)

• This year the budget increase is 1.5% - inflation is 5.2% - this represents a huge cut
• Teachers and essential support staff will lose jobs - leading to larger classes and cuts in the subjects offered to pupils in Powys
• Already parents in some schools are raising up to 50% of the budget needed to buy essential learning materials
• Teachers often use their own money to buy materials for classroom use
• Many schools are still housed in crumbling. leaky buildings with antiquated heating systems and little ventilation.

 POWYS AGAINST CUTS IN EDUCTAION (PACE) is a group of non-aligned parents, governors and tecahers. They say enough is enough.

Pupils in the village of Bronllys, near Brecon will now be entitled to free school transport following an appeal to Powys County Council by a local mum and her Liberal Democrat County Councillor Clair Powell.

Pupils who live in the village of Bronllys that attend Gwernyfed High School, in Three Cocks have previously had their free school transport applications turned down by Powys County Council due to the three mile rule, which says that pupils are only entitled to free school transport if they live over three miles from the school. Bronllys is just under three miles from Gwernyfed High School. However the ruling from the Welsh Assembly states that pupils should be entitled to free school transport where there is no available, reasonably safe walking route.

Cllr Powell and local resident Mrs Deborah Tame fought against the council decision as they felt that the route from Bronllys to Gwernyfed, along the A438 was not safe.

Cllr Powell said “When challenged it was clear that Powys County Council had not carried out a Risk Assessment of this route, and indeed there are likely to be many others in the County. Parents have had their applications for free school transport turned down without due consideration by the council of the safety of the walking route to their nearest High School”.

“I along with Mrs Tame, other parents and our Liberal Democrat MP Roger Williams have been raising this issue with the council for some time. We have walked and videoed the route which has a large volume of traffic, many heavy good vehicles, little or no footpaths. It has now been deemed that the likelihood of an incident occurring is high and the severity of any injuries would also be high.”

“I am delighted that at last the pupils of Bronllys, and indeed many other areas across Powys, will now have the safety of the routes to their schools assessed properly. This will lead to many more pupils being able to access free school transport. The current cost of sending your child on the school bus by using the vacant seat payment scheme is £105 per pupil and these parents will no longer have to pay this or transport the children to the school themselves.

“This is a historic victory for the community of Bronllys and I understand that many other areas across Powys will be affected by this decision.

“The Welsh Assembly Government can legislate in Cardiff but it doesn’t mean anything unless local authorities are getting this right on the ground. The Welsh Assembly should provide adequate funding to local authorities to enable them to comply with the legislation that it has laid down”.

Roger Williams MP said “Most people go into local government to try and make a difference, but Cllr. Clair Powell’s tenacity on this issue is certainly going to make a difference to the people of Bronllys and other communities across Powys. I must also congratulate Mrs Tame and other parents in the village for their efforts and persistence in getting this change of policy from the county council. The onus is on WAG to ensure that funding is available to the council to enable it to provide free school, transport that meets its guidance”.

Today’s full council meeting saw a long and emotionally charged debate about the councils current policy for switching off 2 in 3 street lights outside non core areas.

 The decision, which was taken by the councils board in July had triggered numerous complaints from across the County. This led to there being two motions to council today, one from the Liberal Democrat Group and one from the Conservatives.

The motions were discussed and many councillors raised the issues of public safety, the perception of danger and serious concerns for the elderly and vulnurable in our communities.

After much discussion the Liberal Democrat Group and the Conservatives agreed on a joint motion to council. TAn ammendment supporting the switch off was then proposed and seconded by two independent members.

This ammendment was then put to the vote and unfortunatley it was supported by a majority of the council, being voted for by 38 votes to 25 in favour of continuing with the current switch off programme.

 I am very dissapointed by this decision. I have made it clear that I am not against switching off lights where they are not needed, but I feel that the current 2 in 3 lights process is causing residents great distress and numerous safety issues.

The Outreach Postal service has begun in Erwood and Boughrood but already there has been a number of teething problems!

Firstly the name of the Outreach service in Boughrood which the Post Office continued to refer to as Llyswen. We all know that the Post Office is in Boughrood, even though it also serves the community of Llyswen, but this took some time for Post Office Ltd to understand! Thankfully after numerous discussions with representatives of Post Office Ltd it will now be reffered to as Boughrood Outreach Service.

For Erwood the Mobile Service is now parked behind the old Post Office. Pete (who is running the service) is very grateful to Penny and Arthur Robinson for allowing him to park there. At one time it appeared that there may be no where to park in the village!

