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St Davids City Council |
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St Davids City Council
Cyngor Dinas Tyddewi
Croeso Welcome
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St. Davids City Council Press Statements 2008 14 May On 12 May at the first meeting of the new City Council, Councillor David Chant became the new Mayor of St Davids and Councillor Stephanie Halse the Deputy-Mayor for 2008/9. The mayor is seen accompanied by Mr Francis and Mrs Melanie Northall who presented St Davids City Council with the recently commissioned Mayoral Chain. The chain is hand made from 560g of silver, with individually hall marked links and it has a unique design appropriate for St Davids that includes a gold Celtic Cross based on the stone cross on the Cross Square and a hand engraved tablet. In expressing their thanks to Francis Northall for his great craftsmanship, the Council was also very grateful for their generosity in not charging for their time or the gold.
The Council welcomed Councillor Adrian Cox as a new member and at the preceding Annual Community Meeting thanks and a presentation were provided by Councillor David Chant to Glenys James for all of her many years of hard work for the community as she ended her 25th year as a city councillor.
11 March 2008 Election for the City Council - Nomination papers are now available for anyone who qualifies to stand for election as a City Councillor. Contact Pembrokeshire County Council elections unit (01437 775713 )for a nomination pack or more information. nominations have to be in by 4 April and the election is on 1 May. Other details are available on :- www.electoralcommission.org.uk/templates/search/document.cfm/20556
3 March 'Best Cawl in St Davids' Competition Winners
St Davids Day Flower Trail Winners Residential Category
Business Category
Highly Commended were:-
St. Davids City Council Press Statements 2007 17 December
St Davids Community Award 2007 This year’s Community Award was presented to Mrs Nancy Bayly who was nominated for her longstanding charitable service particularly for fund raising for the RNLI. She is seen receiving the certificate from Councillor Glenys James, the Mayor of St Davids. Christmas Lighting Display Competition. This year the competition was judged on Monday 10 December by the Mayor of Haverfordwest Councillor Roy Thomas who was shown around by Councillor Glenys James, the Mayor of St Davids The winners are:-
Business’ Class
Resident’s Class
Highly Commended Resident’s Displays:
Continuing the Christmas theme, this year the City Council has completely replaced the Christmas Street Lighting as both the electrical equipment and the support system were very worn. In wishing to improve the appeal of St Davids for both residents and visitors the new suspension system is all stainless steel and the display is based on LED lighting that dramatically reduces energy consumption while retaining a display at a time when, given the impact of health and safety considerations, it is easier to reduce such displays. The new arrangements are anticipated to last a good many years despite the high winds already experienced. 13 September 2007 Recent business of the City Council has included receiving a generous contribution of £1500 from the St Davids Peninsula Tourist Association for the purchase of 6 market stalls for use in St Davids particularly on the Cross Square. The Council also agreed to match the offer so that 12 new market stalls will soon be available for local use; this will greatly ease holding local markets such as on St Davids Day. If you are going to Whitesands at the end of September or early October there will be some works being undertaken to improve the public conveniences as the Eco City project funds a contract to provide solar water heating panels and a rain water harvesting system. The excavation for the water tank will involve temporary removal of the chicane and portaloos will be provided for about one week. The success of PACTO in obtaining very substantial lottery grant funding that will include a Community Bus for St Davids was much appreciated and efforts to assist establish a new local group to provide the new minibus for use, both in St Davids and the peninsula begin with the public meeting in the City Hall on Thursday 20 September 2007. A new contract was placed at the 5 September meeting to upgrade much of the Christmas Street Lighting in St.Davids. The work entails a complete replacement of the festoon zig zag displays with an LED based design that has a fraction of the power requirement of the existing incandescent lighting. In addition the LED’s are very robust and light in weight and should provide a display that will tolerate all that the St Davids’ weather will bring for a good many years. Last year’s gales and rain tested the current arrangements severely. Also the City Council has decided, after fully discussing it with the volunteers, to use a street lighting contractor to erect and remove the display. The increasingly onerous demands of erecting the lighting were generally felt to be something that would more appropriately be completed by an experienced contractor. It is expensive but the attraction that the lighting provides is seen as being beneficial to St Davids. Included as a part of the improvements is the removal of the catenary wire support system and replacing it with a stainless steel arrangement with a complete over haul and testing of all of the anchor points.The costs for the whole work of supply erection and removal for 3 years is around £75,000 and the Council is very grateful to Siop y Bobol for its contribution of £3000 that will provide for the new lighting on the front of the City Hall. Given the costs involved the Council is asking local businesses if they would assist in contributing towards the display. Having considered the powers available to Police Community Support Officers it was decided not to fund or share fund a PCSO with Fishguard and Goodwick Town Council as it was felt that in recent years the number of police officers had been consistently reduced in the large St Davids – Crymych police area from 3 to 1, and so existing funding should provide for the policing of St Davids. Other matters to be investigated further are the Pembrokeshire County Council initiative for a ‘Good Neighbour’ Pilot Scheme, as well as a review of signage in St.Davids and the development of Young People’s Facilities particularly in the out of term time when so much closes down. The next meeting of the City Council is on 1 October.
