Anglesey - Island of Opportunity?

Anglesey - is Llangefni part of a social engineering project?

I live in London but I am in Anglesey every week or so and therefore I do notice periodic changes in Ynys Mon. As a Welshman living in London since 1987, I do appreciate the rich mix of tapestry and what it offers the capital city of the British Isles and indeed, the world. We have every nation on earth represented in London......but what about Anglesey?

The one thing I notice more than anything is the absence of a diverse ethnic background in Anglesey, indeed in North Wales. However, over the past few months I have noticed a change and until today thought nothing of it until I discovered what the majority of people in Gwynedd and Anglesey may be unaware of this situation generally.

It seems there are "organisations" that are placing young people in the locality but the local population seem totally unaware of why this is happening. I will be asking the very diplomatic wordsmith from the locality to contribute having done his research however I can reveal there are about 76 organisations in the Mon / Menai Are that carry on various roles including re-locating prison offenders. Why are we not told about these things by Anglesey and Gwynedd Councils. Who makes these decisions that will inevitably shape the future?

Did you know about re-settling offenders and do you care?

Stick around and I will hopefully provide you with more information soon.

Stay Tuned!

Anglesey CC to "dispose of Graigwen"

Sources have confirmed that the Council's land at Graigwen is subject to disposal in the next few weeks with planning permission for housing......(getting rid of a problem?)

I do not understand this disposal strategy - and here I explain why.

Anglesey Council seeks to capture as much affordable housing from developers as possible despite rising build costs (such as sprinklers) with falling margins (selling prices)

It's about time Anglesey Council either:

a) Made Graigwen available as plots for self-build (but a scheme that works this time please viz; where land prices value to the correct level with the restrictions imposed?)
b) Built-it out themselves as affordable housing

I doubt the permission at Graigwen is optimised in any case....looks a bit light to me with just 30 units.

Your comments are welcome!

Stay tuned

Anglesey "ENTERPRISE ZONE?"

Welsh AM Edwina Heart has announced five new Enterprise Zones in Wales responding to Tory plans announced earlier in 2011.

The first five enterprise zones will include Anglesey, Ebbw Vale, StAthan, Cardiff and Deeside.

This is a SIGNIFICANT step forward for Anglesey likely to reap huge benefits.

An earlier story HERE called for Anglesey to be awarded EZ status last year.

This is fantastic news for Anglesey and a step in the right direction. I predict an increase in the salaries of Anglesonians!

The item that does need urgent repealing is the new law that requires all homes in Wales to have sprinklers. This is an "on cost" of £3,500 per new home.....whatever happened to smoke detectors?

End

Anglesey Council - the machine works overtime to "break" Valley Market

Readers may not be aware that:

• Anglesey Council Trading Standards themselves run the Council's markets in Llangefni, Holyhead and Amlwch.
• Council Markets have suffered a steady decline over the past 10 years, primarily because of "mismanagement" by Trading Standards
• Trading Standards some time ago awarded a cleaning contract to a company to clear up after each market held in Llangefni - that contract was apparently for 10 years at £14,000 per annum.
• Trading Standards continue to run its own Markets despite obiter dicta from a High Court case suggesting good practice would be to separate the two functions; viz the Council should not run its own markets and also police markets - which amounts to a conflict of interest.
• Trading Standards have discriminated in the charging of non-Council markets. They have distinguished by whether the market is charitable or not and has priced their "levy" accordingly.
• Trading Standards continue to interfere with non-Council markets and in the case of Valley Market have recently instigated "flying visits" from North Wales Police, North Wales Fire Brigade making safety checks and Anglesey Council Public Health Dept. Clearly there is a backchannel dialogue designed to "rough up" Valley Market.
• Trading Standards cannot but interfere with "private business"...with their red tape.

Anglesey - Trading Standards' department - v - conflict of interest.

Anglesey Trading Standards have cranked-up their campaign, utilising Council resourcesto damage no-Council run markets in Anglesey whilst in neighbouring Gwynedd the Council has a laissez-faire policy towards non-Council markets.

Anglesey Trading Standards not only police non-Council markets but they also run Anglesey Council's own markets in Holyhead, Amlwch, Llangefni and the once a year Menai Bridge market. Despite being made aware of Leeds City Council v Watson case where the judge in his Obiter Dicta said that the Council was conflicted as operator and policer of markets, Anglesey Trading Standards continue to ignore this case.

Unsurprisingly, Anglesey Trading Standards running of it's own Council markets has been a unmitigated disaster blaming others for the decline of Council run markets. Apparently non-Council markets (according to Trading Standards) have damaged town centres. Bearing in mind Trading Standards are under the umbrella of The Corporate Director who is also responsible for Planning then Trading Standards might consider what planning policies led to Amlwch, Holyhead and Llangefni's retail core decline? Blaming for instance Valley Market for the decline of Holyhead Town Centre is a bit rich when the town centre shopping has shifted to "out of town" by a direct policy of the Council itself.