But Boughrood service is a different story altogether!

Remember the public meetings? How many times was the issue of the possibility of a poor signal raised with the representatives of the Post Office and Post Watch? Numerous times! Only for us all to be told that Post Office Ltd and the new Outreach service will have all the equipment that was necessary and there was no need to worry.

BUT…….Low and behold come the first day of the service being introduced in Boughrood what happened? There was no signal! Which meant no one could withdraw any money!

I met with Pete, who is doing his very best to provide a excellent mobile service and he certainly isn’t to blame for this sequence of events.

I just wish that Post Office Ltd had listened to the public in the first place.

It will now be some ten weeks until a box can be put on a telephone pole in Boughrood to enable Pete to connect to a signal, by which to operate the mobile service. In the meantime Pete is using the old post office counter in Boughrood Shop which Derrick has very kindly agreed to. So it’s back to using the shop which lets face it is what we wanted to continue doing in the first place!

Come on Post Office Ltd get your act together!

As you are all undoubtedly aware Powys County Councils decision to switch off 2/3rds of the street lights outside core areas is now being implemented.

This has already been completed across Bronllys Ward.  A number of residents have raised concerns with me about this decision. 

I have approached the council about this but following the Boards decision to continue with the implementation of this decision and carry out a review at the end of the year, I am unable to say when or if any lights will be switched back on.

 However, I along with my Liberal Democrat colleagues on Powys County Council have tabled a motion to the next full council meeting (Thursday 23rd October) calling for the council to reconsider the current position.

 Personally I have no problem with the council switching off lights that are not essential but I am very concerned that some lights have been switched off which may cause unnecessary concerns for the safety of the public.

 We shall have to wait to see if our motion to council gains the support it needs to overturn the Board’s decision. I’ll keep you updated.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR VIEWS ON THIS ISSUE. IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

I’m afraid this is short notice but please pass the message on!

There will be a public meeting on Monday night (6th October) in Llyswen Village Hall at 7.45pm.
As in Erwood a couple of weeks ago, Pete Jenkins who will be running the Outreach Postal Service will be coming to Llyswen to talk about the services that the new Outrecah Service will be able to provide.
Please come along and find out what will be available.

Thankfully after informing the portfolio holder of the councils right to veto BT’s proposals to close 194 phoneboxes across Powys, the council has now decided that they have due reason to oppose the closure of 157 phoneboxes. This follows a public consultation with Town and Community Councils and County Councillors. The portfolio holder decided not to veto them en-bloc as this would have given BT the opportunity to appeal against the veto and this could have led to more being closed.

 I opposed the closure of the nominated phoneboxes in Bronllys Ward due to the often poor mobile signal in the area. I also had the opportunity to speak on this issue at last weeks Breconshire Committee. Members welcomed the news that I had informed the portfolio holder of the councils right to Veto the proposals under BT’s Universal Service Obligation (USO) and many members joined me in calling upon the Board to veto as many of the propsed closures as necessary.

 We will now wait for the response from BT.

The sad announcement that Post Office Ltd are closing the Post Offices in both Erwood and Boughrood and replacing them with an Outreach service came as a bitter blow to out local communities, especially following the hard fought campaign to keep them open.

 However the decision will not be overturned and we now look to the start of the new Outreach Service. On Wednesday I attended a meeting in Erwood where we were joined by Pete Jenkins who will be running the Mobile Service. Pete explained how the service will be run and the services that the mobile unit will be able to provide.

 Below is the new timetables for when the Mobile Service will be available:

 ERWOOD - (parked on The Terrace)

Mon - 16:45 ~ 17:45

Tue - 12:30 ~ 14:00

Wed - Closed

Thur - Closed

Fri - 12:30 ~ 14:00

BOUGHROOD (parked outside Boughrood Shop)

Mon - 15:00 ~ 16:30

Tue - 14:30 ~ 16:30

Wed - 12:30 ~ 14:30

Thurs - 14:30 ~ 16:30

Fri - 14:30 - 16:30

The Mobile Post Office is run by Llandrindod Wells Main Office. For further information you can contact them on (01597) 824114

I would welcome your comments on the mobile service once it is in place.

This week I attended the Builth Wells Transport Study Exhibition, held at Antur Gwy, Builth Wells.

The aim of the exhibition was to seek the views on the problems and issues that the study should be addressing, and the possible options or solutions.

The goal of ‘One Wales’ is to promote sustainable transport networks taht safeguard the environment while strengthening our economic and social life.

Following the Public exhibition there will be further assessments and a Public Consultation on the identified options during the summer of 2009.