30 August 2007
ST DAVIDS PENINSULA COMMUNITY BUS SCHEME REALLY GOOD NEWS With the excellent news that a bid for a Lottery Grant of around £250,000 made by the Pembrokeshire Association of Community Transport Organisations (PACTO) has been successful; this means that part of the funding will go towards a new Community Bus Scheme for the St Davids Peninsula. For this to work, a new community group is needed, as well as volunteer drivers and anyone keen to be involved in promoting and running the service. This is a bus for the whole of the St Davids Peninsula and it can be used by ‘not for profit’ groups, with other services like Dial a Ride to be considered for the future. To help initiate this scheme a Public Meeting is being held on Thursday 20 September in St Davids City Hall at 7.00pm led by St Davids City Council and PACTO. It is hoped that 2 community buses will be available outside to be viewed to assist the selection of what can be ordered to suit the area, and representatives of other successful community bus groups will be attending to share their experience.
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AWARENESS DAY Wednesday 26 September 2007 10am – 2 pm in St Davids City Hall
St Davids City and Peninsula Over 50’s Forum and St Davids City Council have arranged for representatives of key organisation to be at the City Hall to provide information and advice about their services. The aim is to raise awareness of the resources that are available to the community on a range of topics from money matters to safety and security at home as well as care and support for young and old.
Among the groups expected are
Help the Aged British Gas Money Matters Citizens Advice Bureau PAVS Pembrokeshire Carer’s Outreach Shalom Pembrokeshire Crossroads Pembrokeshire Young Carers Neighbourhood Police Bobby Van Scheme British Red Cross Evergreens Age Concern St Davids Day Centre PACTO St Davids Community Bus. Free tea is available throughout the day
For more information please contact the Clerk
31 July Free August Coastal Bus Services Pembrokeshire Greenways has announced that both residents and visitors can travel free on the Pembrokeshire Coastal buses on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during August 13 July 2007 There is a special cricket match on Ramsey Island with a team from Skomer Island playing Ramsey Island at 4.30pm on Sunday 22 July followed by an evening ‘bring your own food and drink barbeque’. This is all part of the Island’s Open Day and there is no charge for boats or landing as this is a part of the Island’s Open Day. As this is likely to be popular bookings are necessary as space is limited. You can spend the morning , afternoon or whole day on the island an bookings are through Thousand Islands 01437 721721.
4 July Recent City Council business has included a commitment to work towards a small recycling facility at Whitesands given that a full public scheme is unlikely to be approved. New efforts are to be made to lead those involved in seeking a resolution to the parking and access concerns at St Justinians, while throughout the community yellow road lines for waiting restrictions were agreed to be replaced with 50mm wide lines, being about half the existing width. Small works in progress include the preparation of a tender to replace the housing for utilities at the top of the Cross Square in the autumn, improvements to the Waun Fawr parking area and an assessment of appropriate improvements to the appearance of the Memorial Hall.
In wishing to update its website to have current details of both local groups and all St Davids events and meetings, would anyone wishing to have community events and meetings or their organisation details on its website please let the Clerk have their details and a website link where possible.
Community Bus - The City Council is investigating the possibility of having a community bus, this being a reprise of efforts some years ago. While the previous minibus has now been withdrawn and at the same time the results of a PACTO bid for Lottery funding to assist provide a bus for St Davids is awaited, anyone who could have a use for a community bus either as a group or as an individual possibly using a Dial a Ride service should contact the Clerk. For the scheme to work, a pool of volunteer drivers is essential and again anyone who might be interested should get in touch. Funding requirements were substantial at around £40,000 for a vehicle and £800 per month for maintenance charges before the vehicle operating costs are met. Funding enquiries were to be made.
