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 A good day was had by all at the official opening of Porthcawl's Skatepark on Sunday
August 21st.
There
was a great crowd there, bands, DJ Georgie, and some fantastic demonstrations by skaters. I saw people from 9 months to 90
years old, and they all agreed that this is a wonderful facility.
Thanks to the residents, many of whom came along
and joined in, to Maverick for supplying the advertising material and the DJ, to the bands, to all the sponsors, and to Anthony
and his group for getting most of the sponsors in the first place!
Thanks to all the skaters, who showed us great
sills, and were courteous to each other and to the public in general.
Thanks to Louise Brown and the BCBC Youth
Service for supplying the free burgers, to Alison the Town Council Clerk & Allan the Town Council Handyman who have
had many a sleepless night while organising the event, and to Cllrs David Deere & John Bunker in particular who
have been so supportive of this project. Thanks also to BCBC and Sportslot who helped to fund it.
Having successfully campaigned for a Youth Centre in
East Central, I thought we were on the brink of welcoming a much-needed pedestrian crossing on Newton Nottage Road,
allowing the 'island' of Marlpit Lane, Ynys Las and the rest of 'Toy Town' to be connected to the school,
the shops, the play area, and the rest of the town. Residents and I have fought for this for a very long time .
While objections and obstacles were being put forward by Lib Dem Councillors, it seemed that our Conservative
colleagues were supportive of this scheme.
However, it's now clear that the crossing won't happen for
at least a year. When it cam to the Council for a vote, all Lib Dem Councillors, 2 Conservative Councillors and the new Independent
Councillor (who is a resident of East Central ward) voted against the scheme, while the rest of the Conservatives abstained.
The only Councillors who voted in favour were your Labour Councillors.
I am very disappointed at the recent turn
of events, not to say angry. But it's not dead yet - if Labour gain control of the Town Council in 2012, I will
make sure that this crossing is at the top of our priority list, and will be completed within the year.
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Update: Goal posts
Over recent years, there have been many requests
from local residents for the installation of goal posts on the Heol y Goedwig ‘kickabout’ area. It is felt that
this would provide an additional facility for young people and could address some of the issues arising from youth annoyance
and the playing of ball games in inappropriate areas.
There
have been a number of obstacles to overcome, but I have taken these issues up with senior officers, and I am now able to take
the proposals forward, subject to funding being identified.
I
have written to every household in Heol y Goedwig to ask for their views, and the response was very encouraging.
I have offered to make arrangements for the purchase and installation of the goal posts, but a local group of people have
volunteered to do this. We are waiting to see what funds have been raised to date.
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The
planning application for a skateboard park at Heol y Goedwig has at last been approved - after months of detailed investigations
and testing. I look forward to seeing this new facility installed within the next few months.
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STOP PRESS
The bus service which was stopped by First Cymru (see below) has been
reinstated, thanks to all those who supported my campaign, and to First Cymru who listened!.
This is what
I had said:
From the 22nd November 2010, service 224 will no longer operate to and from Porthcawl.
Instead, the service will operate between Swansea and Margam only, via Baglan & Port Talbot. This is purely a commercial decision made by First Cymru Buses Ltd and it appears that the service
will revert back to the original timetable during the summer months, making it a seasonal service.
As a local councillor I know this will be devastating
news to everyone in Porthcawl who uses public transport, particularly those attending or visiting Port Talbot Hospital. The
waiting times and journey times are already very long, but to have to travel to Bridgend or Pyle, and wait for another bus -
which appears to be the only alternative after 22 November - will make the journey impossible for many. And as there is no
afternoon visiting at the hospital, many older visitors just won’t be able to manage such a late night treck.
A similar proposal for Maesteg was withdrawn
due to a public outcry so I would urge any concerned resident to make the managing director of First Cymru fully aware
of the strength of feeling. At a time when we are all counting the cost of living, it seems ludicrous to take away such a
valued service and I will certainly be doing all I can to get this decision reversed.
First Cymru Buses Ltd are also introducing a new service called X4, from 22 November 2010, which will operate between
Neath Victoria Gardens and Bridgend Bus Station, via Port Talbot, Margam, Pyle & Princess of Wales Hospital.
This new service, along with the existing X1 service (Swansea to Bridgend, via
Port Talbot Bus Station) will provide a connection to Swansea and Port Talbot
for Porthcawl residents, albeit not a direct service. Porthcawl passengers wishing to travel to Swansea/Port Talbot will need
to board the 63 or 63B service from Porthcawl to Pyle Cross to catch service X1 or X4. Alternatively,
passengers can travel on the X2 Service from Porthcawl to Bridgend, which generally arrives in Bridgend Bus Station at :10
& :40 past the hour, with the X1 Service departing from Bridgend to Swansea hourly at :20 past the
hour.
There is a petition with over 500 names, directed
to the Managing Director of First. The Managing Director has been made aware of the public concern and outcry, but he
reiterated that this is a purely commercial decision.
Griffin Park Youth Centre is on the move ...
but it won't be going far.
It has to be re-located to make way for some of the roadworks required for the regeneration of the town. I'll keep you
updated on where and when it will be moving.
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