 Further information is available on the Welsh assembly Government website:

http://new.wales.gov.topics/transport/roads/NewRoads3

Then click on: A470 Builth Wells

Councillors Clair Powell (Bronllys Ward) and Liam Fitzpatrick (Talybont Ward) have joined forces in supporting the Brecon Advice Centre.

Cllr Fitzpatrick said ”At this time of financial uncertainty a number of residents have approached me for advice regarding debt management. The Brecon Advice Centre offers a fantastic free, confidential and impartial service to the residents of Brecon and the surrounding areas. I along with my colleague Cllr Clair Powell have visited the Brecon Advice Centre and we were alarmed to learn that they themselves are facing uncertainties over future funding”

Cllr Powell said “Cllr Fitzpatrick and I will be working together, along with Roger Williams MP to try and assist the Brecon Advice Centre in securing funding which is vital to enable them to continue the work they do which is especially essential at this time”.

The Brecon Advice Centre is an independent organisation that provides advice that is free, confidential and impartial. It is available for everyone regardless of their race, gender, sexuality, disability, religion, age or marital status. They assist some 40-50 clients every week. They are based in Castle Street , Brecon. Tel: 01874624595 

I have enjoyed a very nice afternoon with the Guhrka Mandalay Brigade at Brecon Barracks celebrating Dashain.

We enjoyed wonderful hospitality with wonderful food and traditional dancing by the children.
What is so important is that this Government take immediate action to ensure that members of the Gurkha regiment pre 1997 get full pension rights instated as soon as possible. These men have given their time up to serve this country and we must replay them properly.

Dashain:

During the month of Kartik in the Bikram Sambat calendar (late September and early October), the Nepalese people indulge in the biggest festival of the year, Dashain. Dashain is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the country. The fifteen days of celebration occurs during the bright lunar fortnight ending on the day of the full moon. Thorough out the kingdom of Nepal the goddess Durga in all her manifestations are worshiped with innumerable pujas, abundant offerings and thousands of animal sacrifices for the ritual holy bathing, thus drenching the goddess for days in blood.

Dashain commemorates a great victory of the gods over the wicked demons. One of the victory stories told is the Ramayan, where the lord Ram after a big struggle slaughtered Ravana, the fiendish king of demons. It is said that lord Ram was successful in the battle only when goddess Durga was evoked. The main celebration glorifies the triumph of good over evil and is symbolized by goddess Durga slaying the terrible demon Mahisasur, who terrorised the earth in the guise of a brutal water buffalo. The first nine days signify the nine days of ferrous battle between goddess Durga and the demon Mahisasur. The tenth day is the day when Mahisasur was slain and the last five days symbolise the celebration of the victory with the blessing of the goddess. Dashain is celebrated with great rejoice, and goddess Durga is worshiped throughout the kingdom as the divine mother goddess.

Please note that a public exhibition on the Builth Wells Transport study will be held at Antur Gwy, Builth Wells on
Thursday 25th September 10am to 8pm and
Friday 26th September 10am to 6pm

Everyone is welcome to attend

Following calls by local residents regarding the safety of the junction of the A470/A438 I am delighted to inform you that the Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency are currently developing a scheme at Marrish to make alterations to the junction. I understand the Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency are chasing approval and additional funding from Welsh Assembly Government to try and get the scheme implemented prior to the end of the financial year.

Let’s hope that the scheme will get the go ahead as soon as possible. I’ll keep you informed.

One of the most common issues that is raised with me via email, letter and when meeting local residents is the safety on our roads.

As a former firefighter I am all too aware of the consequences that road traffic accidents have on everyone involved. I feel it is vitally important that we do all we can to make our road network as safe as possible.

Following a recent successful meeting with the Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency I am pleased to be able to report that it was agreed to provide temporary Speed Indication Devices (SID’s) at two locations within the 30mph speed limit on the A470 in Llyswen. Powys County Council are now working to devise a programme for their use in Llyswen in order to maximise their impact. If this scheme proves successful it will hopefully also be implemented in Erwood.

Concerns have also been raised about the junction of the A438 and A479 (Llyswen to Bronllys - Marrish turn) following a number of recent accidents. I will be contacting the Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency to see if improvements can be made along this section of road and will keep you updated with any progress.

Following a meeting of the Welsh Liberal Democrat Group on Powys County Council yesterday it has become apparent that there are many problems with school transport across Powys.