Fair Trade Big Picnic The St Davids Fair Trade Group joined the national Big Picnic held to highlight the need for Fair Trade throughout the country. The wind and rain necessitated a withdrawal to shelter where the group had displays of Fair Trade goods and information. Mayor Glenys James congratulated the group members for their efforts that will continue to promote the aims of obtaining a fair price for all producers. An application for St Davids to become a Fair trade City will shortly be submitted given the number of local enterprises now offering a range of goods and contact will be made with local schools to raise awareness of the principles involved.
2 May Speak to your Council There is an opportunity to speak to the City Council when it holds its Annual Meeting on Monday 14th May in the Memorial Hall at 6.45pm if you wish to present any matter relating to St Davids and the community please come along.
St Justinians
There is great feeling about these points within the City Council as there has been no progress made in discussions with the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Pembrokeshire County Council to re-establish the seasonal green field parking that used to work so effectively. The use of minibuses will certainly assist if they can be funded, but some parking is essential, especially for the less able and visitors simply wanting to look at this beautiful area.
The City Council is sensitive to the environmental needs of the peninsula and supports the principles of using buses and investigating all flexible transport options; it also sees St Davids as a living community that is not to be pushed to one side by over zealous application of under funded bus schemes. A resolution is urgently required to this situation with adequate time to be allowed.
The 75,000 or so visitors who come to St Justinians each year also need far better provision of public conveniences, especially at the Grove in St Davids which acts as the bus and parking transport hub. Here the very serviceable public conveniences have recently been demolished as a part of the new Landscape Gallery contract with no clear plans for any replacement. So if you arrive at St Davids having travelled some distance there is no facility in the car park and at St Justinians there are just a couple of portaloos provided by the City Council.
6 April Do you care for, or are you interested Do you want to try and make a difference? ver thought of being a City Councillor? St Davids City Council has an opportunity to co-opt a new city councillor and is inviting anyone interested to get in touch, either to obtain more information or to apply in writing to the Clerk by 23 April There will be local elections next year so the period of service is for about 1 year only 23 March 2007 St Justinians Efforts to provide a sustainable answer to access problems at St Justinians have made little progress over the last few years. The St Justinians Management Initiative set up a Technical Group to look at solutions with interested parties, and this year looks set to be the last one for seasonal temporary car parking in fields at Rhosson Chapel.
In addition a reduced shuttle bus service is likely to operate with some subsidy funding for one bus being provided, and this will have to cater for the 70-80,000 visitors likely to travel there. The lack of proper toilets also continues to be unresolved. In the absence of any permanent solution being discussed, the City Council has applied for one year’s temporary planning permission for portaloos; while these are far from ideal they remain the only option to doing nothing. Given that removal of the public toilets from the National Park Visitor Centre at the Grove is due in April on account of the contract works for the new gallery, additional concerns arise for visitors arriving at St Davids and then taking a bus to St Justinians.
For 2008 and the longer term future, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority has previously emphasised that there will be no further planning permission granted for field parking, even of a seasonal nature. With waiting restrictions on the road, this leaves parking only in the lay-bys that are inadequate for RNLI, boat owners, boat trip operators and the disabled before general parking for local people and visitors can occur. What exacerbates this situation is that the double yellow lines were placed along the road some years ago only on condition that field parking at St Justinians was available.
There is an air of frustration given that for many years the seasonal field parking worked well, accommodating all who visited with minimal impact. It is now hoped that a meeting of the full St Justinians Management Initiative Group will create new opportunities, as the balance between preserving the special nature of the area, as well as allowing full enjoyment of the well publicised Pembrokeshire Coast and the benefits it brings in much needed local employment, has to be resolved.
8 March 2007 Following the successful St Davids Day celebrations a meeting was held with the High Commissioner for Lesotho, HRH Prince Seeiso. The aim was to improve the activities around the twinning link with Matsieng and HRH Princess Mabereng Seeiso is to get in touch after her next visit to Lesotho to identify contacts and schemes that can be considered. Anyone interested in being involved with this link please contact David Menday. While the St Davids Matsieng Twinning Group will be leading this activity, there is an association with the development of St Davids as a Fair Trade City.
At its 5 March meeting the City Council agreed to organise a public meeting to take the Fair Trade efforts being made further. Anyone interested in contributing please contact the Clerk. While much of the meeting related to various works being undertaken it was agreed to replace the elderly lighting in the City Hall, as well as to rewire Siop y Bobol and provide a new top cage for the Memorial Playing Fields slide. The provision of a new sound system for the City Hall was deferred for the meantime.
The Council received the results of the Rural Housing Needs Survey for St Davids from Mr Matthew Owens the Rural Housing Enabler. Key points were the very positive response of around 40% of all households returning survey forms; of 999 surveys distributed some 368 were returned.