Turning to the management or rather mis-management of Anglesey Council's own markets, Trading Standards have much explaining to do. We will be requesting information under the FOI Act 2000 to uncover the shambolic mess that is Trading Standards attempt to run markets and the steady flow of traders giving up because of "viability, cost, attitude of the Head of Trading Standards towards traders"  It would appear that Anglesey Trading Standards are deeply unpopular amongs traders - because of how they run Council owned markets.

We need to find the truth about why Anglesey Council's markets have declined to such an extent that they are barely operating whereas privately run non-Council markets in Anglesey are thriving. What has led to this decline, why does Trading Standards continue to want to police markets whilst also running it's own markets?  Conflict of interest......just a bit! 

Stay Tuned

 

Anglesey - Ieuan Wyn Jones for "Failure, Joblessness, Economic Chaos"

For the benefit of those who have not seen this leaflet and the completely misleading statements contained therein......here it is or see it on Druids' Revenge (druidsrevenge.blogspot.com)

 

Voting for Plaid Cymru's Ieuan Wyn Jones means more:

1. Joblessness
2. A continued Eeconomic "nuclear winter" in Anglesey
3. Lack of prosperity
4. Ignoring key voter issues
5. Ignoring opportunities like "Lightning Cars" that was presented on a plate to IWJ.
6. Failing to attract new companies to Anglesey
7. Failing to provide school leavers with jobs in Wales.
8. Failing to provide homes in Anglesey
9. Ignoring existing business and spurning "wealth creation"
10. Failing to make Anglesey his No1 priority as "Deputy First Minister"

 

Anglesey - Bowles letter to "group" about member / officer bullying

Again The Council's Managing Director comes out with a blinder in an anticipated move about officer bullying.....history repeating itself.

The members have their own views......perhaps officers are not executing members' orders, being less than impartial and showing loyalty to senior council staff?

Here it is Download 07042011 DB letter

What does David Bowles have against Cllr Bryan Owen?

Stay Tuned

Anglesey - Axed merger with Gwynedd .....blown open??

Dear Readers

Beware what lies beneath the photocopy cover.....

Download email by Download Cllr_Tom_Jones of Gwynedd

What does all this mean??

Stay tuned

Anglesey - latest Ombudsman report 200901501 (planning and highways)

Herewith problems encountered by Mr W and his complaint against Anglesey Council

Download Mr W

Post your comments here!!

 

Anglesey - Bowles out, is IWJ next?

Reading the Holyhead Mail (page 2)  last week anyone would have thought the article about a car company and Ieuan Wyn Jones AM the Economic Minister made good reading and exonerated the Deputy First Minster from any "wrongdoing" but the word "doing" means he did something which is absolutely untrue.....he did nothing...a big fat zero.

Unfortunately Brynle Williams remains unwell, however it may be possible to obtain some further input (about IWJ and the car company) from Brynle despite his illness and 18 months of intrusive surgery. Nevertheless, we all wish Brynle the best in his recovery.

Returning to IWJ, the people of Anglesey are asking many questions such as:

1. When the sun was shining why were you not fixing the roof?
2. Why have so many companies deserted Anglesey during the boom years?
3. During times of hardship, why have you not attracted companies to Anglesey?
4. Why do you continually take the people of Anglesey for granted?
5. Why do you fail to engage with business people and landowners in Anglesey?
6. When was the last time you walked into a shop or office in Anglesey and asked the business owners about the current climate of doing business with a sympathetic ear?
7. Why does Plaid Cymru give preference to those speaking Welsh?
8. What are Plaid Cymru's long term policy for retaining school leavers in Anglesey?
9. At the moment, "Anglesonians" want jobs, homes and prosperity - what policies do Plaid Cymru have to ensure the delivery of this objective?
10. Simply wrapping oneself in "Y Ddraig Goch" and saying "vote Plaid Cymru" out of Nationalist devotion no longer rubs with many who seek jobs, homes and prosperity - judging by the lack of delivery by IWJ as "Economic Minister of Wales" then the best we can hope for is a bleak future?
11. Technium buildings in Wales have been closed ....at the last count 18...costing a couple of hundred million pounds.....would IWJ not now agree that the state should not intervene in what is ostensibly a private sector function?

There are many more questions to ask the Deputy First Minister, particularly his lack of interest in Anglesey and his blind faith that Welsh speakers on low salaries losing jobs, homes and prosperity will continue to vote for him as he remains well paid in his Government job....... "do as I say, not as I do." What has he done for the people ....anything tangible?

He just wants to cling to power, Anglesey is not on his radar, he simply does not get it.

IWJ has much to answer for, his economic record is abysmal,

Stay tuned