Problems range from the ones we are experiencing in Bronllys, where children reside just under the 3 mile limit for receiving free school transport and are expected to walk, to children that have no other means of getting to school and buses that are full to overflowing. This is a very serious matter and one that I, along with my Lib Dem colleagues, will continue to pursue.

It is the last few days of the public consultation on the future of phone boxes across Powys. The official closing date of the consultation is Saturday 6th September. I have submitted my objections based mainly on the fact that BT have an obligation to provide a degree of service to the community, which I feel they will be breaking if these phone boxes are removed.
I am very concerned about these proposed removals of four phone boxes in my ward. I understand that they are not used on a regular basis, but in an area that often has little or in some cases no mobile signal they can be essential.
It remains to be seen what decision will be made but I hope that BT will see common sense and save at least some of these phones.

I had a day in Cardiff today. My children have enjoyed the Olympics so much (there was even huge amounts of tears during the closing Ceremony) I decided to take them to Cardiff to the Home Coming of the Welsh Olympians. I must say that it was a great experience and the atmosphere was fantastic. Well done to the Welsh Assembly Government for deciding to put this celebration on.

 I would also like to wish Rob Davies who lives in Crickadarn all the very best for the Para-Olympics which are due to start next week. Rob will be competing for Great Britain in the Table Tennis. Good Luck Rob!!

I had a great time today. I had the honour of attending the Bronllys Hospital League of Friends Summer Fete where I was asked to draw the raffle.

 Thankfully the weather stayed dry and was well attended. The League of Friends work hard all year round to raise vital funds for the hospital. Their hard work and continuous support for the hospital is very much appreciated by both staff and patients and their families.

Well done to them all for their hard work. Lets hope the fete raised lots of money for the hospital which so important to all of our community.

 Photo: Drawing the Grand Raffle at Bronllys Hospital Summer Fete. 

The Welsh Assembly Government have announced a grant that will be available to County Councils to assist local business, in the form of a rate relief, if they agree to make their toilet facilities available for use by the general public.
However I strongly believe that this grant, which will only amount to some £18,000 per local authority, would be better spent in upgrading and maintaining the existing facilities. This grant should not be used to provide alternative facilities to those that are already in place, such as the toilets in Erwood.
In particular the facilities that are available in Erwood are situated on the A470, the main road linking North and South Wales, they are open 24 hours a day and are easily accessible. If these facilities were to close and local business were to make their facilities available they would most definitely not be open 24 hours a day. Local business have also expressed concern that the money that could be available would be no where near enough to cover the costs they would incur in water bills, cleaning and sanitation products.
I feel that the Welsh Assembly Government and the Trunk Road Agency MUST take responsibility for the toilets that are situated on the trunk road network. I have already written to the Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, to ask that the Welsh Assembly Government take control of this situation before we see further closures.

Photo: Local residents were joined by County Councillor Clair Powell and Brecon and Radnorshire AM, Kirsty Williams to raise awareness of the importance of retaining the public toilets in Erwood.

I have this morning received notification from Powys County Council that the Kerb Side Recycling scheme will start in Pontywal Lane, Bronllys next week.

Residents of Pontywal should have received their recycling bags this week in time for the first collection which will begin next week, on the usual refuse collection day.

 I am delighted that the Council have been able to extend this service to Pontywal and I hope that it will encourage more recycling in this area.

I shall also be talking to the council about piloting a scheme for the more rural parts of the ward.

Last week I was joined by Roger Williams MP, parents and pupils of Gwernyfed High School on the walk from Bronllys to Gwernyfed High School.

This followed being contacted by parents who have been told they will need to pay £105 per pupil for school transport in the new term because they live under the three mile current limit. (2.917 miles away)

You may recall that I mentioned earlier that the guidance actually actually states that the LEA must provide free transport for pupils, regardless of the distance they live from the school, if there is no safe route.

 Well, that was what we were setting out to prove, that the route, along the main road, is not safe. In places there is no verge, there are blind bends and dips in the road that cause traffic serious vision problems. Not only that but if children would be forced to walk they would be faced with doing so, in the dark during the winter months as there are no street lights.

I would not care to walk this route again. The speed and amount of traffic, not forgetting the size of some of the vehicles, passing us at 60mph was an extremely dangerous one.

We have a video of our journey and I hope to get it posted on here shortly. 

 Please let me know if your children are experiencing the same problem. It would be great to hear your views.

On Monday I attended two meetings in respect of the new Integrated Health and Social Care Unit.

Firstly I attended a meeting at the NFU Office in Builth Wells where a lively discussion took place and concerns were raised in respect of the proposed site of the Builth Livestock Market. The impact on both the farming community and the town, should the market close was the main topic of concern. Both farming unions and the YFC took the stance that Builth must have both a Livestock Market and the new Health Centre.