In summarising the findings a need for affordable housing was very clearly identified and Mr Owens was asked to investigate local sites for such potential housing developments and to commence negotiations with land owners and the appropriate authorities.
Once again the Council agreed to apply for planning permission and to fund 2 seasonal temporary portable toilets at St Justinians, as has been the case for a number of years. The need for public conveniences in this area has not been resolved permanently and while this facility is far from ideal it was felt that some provision was better than none at all.
One adverse change discussed was the removal of rural rate relief by the Welsh Assembly Government meaning that Council property would pay full rates and notices received provided a substantial increase in the operating costs of both the City Hall and Whitesands car park.
7 February Current Works Construction of a new ramp to the Memorial Hall is now progressing and the City Council was pleased to receive a Welsh Assembly Government, Community Regeneration Toolkit grant of £6982 as a major contribution to the cost of the scheme. This new design will mean that the existing notice board will be removed and as there is no alternative location for it, a new smaller board, that is low maintenance as it is made from recycled plastic, will shortly be provided.
The new play items for the Memorial Playing Fields in New Street, the climbing ‘Boulder’ and the ‘Lions Den’ multi-play unit for toddlers, are due for installation in early March. In addition survey work for a gently sloping access ramp from the present entrance to the toddler area gate is being assessed. This is to be linked with ideas from the National Park Authority for a replacement bus shelter of a more open design that will not attract or allow the abuse currently inflicted on the existing stone structure.
Review of Christmas Street Lighting Once again many complimentary remarks have been received about the display lighting that suffered a real battering in the wild weather in the run up to Christmas, including a replacement for the snapped Christmas tree. With the display costing around £7,500, even though the erection, maintenance and removal was carried out by volunteers, funding of new supports and electrical works will be required for 2007. Local businesses are asked if they can assist with the costs of this attraction.
Cross Square The Cordyline ‘Palm’ tree is currently being replaced and it was agreed to plant a new tree in place of the Elm Tree on the south side of the Memorial garden. The tree that should mature at a height of around 25feet would enable some shade in the garden, and being lower down the Square and on the south side, it would still mean there was a view to the coast from the High Street that has been appreciated by many people.
A review of floral features is currently in hand with the aim of improving the level of display and hopefully returning to the hanging baskets that used to be provided.
Policing At a recent meeting Inspector Dave Sweet met with Councillors and received updates on local matters. Speeding concerns especially near Ysgol Dewi Sant, where children cross to the playing fields, remain a priority and the City Council agreed to a £250 contribution towards a hand held speed detection device. It is hoped that with other funding the equipment can be used locally and shared with Fishguard. Regarding manning, there will be a shared traffic warden, also working at Newport and Fishguard for the peak weeks of the summer, and while St Davids was still missing one police officer from its full complement, 2 Police Community Support Officers were planned for Fishguard in May and this should assist cover in St Davids. It was felt that antisocial behaviour incidents were still under reported and use of the police contact number at the time of the incident whenever possible was essential (0845 330 2000). Extended discussion on a proposed ‘Build Out’ in New Street near the Maes Dyfed junction, that was supported by Stephen Crabb MP resulted in the scheme being rejected as it was felt there were far greater priorities in St Davids in relation to waiting restrictions, particularly in streets where there were no pavements. All these matters will be considered in the Traffic Management Review.
St Davids Day Plans for the celebrations for the week around St Davids Day are well in hand with the Gymanfa Ganu, Market on the Cross Square with the Bishop’s Blessing at midday, ‘Aall day Coffee Morning’ in the City Hall, Cawl a Chan and Noson Lawen continuing from last year. If you fancy yourself as a cook the Best Cawl in St Davids Competition is growing, as is the effort to make St Davids beautiful by encouraging as many premises as possible to provide a decoration to celebrate 1st March with a competition being held for the best displays. Everyone is encouraged to wear traditional costume on the day and if you prefer something completely different, this year there is cash bingo in the City Hall.
Whitesands Parking Tickets The car park will open on 1 March and Residents’ Passes (£3) and Season Tickets (£37) will be issued in the Memorial Hall at the following times:
THURSDAY- FRIDAY & MONDAY- WEDNESDAY 22-23 & 26-28TH February Mornings 10.00 – 12 noon Evenings 17.00 – 18.30h
SATURDAY 24TH February 10.00-12.30h
Fair Trade The City Council agreed to the principle of becoming a Fair Trade City.
The Council meets to discuss the Traffic Management Review on 19 February with the next full meeting on 5 March at 7.00pm
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