That evening I attended a packed Wyeside Arts Centre for the 4th Stakeholder meeting. The joint Chairmen of the Builth Project Board were in attendance along with Powys County Council and LHB officers.

The “Stakeholders” are residents from all different parts of the community. We took part in an ‘Open Space’ event whereby everyone was able to put their views anonymously onto ‘graffiti boards’.

The overwhelming outcome was that people, as I first said in my original post on this matter, want both - a market and the new Integrated Health and Social Care Centre.

Following the meeting all the issues and concerns raised in respect of the market site will be discussed at the next Project Board meeting. What will happen from there, we will wait to see. Watch this space.

Press Release from Roger Williams MP:

Following her election as County Councillor for Bronllys Ward, Cllr Clair Powell has spoken passionately about joining forces with other agencies to help improve the lives of the residents in the Bronllys Ward.

Cllr Powell, who has already met with local housing officer, Meryl Lewis, and the Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency, last week met with local PCSO (Police Community Support Officer) Lloyd Harries along with local Liberal Democrat MP Roger Williams. During their meeting Cllr Powell, Roger Williams and PCSO Harries took a walk round the village of Bronllys to meet residents as part of their discussions.

Cllr Powell said:
“To be fair Bronllys is a relatively peaceful village with very few problems that require police involvement. However a few residents have raised concerns about a recent spate of anti-social behaviour and it is important that this is stopped before it gets out of hand. I was very pleased to be joined by PCSO Lloyd Harries and Roger Williams MP to walk around the village and discuss issues of concern. I feel it is very important that we work together and it was a great opportunity to speak with local residents and show them that we are all here to help”.

Roger Williams MP said:
“I warmly welcomed the opportunity to meet Cllr. Powell and PCSO Harries and local residents to work on matters of concern for local constituents.

Cllr. Powell is doing a first class job in bringing people together in this way and I look forward to working with her and Lloyd Harries over the coming years to deal with the issues that really matter to local people, such as the delivery of local services and community safety.”

This really is an ever changing story. After yesterday receiving notification that there would be a public meeting on 18th August to discuss the Builth Health and Social Care Unit, I have today learnt that the project board has decided to cancel this meeting as it does not give enough time for the council to discuss fully all possible sites.

 I will however be meeting, along with other councillors, representatives of the NFU in Builth Wells on Monday.

I’ll keep you informed of any further developments.

I am pleased to report that a kerb side recycling collection service has been agreed for Pontywal Lane in Bronllys.

This service  should be in place shortly and I  hope that following the review, which is currently under way, of the kerb side recycling collections, they will roll out further across the ward.

Please let me know if you are interested in this type of service.

Today, Councillor Clair Powell who represents Bronllys Ward called for an extension of the kerb side recycling collections. Speaking on this issue Cllr Powell said “At a time when we are being encouraged to reduce, re-use and recycle I call upon Powys County Council to extend it’s kerb side recycling collections. In my ward there are many areas that do not have this type of recycling collection and people often have to make an extra journey into town to recycle their waste. One place in particular is Pontywal Lane in Bronllys which serves  a number of properties yet there is no kerb side collection there and residents have to pass through the village (where there is a kerb side collection) to take their recyclables to either Talgarth or Brecon.”

“I hope that the council will consider extending this important service. I am sure that it would lead to a greater percentage of residents recycling their waste and that can only be a good thing”

HAVE YOUR SAY….

Do you have kerb side collections for recyclables?

If yes, what do you think of the service?

If not, would you like to have this service?

Further news on the proposed site of Builth Livestock Market for the New Joint Health and Social Care Unit.

 The consultation will take place throughout August and will involve the Builth Project Board, BACH, Town Councils of Builth and Llanwrtyd, Builth Focus n Health Group, Friends of Builth Hospital, farming and market representatives and other interested parties.

The piblic meeting will take place on:

MONDAY 18TH AUGUST, 7PM, WYESIDE ARTS CENTRE, BUILTH WELLS.

 Please come along and make your views know.

Today as Post Office Ltd finally announced it’s decision to close Llyswen Post Office, Cllr Clair Powell said “I am totally disappointed with today’s news. The elevation of the decision making process raised my hopes and that of many residents that the post office would be saved. The community have rallied together during this consultation and I am sure everyone will be as disappointed as I am. The community showed fantastic support for the post office, located in Boughrood Stores, with hundreds of people turning out for community meetings, writing emails and letters of support and returning the Save our Post Office Postcards to Roger Williams MP”.

“This is a double blow to the people of Bronllys Ward following the earlier announcement of the closure of Erwood Post Office. This leaves two communities in my ward with no post office. Even though a mobile post van will be provided, only time will tell if this option of a postal service will be able to service the community to the high standard it so deserves”.

It’s  the eve of the first day of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show and I must say how much I am looking forward to the week ahead. At least it looks like the sun will be shining but that could mean that following the recent poor weather, many farmers will be busy harvesting instead of venturing to Llanelwedd for the four day spectacular.

If you are going to the show, feel free to call at the Welsh Liberal Democrats tent. Come and have a cuppa and a chat. Staff will be on hand to give you up to date news on what the party and it’s elected members have been up to and there plans for the future.

You can find us at stand E391, just across from the Grandstand. Hope to see you there!

p.s Gwenddwr Carnival and Show will be held at Pantrwyn Fields, Gwenddwr on Saturday. Come along for a great day out and fun for all the family.

Re: Builth Wells Health and Social Care Unit.
The group of local councillors that recently met regarding the proposed site for the new integrated Health and Social Care Unit met with the Chief Executive of Powys County Council, Mr Mark Kerr, and Executive Director of People and Well-Being, Mr Phil Robson, on Thursday.
It was a productive meeting with all six County Councillors expressing their desire to retain a livestock market in the town AS WELL as having the new Health and Social Care Unit.
There will now hopefully be a chance for all of the community to put their views forward on the potential sites. This is likely to take place on 4th August.
I will update you as soon as the details are confirmed.

I have had a number of calls from residents and discussions with other councillors recently regarding the legislation governing free school transport. The limit by which pupils can get free school transport is if they live over three miles from their school. All families living under three miles from their school have to pay a fee of £105 per term, per pupil. There is not even a lower price for families with more than one child.

I have a situation now where two pupils in my ward are expected to walk to Gwernyfed High School because they do not qualify for free school transport. They live 2.917 miles from the school and have no other access to transport.

I understand the need to have limits in place, however I will be questioning the council on this issue as I understand the legislation reads “Measurement of the statutory walking distance is not necessarily the shortest distance by road. It is measured by the shortest route along which a child, accompanied as necessary, can walk with reasonable safety. As such the route measured may include footpaths, bridleways and other pathways, as well as recognised roads. If there is no such route, the LEA must provide free transport no matter what distance you live from the school”

So what constitutes reasonable safety? In this case I certainly question if the route along the main road from Bronllys to Gwernyfed is within “reasonable safety”. With ever increasing traffic and heavy goods vehicles using our road infastructure I as a parent would not allow my children to walk this journey.

 The meeting with representatives of the Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency (MWTRA) and a representative of Powys County Council was quite successful. On Wednesday I met with Dean Williams (MWTRA), Richard Hobbs (PCC), Kirsty Williams AM and local residents to discuss road safety issues in LLyswen and Erwood.

Hopefully we will see improvements put in place over the next few months which will hopefully raise greater awareness of the speed limits in these villages and serve as a reminder to motorists not to exceed these limits.

Pictured: County Cllr Clair Powell, Kirsty Williams AM, Cllr Peter Lloyd and Cllr Terry Hurford (Bronllys Community Council) and Dean Williams (Mid Wales Trunck Road Agency)

Following discussions with Bronllys Community Council I have invited the Minister for Transport, Ieuan Wyn Jones AM to Bronllys to discuss and view issues of concern for the local community since the completion of the by-pass.

I hope the Minister will take me up on my invite and that further progress can be made in the village of Bronllys.

The meeting which I have arranged with Kirsty Williams AM and representatives of the Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency will go ahead tomorrow.

We will be meeting in Llyswen at 3pm to discuss a number of issues, moving on to Erwood later that afternoon.

I will keep you updated of any news or developments following the meeting.

I have been thinking about this question for a while now? Where is our summer?

I don’t know about you but I have had enough of the rain now. The Royal Welsh Show is rapidly getting closer and we haven’t even started our harvest yet. But having just seen the forecast on Countryfile it looks like this week is going to be nice. I just hope that we can get some harvest in and then get to the Show which is of course the highlight of the year for so many people. At least it can’t possibly be as wet as last year! Can it?

County Councillors in the locality of Builth Wells met last week to air their thoughts and vision for the new Integrated Health and Social Care Facility planned for Builth Wells. Following the meeting I am able to update you with the following.

The first choice of Builth Livestock Market as the proposed site for the integrated Health and Social Care Centre was put forward for approval to the Board of Powys County Council by the Builth Project Group. However the Board of the council has asked that this proposed site be put out to public consultation as there were concerns that the farming community and the auctioneers had not contributed to this proposal.

A consultation on this proposed site is due to begin at the beginning of August and will continue for four weeks.

Any decision on a site will have to be agreed by the council, the Local Health Board and the Builth Project Group.

This project obviously has a long way to go yet but I believe it is vitally important that the project progress’ and that Builth has the integrated unit AND a livestock market.

 I will keep you posted!

I was witness to something unusual today. In the whole eight years we have lived at Brynhaul I have never had so many people across our yard. There was a mountain bike race going on. Starting in Builth Wells they headed off for Cwmowen then crossed the hill and down to our house, using the Right of Way as their guide. They then headed off across Twmpath, back down to the A470 then crossed the River Wye towards Aberedw.

I admired everyone of the bikers who all said a cheery “hello” despite the awful rain.

It is great to see people using the countryside for leisure (not my idea of fun mind!) but respecting the local people and landowners at the same time.

The news on Radio Five on Friday morning that Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Rural Affairs, may well refuse to agree to a cull of badgers in the bid to eradicate TB just proves how out of touch this Government is.

It is widely speculated, ahead of Mr Benn’s announcement in the House of Commons on Monday, that the Government has rejected advice from former Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir David King, that killing badgers in areas of high infection could have a significant effect.

Figures show that last year alone 28,000 cattle were slaughtered in the UK due to TB and numbers are still increasing.

As farmers we have been working hard to ensure the best housing and bio-security for cattle but this cannot stop the spread of TB from badgers especially during the summer months when cattle are put out to grass. There are tighter restriction on cattle movements than ever before with regular testing for TB yet the problem is still not going away.

 A cull will still go ahead in Wales.

I would like Hilary Benn to come out to the countryside and see the devastating effect TB has on cattle herds not forgetting the immense pressure it is putting on an already strained industry.

At Tuesdays Council Board meeting it was revealed that the preferred site for the new joint Health and Social Care Unit for Builth Wells is the Livestock Market in the centre of Builth Wells.

During the Board meeting Cllr David Price asked for the proposed site to go for consultation and the Board agreed to put it to public consultation for a period of four weeks.

I am sure everyone will welcome the news that Builth will hopefully be getting the new unit but there is much discussion over the proposed site. Many in the farming community are concerned that if Powys County Council go ahead with this decision, terminating the lease with Brightwells Auctioneers, that the town will lose it’s Livestock Market altogether.

 It is indeed time to move this project on and it will undoubtedly be an asset to the town and the surrounding community. However I am concerned that if the proposal goes ahead and the market is lost it will be a detriment to the farming community who use the market to buy and sell stock on a weekly basis. I think we must look again at the alternative sites and try to come up with a proposal that will secure the future of both the Health and Social Care project and the Livestock Market.

 I would like to urge members of the local community to get involved in the consultation and make your views and concerns known. Please do not hesitate to contact me if i can be of any assistance.

External and Internal Stakeholders, Community Strategy Partnerships, Councillors and other consultation bodies should by now have received a copy of the Powys Local  Development Plan (LDP) - Consultation on Draft Delivery Agreement.

The consultation period is open until Friday 18th July and is intially consulting on the explanation of the LDP system, the purpose of the delivery agreement, the sustainability appraisal and the timetable for the implementation of the delivery agreement.

Sounds complicated stuff, but this is going to outline the future of planning for Powys and it is important that we get it right from the start. What is agreed to go into the LDP will shape the future of Powys and will superseed the Unitary Development PLan which is currently in place.

A copy of the full draft delivery agreement can be viewed on www.powys.gov.uk/ldp

I must congratulate the Talgarth and District Regeneration Group who must be delighted at the news that they have been awarded grants to start up sports in the community halls in Bronllys, Llyswen and Talgarth.

The Grants were made possible by the Sports Council Wales, who tasked Powys Sports Development Unit in partnership with PAVO to assist in developing new activity programmes. 

This funding will enable equipment to be purchased to start up sports in the halls including short mat bowls and fencing. This will be a great opportunity to have a go at a new sport, get some exercise and make new friends whilst making use of the local village halls.

I am delighted at the Breaking News that Crosfield House in Rhayader, the only Royal British Legion Home in Wales has been given a reprieve. The home which has been under threat of closure has today learnt that it will remain open after a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Royal British Legion met in London yesterday.

The patients and staff there must be so pleased to breath a sigh of relief when at times the decision looked almost certain to go against them. Undoubtedly the spirit and campaigning by the residents, their families and staff, not forgetting local councillors and the MP and AM who have all worked so hard to raise awareness of the homes plight contributed to the final decision.

Well Done I say!

Sadly I had to postpone the “clean up” which was due to be held in Bronllys on Thursday due to the heavy rain that swept across the County. But I will be re-arranging this event soon and I will keep you all posted of the new date and hope that you can join us then - and that the sun will shine!

I am pleased to announce that after working closely with Kirsty Williams AM a meeting has been secured with the Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency to discuss a number of concerns that have been raised with me since becoming elected as County Councillor for Bronllys Ward.

How successful the road works to calm traffic down in Bronllys will be is yet to be seen, but there are further serious concerns in the villages of Llyswen and Erwood about the speed of traffic. Both Kirsty and I will be meeting with representatives of the Trunk Road Agency to discuss future provision of traffic calming measures. We have seen new road markings put in place in these villages, and I am sure that this has meant some traffic has slowed down, but residents still have major concerns over safety and say stretches of the roads in my ward are just waiting for an accident to happen.

I will keep you updated on any developments.

This week is Keep Wales Tidy Week so I have been organising a “Tidy Up” in Bronllys. At the recent Bronllys Community Council meeting members raised their concerns about litter so I thought this was the ideal opportunity to incorporate a tidy up to coincide with Keep Wales Tidy Week. It will take place on Thursday 26th June at 6pm. We will be meeting by Fosse Way in Bronllys and will hopefully be joined by members of Bronllys Community Council, local assembly member Kirsty Williams and a representative of Keep Wales Tidy.

 Please feel free to come along and join us. The more the merrier! There are even free goodies for those who help out!

Did you know….?

Figures released by the Wales’ biggest anti-litter campaigners, Keep Wales Tidy, have revealed:

• That council taxpayers in the UK fork out £408 million a year to clean streets
• That around a third of all fires are caused by accumulation of litter
• That thanks to the growing presence of dropped food, the UK rat population now stands at a staggering sixty million.

“I would urge you to support this campaign by completing and returning a campaign postcard. They will then be delivered to the Tresaury. We must take this opportunity to highlight to the Government that the rural economy is being crippled by fuel prices”.

Campaign postcards are available from 4 Watergate, Brecon or c/o Euan Hendrie at Talgarth Market.

 BT are set to announce a consultation on the future of Phone Boxes throughout the County. I have today learned that phone boxes under threat of closure in the ward include Erwood, Gwenddwr and two in Llaneglwys.

I understand that phone boxes are used less these days due to mobile phone use and the provision of phones in nearly every home but the fact remains that in rural areas where mobile coverage is often poor the phone box is an essential public service. They can even be a lifeline for some residents. We are already losing Post Offices, how much else do we have to lose from our rural community?

There used to be an argument that phone boxes were broken into and the cash stolen but BT has moved the majority of these boxes to card only use.

 If people in the community feel these phone boxes should remain open I would encourgae you to get involved. 

You can let me know your feelings on this issue by posting a message by clicking on the How Can I Help button on the left hand side of this page.

Following reports from Bronllys Community Council that there are problems in Bronlllys with Dog Fouling I asked the Dog Warden for assistance. He has since been busy putting more signs up in the village and I hope that this will remind dog owners to be responsible when walking their pets. I am sure everyone will agree that it is a far nicer place to be if we don’t have to be on the look out for a smelly mess. 

Did you know?………………………….

• There are around 7 million dogs in the UK producing 1000 tons of dog faeces per day.
• Dog faeces can cause toxocariasis which can lead to blindness
• In 2006 dog faeces were found on 14% of streets and 57% of parks and open spaces in Wales.
• Local Auhorities can require dog walkers to clean up after their dogs. People that don’t can face a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £150 or go to court where the maximum fine is £1000.

County Councillor for Bronllys Ward, Clair Powell, has called for further road safety improvements to the village of Llyswen.

“I welcome the work that has been carried out to implement more road markings in a bid to slow traffic down however drivers are still speeding through the village. I have raised this issue with Kirsty Williams AM and we are hoping to meet with officers from the Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency shortly. I have asked them to look into the possibility of placing 30mph flash warning signs that will alert drivers who are breaking the speed limit. Being a former fire fighter I have seen the consequences of speeding vehicles and It is important that we do all we can to ensure the safety of pedestrians and other road users”.